Forward deployed engineering FAQ
Direct answers about hiring forward deployed engineers and working with an embedded FDE team.
What is a forward deployed engineer?
A forward deployed engineer is a customer-facing software engineer who adapts and deploys a product in real environments. The work can span integrations, data, infrastructure, application code, evaluation, and production support.
How do I hire forward deployed engineers?
You can hire permanent FDEs, engage an individual contractor, or use an embedded forward deployed engineering team. Aravali Labs provides a managed team for customer deployments, integrations, applied AI products, and evaluation work.
Should I hire a forward deployed engineer or use a team like Aravali Labs?
Hire permanently when the work is stable and long-term. Use our embedded team when customers are already waiting, the work needs several skills at once, or capacity should flex. Many companies do both: we deliver now, you keep hiring, and we hand the work over.
How fast can a forward deployed engineering team start?
We can typically start within days and take a first deployment live in under two weeks. A standard implementation runs about four weeks from signed contract to live.
What is FDE as a service?
FDE as a service is an embedded forward deployed engineering team that owns defined customer deployment and integration work. The team works in the customer’s repositories and systems and can operate alongside permanent engineers.
What do your forward deployed engineering teams work on?
We work on enterprise integrations, customer deployments, applied AI products, evaluation systems, production hardening, and customer-specific software.
Where does the code live?
Customer code stays in the customer’s repositories and systems. Access, documentation, handoff, and removal are handled as part of the engagement.
Can you work across different AI models?
Yes. We select models and tools around quality, latency, cost, privacy, and control instead of locking the product to one provider.
How is each team structured?
The team is designed around the deployment. We select the engineering, AI, infrastructure, evaluation, and delivery capabilities the work requires instead of selling a fixed team shape.
Can you work alongside our permanent team?
Yes. We work in the customer’s systems, document continuously, and can hand the work to permanent employees or continue operating it with them.
What does an engagement cost?
Engagements are scoped per deployment on a monthly structure, and we do not publish a rate card. Each service page has a calculator that shows the cost with your own numbers.
Where do you work?
We work with companies across the United States, Europe, and Asia, with offices in San Francisco, London, and Munich.