# Capability debt

> The gap between what your people can do and what the work now demands.

Source: https://iambenschmidt.com/lexicon/capability-debt/ · 2026-05-20


**Capability debt** is the gap between what your people can actually do and what the work now demands. Like [tech debt](https://iambenschmidt.com/essays/team-capability/), it compounds.

You pay it down the boring way: small, regular reps against the real work. Or you keep paying the interest, in rework, in slow decisions, and in good people quietly drowning. The interest is always due. The only question is whether you're paying it down on purpose.

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## Related Reading

- [Capability under load](https://iambenschmidt.com/lexicon/capability-under-load/)
- [Team Capability](https://iambenschmidt.com/essays/team-capability/)


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