In this episode, we unpack Chapter 3 of The Forward Deployed Engineer: Architecting the Last Mile of Enterprise AI by Sho Shimoda. We explore why the first decision a company makes about its Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) function is almost always wrong, a phenomenon Shimoda calls the "Classification Mistake"

We break down the common traps of placing FDEs in the wrong reporting structure [3]. You will learn why putting FDEs under Sales turns them into pre-sale tech support, why putting them under Professional Services creates a toxic "consulting trap" driven by billable hours rather than platform leverage, and why placing them under the VP of Engineering starves them of the talent they need to thrive.

Tune in as we discuss the three reasonable answers for where an FDE function actually belongs:

• Peer to Platform Engineering: Reporting directly to the CTO to balance generalized platform building with customer-specific deployments.
• Inside Product: Reporting to the Chief Product Officer to act as a direct research arm for the product roadmap.
• Standalone to the CEO: Treating FDEs as a primary go-to-market motion with executive-level authority.

Finally, we explore how to actually build the team. We discuss the "Pod Structure" of cross-functional teams, why FDEs need to be staffed with a 50/50 mix of senior and junior talent, and why simply relabeling existing Sales Engineers or Customer Success Managers as FDEs is the most expensive mistake a founder can make. We also reveal why FDEs command a 25% to 40% compensation premium over traditional platform engineers.

If you are interested in these contents and would like to know more about designing the perfect FDE organization, please purchase Sho Shimoda's book on Amazon and tell others about it.

Buy it here: The Forward Deployed Engineer on Amazon

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