Books · 25 of 25 chapters published
Last Mile: The Forward Deployed Engineer's Handbook for Shipping AI
A capable model is not a working deployment: between the demo and the customer outcome sit discovery, data access, security review, evals and a handoff, and the Forward Deployed Engineer is the person who owns that distance. This handbook walks one engagement from the first call to the handoff, with a template and a checklist for every phase, public cases graded by how well they are evidenced, and a skill map you can place yourself on.
How to read this book
- Want the job: read Part I to decide whether the role fits, place yourself on the skill map, then read Part IV on getting hired.
- Doing the job: go straight to Part II and use the chapter for the phase you are in; each ends with a template and a ready-to-move-on checklist.
- Something has gone wrong: start from the situation index in How to Use This Book, or from When Engagements Fail.