If no one will say it, then I will. Tech debt is overhyped. Context debt is a bigger problem.

We interviewed 100 employees across startups, mid-market, and enterprise orgs. We asked them a simple question:

“Do you use AI in your daily workflow?”

85% said yes. (The other 15% probably lied.)

I then asked: “Have you heard of context debt?”

92 out of 100 said no.

That’s the problem.

Context debt happens when someone takes action without the full picture.

It’s like asking a new hire to order pizza for the team—but forgetting to mention you're gluten-free and half the team is vegetarian.

Or asking Chat GPT to write content about your business, without telling AI any information about your business…

Now imagine doing that with AI.

AI will happily complete the task you give it—no questions asked, no context checked.

But what happens when the person prompting the AI also lacks context?

That’s what’s happening at companies right now.

Developers are using AI to write code—but if your developers don’t fully understand the impact of a change, then they can't communicate that to the AI.

That’s how small edits turn into massive problems, both now and later.

If you don’t address it, AI won't speed up your team—it’ll speed up your downfall.

How is your team handling context debt?