About FDE Hub
Why Subscribe?
I work as a Forward Deployed Engineer across 15+ clients simultaneously. Logistics, wholesale, manufacturing, insurance, finance. When the same problem shows up in five different industries wearing different disguises, I write about the pattern.
Most content about AI deployment comes from two places: VCs theorising about market shifts, or vendors selling solutions. Neither of them are in the room when the project stalls because nobody wrote down how the business actually works. Neither of them see what happens when a 94% accurate system sits unused for three months because operators don’t trust it.
I’m in that room. Every week. Across a dozen different companies.
This newsletter is about the craft of Forward Deployed Engineering: the practical realities of deploying AI in real businesses, the meta-skills that matter more than the code, and the honest truth about what works and what doesn’t.
What You’ll Get
Real stories from live deployments.
The trust gap that makes perfectly good AI sit unused for months. The operational logic that lives in someone’s head and nowhere else. Why projects take 4x longer than they should, and it’s never because the technology is hard. What FDEs actually do all week (spoiler: mostly communicate). When to walk away from a project before it drains everyone involved.
I write about the craft. The parts that don’t fit neatly into a product demo or a case study. The messy middle where most AI projects actually live.
I also run regular Q&A conversations with FDE practitioners from Palantir, HappyRobot, Cresta, Anthropic, and various startups. Real people doing this work, sharing what they’ve learned. No sanitised talking points. Just honest takes on a role that’s still being defined in real time.
Who This Is For
Fellow FDEs trying to get better at this job. There’s no playbook. We’re all figuring it out as we go.
Founders and CTOs considering building FDE teams. I’ll tell you what actually works, what doesn’t, and what questions you should be asking before you hire.
Engineers curious about this career path. It’s not for everyone. I’ll help you figure out if it’s for you.
AI startup operators trying to bridge the gap between building and deploying. The gap is wider than most people think.
How Often?
When I have something worth saying. Could be weekly. Could be when something breaks in an interesting way.
Join the Conversation
This role is too new for there to be a playbook. The job descriptions are vague. The expectations vary wildly between companies. Half the industry isn’t even sure what to call us.
We’re writing the playbook together.
If you’re an FDE, I want to hear what’s working and what’s not. If you’re trying to become one, ask questions. If you’re hiring for this role, let’s figure out what you actually need.
