What's the difference between a forward deployed engineer and a consultant?
Summary
"Consultant" describes a broad range of engagement models, and forward deployed engineering is a specific type of engagement. The distinction is depth and ownership. Some consulting engagements end at a strategy document, others at a delivered system that gets handed off, others with knowledge transfer built in. An FDE embeds in your environment, own production outcomes, and works until your team can operate the final product. The question worth asking any partner is not the type of engagement but their definition of success and who owns the result when the engagement ends.
A spectrum of engagement depth
External technical engagements fall along a continuum based on how deeply the partner is involved and how much they own.
At one end, a firm assesses your situation and delivers a strategy or roadmap. You have a document and a set of recommendations. Execution is your next step.
A step further: the firm builds a POC or product, then helps your team determine next steps and maintenance plans. Pro tip: make sure that your partner includes knowledge transfer as an explicit part of the engagement.
At the far end sits the forward deployed engineer model. An FDE embeds inside your organization, works in your environment and data, owns outcomes, and does not consider the engagement complete until the goals you’ve set have been accomplished.
Why the distinction matters for AI
Historically, software implementations move to a handoff. AI deployments are more challenging because of the rate of change and the amount of ongoing refinement that companies require.
Project-based engagements still work well with AI when knowledge transfer is included and your focus is defined steps of deliverables or team augmentation.
But the FDE model shines when you need staff augmentation or upskilling and you want dedicated engineering effort embedded in your team. More on the pros and cons of an FDE here.
The right question to ask any partner
Rather than asking "are you an FDE shop or a consulting firm," the more useful question is: what does success look like at the end of this engagement, and who owns it?
A partner who defines success as delivered code is not operating the same way as one who defines success as a set of business goals accomplished. The engagement model should be secondary to making sure your goals are met.
Tech 42 offers engagements ranging from assessments to projects to fully embedded engineers. Regardless, we build in your environment, in your repository, on your AWS infrastructure, and we help you set defined business goals that measure success.
