Being Accountable for Results

Staff engineers are evaluated on results, not just the amount of work they put in. The article shows that as engineers rise, they move from effort-based grading to being held accountable for whether a project ships successfully. Senior engineers may get away with a well-executed effort even if the project fails, but staff-level engineers are expected to make the project succeed regardless of non-technical obstacles.

The author argues that this accountability is unfair on its face because many failures stem from product-market fit or lack of support, yet staff engineers must wield enough cross-functional influence and good judgment to overcome those hurdles. A few failures won't get you fired, but they will count against you in performance reviews and bonuses unless you have a track record of high-profile wins.

For engineers eyeing a staff role, the advice is clear: build a reputation for shipping important projects rather than focusing solely on mentorship or technical depth. If you value fairness and aren't comfortable being the one ultimately responsible for outcomes, a staff position may not be a good fit, regardless of your technical chops.