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Understanding 'Forward Deployed Engineering' and Why Your Company Probably Shouldn't Do It

barry.ooo · 1,694 words · saved by 1 readers

Palantir is en vogue right now. So inevitably folks are cargo-culting externally-legible elements of its culture, including “Forward Deployed Engineering”. Lots of companies are trying to imitate this, and now founders have reached out to me for advice on whether they, too, should do this model for their startup. For most people, the answer is "absolutely f%#&ing not". Slapping a title on your field team because it sounds cool is one thing – building a truly “Forward Deployed” culture is another. It doesn’t work without complete commitment to the benefits and costs, and unless you’re willing to accept all of them, you're engaging in thin imitation – just sparkling Sales Engineering – and shouldn’t expect to achieve the same results. I spent almost 5 years in a “Forward Deployed” role (called “Deployment Strategist” externally, and “Echo” internally). I worked side-by-side with some wildly talented engineers, and got to see this model at its best – and worst. Now I'm running a software

Understanding Forward Deployed Engineering February 10, 2026 Originally posted November 2024, updated March 2026 Palantir is en vogue right now. So of course, folks are cargo-culting elements of its culture, especially “Forward Deployed Engineering”. Lots of companies are trying to imitate this, and some other founders have even reached out to me for advice on whether they, too, should do this model for their startup. For most people, the answer is simple: "absolutely f%#&ing not!" . Slapping a title on your field team because it sounds cool is one thing – building a truly “Forward Deployed” c

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