The fit
You know the move.
Let's build your case.
You want an FDE or Applied AI role. You have technical or tech-adjacent experience. What you need now is a clear plan, practice that exposes the gaps, and someone who does the job reviewing your work.
Come ready to do the work
- At least one year in a technical or tech-adjacent role.
- Actively preparing to change roles.
- Ready to build, submit drafts, and use direct feedback.
What we'll talk through
Your target role, the work you've done, and where you need support. The fit call is where we decide whether the program makes sense for you.
Your 90-day path
Scope. Build. Ship.
Three phases, guided by your personal Backbone plan and weekly feedback to keep you on track.
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Weeks 1 to 4
Scope your Backbone plan
In your 1:1 Backbone session, we build your personal 90-day plan: the gaps to close, the roles to target, and what to work on each week to stay on track. We sharpen your LinkedIn and resume, and decide where to aim: an AI lab, a Series B company, or an enterprise team.
You leave with: your written Backbone plan, clear weekly priorities, and a profile that makes your value visible.
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Weeks 5 to 9
Build the plan
We scope a personalized project around your biggest skill gap. You practice scoping rounds, get your take-homes reviewed, and present your work with feedback on the decisions behind it.
You leave with: a project you can defend, reviewed work, and practice explaining your technical choices.
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Weeks 10 to 13
Ship the plan
We review your pipeline, make direct recruiter introductions, and work through offer and compensation negotiation. We also build your plan for the first 90 days in the role.
You leave with: recruiter introductions, a clearer approach to your search and negotiations, and a plan for starting well.
The work, made concrete
Proof you can put in front of someone.
Your project is chosen around the gap most likely to hold you back. We work on the problem, your decisions, and how you explain them.
A support workflow that knows when to hand off.
An example of the depth we can work toward. This is a demonstration brief, not a participant result or a promised client deployment.
- The brief
- Which requests should the system handle, what needs a person, and how would we measure a useful result?
- The build
- A working prototype that retrieves approved information, drafts a response, and routes uncertain cases to a human.
- The evidence
- Test cases for missing information, incorrect answers, and escalation. Explain the trade-offs and limitations.
- The presentation
- Walk through the problem, architecture, evaluation, and next steps as you would in an FDE interview.
See an example of the feedback
Illustrative review: “What should happen when the answer isn't in the source material? Add an escalation path, then show how you would test that it catches the right cases.”
Two mocks, with a reason for each
One live mock on the Thursday group call to expose what needs work. One private 1:1 mock when you're in a real interview loop, focused on the interview in front of you. Scoping practice, take-home reviews, and mock presentations run through the Build phase.
How we work together
A week you can plan around.
- Monday
Submit by 9am
Send the drafts you want reviewed: LinkedIn, resume, project work, take-homes, or offer letters.
- Tuesday
Recorded markup + DM window
Your personal review lands. Watch the feedback, ask questions, and make the next revision.
- Thursday
90 minutes, live together
Strategy, project check-ins, and live mocks. Individual work gets reviewed in the open so everyone can learn from it.
- Friday
DM window
Work through questions before the next submission. DM replies are handled in the Tuesday and Friday windows.
Three private 1:1s
- Backbone session
- 60 to 90 minutes in week 1 or 2. Complete the FDE Backbone Worksheet beforehand; leave with a written 90-day plan.
- Your real-loop mock
- Scheduled when you're in a real interview process.
- Offer coaching
- Scheduled when an offer letter lands, for compensation and negotiation coaching.
Everything else happens on the Thursday group call or through the submission and DM schedule.
The program
Your next move, with support.
- 90 days of structured preparation, with a personalized project and written roadmap.
- Three private sessions and a weekly 90-minute Thursday group call.
- Personal review of every submitted draft, with recorded markup on Tuesday.
- Two mock interviews, take-home reviews, and presentation practice.
- Direct recruiter introductions and offer negotiation coaching.
- Tuesday and Friday DM windows.
- Applied AI Engineers community access while you're in the program.
Enrollment is capped at 10 participants at a time, with rolling admission. Applications close when full.
Apply to the FDE programWhy work with me
I do this work every day.
I went from a non-CS background to Google. Now I'm a founding Forward Deployed Engineer at Notion. I've also worked at Bloomberg, Scale AI, and Accenture. I'm the author of The Forward Deployed Engineer, now available in early release from O'Reilly.
Members of my Applied AI Engineers community have landed FDE roles within two months of joining. The community has eight five-star reviews. I have helped negotiate more than $3 million in salary for others, and Business Insider has featured me.
I stole the discovery template from the Vault, used it in my final round, and the interviewer asked where I learned to scope like that.
These are community results, not FDE Backbone results. Read more reviews.
FAQ
Before you apply.
Who is FDE Backbone for?
People with at least one year in a technical or tech-adjacent role who are actively preparing to move into FDE or Applied AI. You should be ready to build, submit your work, and practice.
Is this 1:1 or a group program?
Both, with a clear schedule. You have three private sessions: your Backbone session, a mock when you're in a real interview loop, and offer coaching when a letter lands. The weekly Thursday call is a 90-minute group session for up to 10 participants. Personal recorded reviews and Tuesday/Friday DM windows cover the work between calls.
How do the project and interview practice work?
Your project is scoped to your biggest gap. During the Build phase, we work through scoping, take-homes, and presentations. You also get one live group mock and one private mock tailored to a real interview loop.
Do you guarantee a job offer?
No. You get personal feedback, interview practice, recruiter introductions, and negotiation coaching. Hiring decisions, interview invitations, and compensation are not guaranteed.
What happens after I get a role?
We build a first-90-days-in-role plan during the program. Ongoing weekly coaching after you start a job is not part of this offer. Your Applied AI Engineers community access lasts only while you're in the program.
What if I'm still deciding whether FDE is right for me?
Tell me that in your application. We'll talk through what the role involves and whether this program matches your goals before you decide.
When can I start?
Admission is rolling, with a cap of 10 participants at a time. We agree your start date during the application process. Applications close when all places are filled.
Is this a paid program?
Yes. We'll talk through the investment and whether it's a fit on our call.
The next step
Let's see if this is the right move.
Apply with your current stage, biggest obstacle, compensation, and investment range. If your answers meet the criteria, choose a time for a fit call. We'll talk through your goals, the work, and whether there's a fit.
One fit call. Come having reviewed the program, with your questions ready. A second sales call isn't part of the application process.
Apply to the FDE program