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In The Media

Peter Thiel’s Lec 9, #cs183

by Larry Chiang on October 10, 2016

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”. 

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