Developer Accountability, Stephan Schmidt, 2025

In Developer Accountability, Stephan Schmidt provides practical techniques for holding developers accountable. The book covers starting with “anything left?” and otherwise “what about X?”, using the “echo technique” to make expectations clear, ensuring commitments come from the team, and making teams accountable rather than individuals (when the team is ready for it).

Top 3 Learnings:

1. Start with “anything left?” and otherwise “what about X?” When you feel something wasn’t done, ask with “who is responsible” and “who owns this.” They must find it themselves—don’t solve it for them. Use the “echo technique”: make expectations clear, then have them repeat it back to ensure it arrived. You are the storyteller and must give context, show them interconnectedness, and show the rest of the company when their commitments fail.

2. Commitments must come from the team. The next step is giving away decisions—decisions to those who can make them best. Responsible are those individuals who complete a task, while accountable is the person who ensures the task is done. It is better to make teams instead of individuals accountable—but watch out whether the team is ready for it.

3. Hold accountable against expectations—but you must express them. You can only hold people accountable to expectations if you’ve expressed them clearly. Use the echo technique to ensure expectations are understood. Show interconnectedness—when commitments fail, show the impact on the rest of the company.

Why and when to read it:

Read this when you’re managing developers and want to improve accountability without micromanaging. It’s especially valuable for engineering managers, tech leads, or anyone responsible for ensuring work gets done. The book provides concrete techniques for setting expectations, ensuring commitments, and holding teams accountable, making it perfect for teams struggling with ownership, follow-through, or unclear responsibilities.