By Larry Chiang
What’s a “Forward deployed engineer”?
In a word: A salesperson.
Forward deployment means an engineering resource allocated at a customer that is not paying you yet. This business maneuver is similar in pattern to what used parts suppliers do. For example, the Braun power cord
a lot of people lose their braun power cord braun power cord sold as used
The manufacturer has stopped selling parts for Braun’s old shavers. So, there is a need to provide service on a device that we did not engineer.
Your optional homework is to investigate how HVAC sales engineers (aka mobile janitors) provide “forward deployment”.