Draft pending editorial review. [TO CONFIRM]
An engineer inside the operation
A Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) is an engineer who works inside the client's operation. They do not receive requirements by email: they discover them with users, build the solution and deploy it until it works.
How they differ
- From a consultant: the consultant recommends; the FDE builds and deploys.
- From a developer: the developer implements what is asked; the FDE decides what to build from the problem.
- From a traditional outsourced team: the FDE is accountable for measured outcomes, not hours.
When you need one
When the problem lives in the operation and many participants are involved, when off-the-shelf solutions do not fit, or when you need results in months rather than years.
Four ways to bring one in
You can train your engineers, decide where FDEs add value, hire FDEs or deploy a cell that owns the outcome.