Featured service
Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE)
Forward Deployed Engineering means an engineer works inside your actual tools and workflow to build a solution that fits how you already work, instead of handing you a generic tool and leaving you to make it fit.
What FDE is
A forward deployed engineer works inside the real day-to-day of a business. They learn how the work really gets done. Only then do they decide what software or AI should do. Most AI sales pitches start with a tool. The FDE way starts with how you work.
The company Palantir made the role well known. Business Insider says Palantir “would embed engineers directly with customers to build software tailored to their needs.” Business Insider also reported that by April 2026, Indeed’s job-posting index for the role “had surged to 5,230% above January 2025 levels” (an index against January 2025, not a count of posts), and that Anthropic, OpenAI, Palantir and Stripe were among the companies hiring.
In our view, big companies have mostly had these engineers. We offer the same way of working, sized for a business with a few people and a few tools.
Who it's for
- Businesses with a job that runs through several tools and keeps getting stuck.
- Teams that tried an automation tool and found it didn't fit how they work.
- Owners who want a working solution, not another app to learn.
- Anyone looking for an AI automation consultant who wants to know what to fix before paying for new software or a build.
If one simple automation is all you need, we'll tell you. You don't need FDE for that.
Problems it solves
A job runs through several tools and keeps getting stuck.
We map where the work waits and fix the handoffs.
You tried an automation tool and it didn’t fit.
We start from how your team really works, not from a template.
The same task eats your week.
Answering new questions, sending quotes, following up or making the same report every week.
You’re worried about AI getting things wrong.
Anything involving money, customers or steps that are hard to undo keeps a person’s approval.
You don’t want to pay for something that won’t help.
Sometimes the honest answer is “don’t automate this yet.” If so, we’ll say so.
How it works, step by step
- Tell us what you need. Describe the job and the tools it runs through.
- We reply with a quote if we can take the job. Pick the Snapshot, the Audit or a custom build.
- We map the job. We write down every step, who does it, which tool it uses and where it waits.
- We sort every step into one of four groups: remove it, use simple rules, use AI, or keep a person’s approval.
- We build and fit the solution inside your tools, if you want it built, and a person checks the work before we hand it over.
- We measure before and after, so you can see if the change worked.
- Access ends after the job. You remove our invite.
The method follows what forward deployed engineering teams describe: map the real process, sort every step, and build inside the tools a business already uses. Nothing gets built during a Snapshot or Audit; building is quoted on its own.
FDE vs ordinary AI automation, hiring and agencies
Many AI automation products start with a tool. You get an app or a template and set it up yourself. That can work when you already know the one step that hurts and it follows simple rules. FDE starts with the whole job, from what starts it to when it's done. It asks "should this step exist at all?" before "how do we automate it?"
| Ordinary AI automation tool | Hiring an engineer | Typical agency | Forward Deployed Engineering | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starts with | A tool or one task | A job description | A project brief | The full map of your job |
| Who fits it to your work | You do | Your new hire, once they learn the business | The agency, from the brief | An engineer, inside your tools |
| Asks | “How do we automate this?” | Depends on the person | “What should we build?” | “Should this step exist at all?” |
| Commitment | A subscription | Salary, hiring and management | A project contract | A quoted Snapshot, Audit or build |
| Usual risk | Automating a step that shouldn’t exist | Slow and costly to hire for one workflow | Built to the brief, not to how work really runs | Takes longer at the start |
Our opinion, not a study.
Deliverables and prices
Workflow Snapshot
USD 149
Delivered in up to 7 calendar days after we have everything we need.
- 1 workflow. You fill in a written form. We don’t need access to any of your tools.
- A written map of each step, with every step marked: remove, rules, AI or person.
- Our top 3 ideas.
- What to measure before and after.
- 1 round of questions and answers.
Workflow Audit
USD 495
Delivered in up to 14 calendar days after we have everything we need.
- 1 workflow of up to 25 steps, from a form plus one video call of up to 60 minutes.
- Everything in the Snapshot.
- A map of how the job works now, and how it could work.
- A list of the tools involved and who has access.
- Notes on risks and ranked options.
- A quote for anything you want built.
- 1 round of questions and answers.
Custom build
Quoted up front after you tell us what you need.
- We build and fit the solution inside the tools you already use.
- Automation, a small app, an integration or a report.
- A person checks the work before we hand it over.
- Access ends after the job.
Payment is in full up front, or through marketplace escrow (Upwork or Fiverr). We don't promise savings or results. We give estimates, and we say what they're based on.
FAQ
What is Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE)?
Forward Deployed Engineering means an engineer works inside your actual tools and workflow to build a solution that fits how you already work, instead of handing you a generic tool.
What does "forward deployed engineer" mean?
A forward deployed engineer works inside the real day-to-day of a business. They learn how the work really gets done, and only then decide what software or AI should do.
How is FDE different from an AI automation tool?
An AI automation tool starts with the tool and leaves you to fit it to your work. FDE starts with your whole job, asks whether each step should exist at all, and an engineer builds the solution inside the tools you already use.
Who is FDE for?
FDE is for businesses with a job that runs through several tools and keeps getting stuck, and for teams that tried an automation tool and found it didn’t fit how they work.
How much does it cost?
The Workflow Snapshot is USD 149 and the Workflow Audit is USD 495. Custom builds are quoted up front at $35/hr (USD).
How long does it take?
The Snapshot is delivered in up to 7 calendar days after we have everything we need. The Audit is delivered in up to 14 calendar days after we have everything we need.
Do I have to buy a build after the Snapshot or Audit?
No. The report is yours to keep and use with anyone.
Do you need my passwords?
No. We never ask you to send passwords. If we need to see a tool, you invite our own account at the lowest access level, and you remove the invite when the job ends.
Do you use AI in the solution?
Only where it helps. We sort every step into one of four groups: remove it, use simple rules, use AI, or keep a person’s approval. Anything involving money, customers or steps that are hard to undo still needs a person’s approval.
Do you guarantee savings?
No. We don’t promise savings or results. We give estimates, and we say what they’re based on.
How do I get started and how do I pay?
Tell us what you need using the form. If we can take the job, we reply with a quote. You pay in full up front, or through marketplace escrow on Upwork or Fiverr.
Tell us what you need
If we can take the job, we'll reply with a quote.