Technical debt only compounds if you're building on top of it. A module that is written once and never needs to be modified doesn't get any worse over time. Therefore, once it is working correctly, there is no point in wasting effort to clean it up until it needs to be touched again.
Note that I assume basic documentation, proper naming conventions, and adequate testing are part of "working correctly". Those are the things you do as you write the code initially. It's the refactoring/rework/gold plating that you leave for later, only if you need it.
Note that I assume basic documentation, proper naming conventions, and adequate testing are part of "working correctly". Those are the things you do as you write the code initially. It's the refactoring/rework/gold plating that you leave for later, only if you need it.