Tech debt is not one number — it is a vector of eight categories:
| Category | Grows when… | Shrinks when… |
|---|---|---|
| Cyclomatic complexity | Quality allocation is low. | Quality allocation is high. |
| CQRS violations | Architecture shortcuts are taken. | Quality refactoring runs. |
| Config drift | Ship allocation is high without quality. | Security and quality both applied. |
| XSS | Security allocation is low. | Security allocation is high. |
| SQL injection | Security allocation is low. | Security allocation is high. |
| Shell injection | Security allocation is low. | Security allocation is high. |
| CSRF | Security allocation is low. | Security allocation is high. |
| CVEs | Security allocation is low; disclosure window is loose. | Security allocation is high; CVEs disclosed promptly. |
Each category creates different incident types when it reaches a threshold. The debt constellation view shows the current vector as a spatial map, making it easier to spot which categories are approaching critical levels.