Developer Accountability Checklist: What Every Business Owner Should Demand

Whether you're working with developers in Mumbai, Manila, Miami, or Manchester—these professional accountability standards protect your business investment.

You don't control your codebase. You're renting it from your developers. And you don't even know it yet.

This isn't about geography. Unprofessional development practices exist everywhere—from offshore teams in India to agencies in New York City. The issue isn't WHERE developers are located. It's whether they follow professional accountability standards that protect your business.

The hard truth: Most business owners don't know what questions to ask. They assume "the developers handle the technical stuff." Then one day, they realize they can't access their own code, can't switch vendors without paying ransom, or discover months of work can't actually be deployed.

This guide shows you the non-negotiable accountability standards you should demand from ANY development team—and exactly how to implement them.

The $75,000 Wake-Up Call

A client came to us after 8 months with an offshore development team. Professional firm, nice British sales rep, "experienced developers." They paid $75,000. Here's what they got:

  • • Code hosted on the vendor's private server they couldn't access
  • • "Proprietary deployment system" that only the vendor could operate
  • • No documentation about how anything worked
  • • Code written in a way that only worked with the vendor's infrastructure
  • • When they asked to switch vendors: "That'll require a complete rebuild"

They didn't hire developers. They signed a software rental agreement with no way out.

The Core Principle: You Must Own and Control Your Code

If you don't control your codebase, you don't own your business. You're renting it from whoever has your code.

Every developer relationship must start with this non-negotiable:

"I own the repository. I have full admin access. Changes are visible to me in real-time. I can fire you tomorrow and hire someone else without any 'transition' or 'migration' process."

If they resist this, walk away. There is no legitimate technical reason for a developer to refuse these terms. None.

The Non-Negotiable Accountability Checklist

These standards apply to everyone: offshore teams, US agencies, local developers, freelancers, your nephew who "knows computers." Geography doesn't matter. Professional accountability does.

1

Repository Access: You Own It From Day 1

What This Means:

Your code lives in a repository (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) under YOUR account, not theirs. You have full administrative access. The developer is added as a collaborator, not an owner.

Why This Matters:

  • • You can fire them today and hire someone else tomorrow
  • • No "migration" or "transition" process to get YOUR code
  • • You can audit their work anytime
  • • Zero vendor lock-in from day one

How to Implement:

Step 1: Create account before hiring anyone

  • • Sign up for GitHub (recommended), GitLab, or Bitbucket using YOUR business email
  • • Create a new repository for your project
  • • YOU are the owner, not the developer

Step 2: Add developer as collaborator only

  • • Give them "write" or "maintainer" access, NOT owner/admin
  • • They can commit code but can't delete the repository
  • • You retain full control at all times

Step 3: Verify access daily

  • • Log in and confirm you can see all code
  • • Verify you can download/clone the repository
  • • Check that you could remove the developer's access if needed

Red Flags - Walk Away If They Say:

  • • "We'll give you access when the project is done"
  • • "Code is hosted on our secure servers for your protection"
  • • "Our workflow doesn't work that way"
  • • "You'll get a copy at each milestone"
2

Daily Commits: Visible Progress, Not Promises

What This Means:

Developers commit (save) code changes to your repository daily. You can see exactly what was changed, when, and by whom. No waiting for "milestones" or "weekly updates."

Why This Matters:

  • • You know work is actually happening (not just billing you while doing nothing)
  • • You can spot problems early before they compound
  • • You have a complete audit trail of who changed what
  • • No "we lost the code" or "developer disappeared with everything" disasters

How to Verify:

Check the "commits" section of your repository:

  • • You should see commits (changes) dated within the last 24 hours on active work
  • • Each commit should have a clear message explaining what was changed
  • • Commits from weekends/holidays are fine, but regular gaps of 3+ days are red flags

What daily commits look like:

✓ Jan 7, 2026 - "Add user login validation"

✓ Jan 6, 2026 - "Fix database connection timeout bug"

✓ Jan 6, 2026 - "Update payment processing API"

✓ Jan 5, 2026 - "Create new dashboard component"

Red Flags:

  • • Gaps of multiple days/weeks between commits during active development
  • • Vague commit messages like "updates" or "fixes"
  • • Massive commits dumping weeks of work at once (hiding sloppy work)
  • • Developer claims "we commit at milestones, not daily"

What to Demand:

"I need to see code committed to our repository at least daily when you're actively working. Clear commit messages. No massive dumps of weeks of work. This is standard professional practice."

3

Zero Vendor Lock-In: Standard, Portable Technology

What This Means:

Your code can be deployed and run by anyone with standard skills. No proprietary systems, no "special" infrastructure, no vendor dependencies that trap you.

Why This Matters:

Vendor lock-in is how developers hold businesses hostage. They build your system in a way that only they can deploy or maintain it, then charge whatever they want because you can't leave.

Questions to Ask:

"What technology stack are you using?"

Good answer: Standard, widely-used technologies (React, Node.js, Python/Django, Ruby on Rails, PHP/Laravel, etc.)

Bad answer: Proprietary framework "we developed" or obscure technology only they know

"Can I deploy this code on AWS, Google Cloud, or any standard hosting?"

Good answer: "Yes, it's standard code. Here's the deployment documentation."

Bad answer: "It only works on our infrastructure" or "Migration is complex"

"If I hire a new developer tomorrow, can they work on this code?"

Good answer: "Yes, any developer familiar with [standard technology] can work on it"

Bad answer: "They'd need special training" or "It's complicated"

Warning: Clever Lock-In Tactics

  • • "Proprietary deployment system": Means you're trapped with them
  • • "Custom framework for your needs": Means no one else can maintain it
  • • "Hosted on our optimized servers": Means you don't control your own app
  • • "Special integrations": Means vendor lock-in disguised as features
4

Documentation: It Should Exist Before You Ask

What This Means:

Professional developers document as they build. How things work, how to deploy, where credentials are stored, what each component does. You shouldn't have to beg for this.

Why This Matters:

No documentation = you're trapped. When the developer leaves (or holds you hostage), you have no idea how your own system works.

Minimum Documentation Requirements:

  • ✓ README file: What the project is, how to set it up locally
  • ✓ Deployment instructions: Step-by-step how to get code live
  • ✓ Environment variables: What credentials/settings are needed and where
  • ✓ Architecture overview: How the pieces fit together
  • ✓ API documentation: If applicable, how endpoints work
  • ✓ Third-party services: List of any external dependencies
5

Communication: Your Time Zone, Your Language, Your Schedule

What This Means:

If you're a US business, you get responses during US business hours. Communication happens in fluent English. Meetings are scheduled at reasonable times for YOU, not adjusted for teams halfway around the world.

Professional Standards:

  • • Response time: Same-day replies to emails during your business hours
  • • Emergency availability: Critical issues get immediate attention, not "we'll check tomorrow"
  • • Clear English: No language barriers that slow down technical discussions
  • • Direct access: You talk to the actual developer, not endless intermediaries
  • • Your schedule: Meetings at 9am YOUR time, not 9pm

Note: Offshore Teams Can Meet These Standards

Good offshore teams ADAPT to your timezone and communication needs. They hire English-fluent staff, schedule overlap hours, and respond promptly. The problem isn't offshore—it's teams that expect YOU to adapt to THEM.

6

Code Review & Quality: Someone Checks Before Deployment

What This Means:

Code doesn't go live without review. Someone with expertise examines every change for bugs, security issues, and quality problems BEFORE it hits production.

Why This Matters:

Unreviewed code = ticking time bombs. Security holes, performance issues, and bugs that cost $50K+ to fix later.

What to Demand:

Questions to ask your developers:

  • • "Who reviews code before it goes live?"
  • • "What's your code review process?"
  • • "Do you have automated testing?"
  • • "What happens if bugs make it to production?"
7

Account Access: You Control Your Own Services

What This Means:

ALL third-party accounts (hosting, domain, payments, analytics) are registered under YOUR business email and payment method, not the developer's. They're added as users, not owners.

Critical Accounts You Must Control:

  • ✓ Domain registration: GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc. under YOUR account
  • ✓ Hosting/servers: AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean under YOUR account
  • ✓ Payment processing: Stripe, PayPal under YOUR business
  • ✓ Email services: SendGrid, Mailchimp under YOUR account
  • ✓ Analytics: Google Analytics with YOU as owner
  • ✓ Any other service: If it's for YOUR business, YOU own the account

Horror Story: Domain Hostage

Developer registered client's domain under their account. When fired, demanded $10,000 to transfer it. "Oops, renewal is coming up. Pay us or lose your domain." This is EXTORTION. Never let it happen.

How to Implement This With Your Current Team

Step 1: Send this email to your development team (copy/paste and customize):

Subject: Implementing Code Ownership & Accountability Standards Hi [Team], As we continue our development work, I want to implement professional accountability standards to protect our business investment: 1. Repository Access: I need full admin access to our code repository (GitHub/GitLab). Please set up a repo under my business account and add your team as collaborators. 2. Daily Commits: Going forward, please commit code changes daily so I can see progress in real-time. Clear commit messages explaining what was changed. 3. Documentation: Please provide deployment documentation and architecture overview so our business isn't dependent on any single person. 4. Account Ownership: Any services (hosting, domain, etc.) should be under our business account with your team added as users. These are industry-standard practices. Let me know if you have questions about implementing any of this. Thanks, [Your Name]

Step 2: Watch their response carefully.

✓ Professional Response

"Absolutely, here's the repo link and I'll get documentation to you by Friday. Let me know if you need anything else."

✗ Red Flag Response

"That's not how we work" or "This will slow us down" or "We'll do that when the project is done" or defensiveness.

What If Your Current Team Resists?

If developers resist these basic accountability standards, you have two options:

  1. 1. They're unprofessional and should be replaced
    Professional developers don't resist code ownership or daily commits. This is standard practice.
  2. 2. They're holding your code hostage and you need legal help
    If they refuse to give you YOUR code, this is theft. Contact a lawyer immediately.

Common excuses and the truth behind them:

Excuse: "Daily commits aren't necessary for our workflow"

Translation: "I don't want you seeing my work in progress because it's messy/incomplete/doesn't exist"

Your response: "Daily commits are industry standard. If you can't do this, we're not a good fit."

Excuse: "Our proprietary system provides better performance"

Translation: "We're locking you in so you can never leave"

Your response: "Use standard, portable technology or this engagement ends"

Excuse: "We'll transfer everything when the project is complete"

Translation: "We're keeping control until we extract maximum payment"

Your response: "I need access immediately. This is my code, not yours."

Excuse: "You don't need to see code, just trust us"

Translation: "I don't want accountability because the work is substandard"

Your response: "This is my business and my money. I'm not 'trusting,' I'm verifying."

Geography Doesn't Matter. Accountability Does.

This isn't about WHERE your developers are located. It's about professional standards and accountability:

✓ Good Development Teams (Anywhere)

  • • Give you full code control from day 1
  • • Commit code daily
  • • Use standard, portable technology
  • • Document their work
  • • Communicate clearly during YOUR business hours
  • • Make exit easy, not complicated
  • • Take ownership of quality and results

✗ Bad Development Teams (Anywhere)

  • • Control YOUR code on their servers
  • • Hide progress behind "milestones"
  • • Use proprietary lock-in tactics
  • • Provide no documentation
  • • Expect you to adapt to their schedule
  • • Make leaving expensive or impossible
  • • Blame everyone else when things fail

The truth: I've seen terrible work from $500/hour US agencies and excellent work from $40/hour offshore teams. I've also seen it reversed. Location isn't the indicator. Professional accountability standards are.

Need Help Implementing These Standards?

A fractional CTO ensures your development team follows these accountability standards—or helps you find one that will.

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