# TBM 430: Incubate, Compound, Refinance, Liquidate

DevFeed: [TBM 430: Incubate, Compound, Refinance, Liquidate](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/tbm-430-incubate-compound-refinance-liquidate-40056.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://cutlefish.substack.com/p/tbm-430-incubate-compound-refinance>)

Author: John Cutler

Published: 2026-07-12T20:57:05Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [The Beautiful Mess](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/the-beautiful-mess.md>)

Topics: [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>), [Software](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/software.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>)

Tags: [ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai.md>), [complexity](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/complexity.md>), [cost](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cost.md>), [coupling](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/coupling.md>), [product](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/product.md>), [value](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/value.md>)

## AI overview

This opinion article combines software portfolio economics with AI, arguing that AI does not remove complexity, coupling, coordination, uncertainty, or decay. Instead, it can change the cost, speed, and feasibility of responding to them. The article uses a value-versus-carrying-cost model to describe software assets as incubate, compound, refinance, or liquidate cases.

## Source excerpt

tl;dr: AI does not eliminate complexity, coupling, coordination, uncertainty, or decay.