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NAZARE

THE HOME OF FORWARD DEPLOYED ENGINEERING

The role is new. The definition is messy. And a lot of companies are still figuring out what they actually need.

The FDE hiring partner for the world's fastest-growing companies:

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Get $50 in FREE NAZARE merch when youJoin today→
NAZARE

THE HOME OF FORWARD DEPLOYED ENGINEERING

The role is new. The definition is messy. And a lot of companies are still figuring out what they actually need.

The FDE hiring partner for the world's fastest-growing companies:

scroll down
1 %
The Knowledge Hub

INSIGHTS FROM THE FRONTIER OF AI DEPLOYMENT

Perspectives on the people, roles, and ideas shaping how AI gets deployed in the real world.

Author: Anjor Kanekar, NAZARE Co-Founder

Is FDE a Bubble?

When I wrote If LEGO Had Forward Deployed Engineers, I opened by saying the role was having a moment. That was an understatement. Since then the title has spread everywhere — every AI startup seems to be hiring FDEs, investors ask founders about their “FDE motion,” and the job ads have outrun any shared understanding of what the job is.

Author: Anjor Kanekar, NAZARE Co-Founder

If LEGO Had Forward Deployed Engineers

Forward Deployed Engineer is having a moment. Anthropic and OpenAI are pouring billions into the model. Founders are spinning up “FDE” titles before they’ve really worked out what the role does. What actually makes an FDE different from a really good consultant?

Author: Anjor Kanekar, NAZARE Co-Founder

Interviewing in the age of AI

Interviews have always been a bad proxy. You get maybe an hour with someone and you’re supposed to figure out whether they’ll be effective in a role that plays out over months and years. AI has made the gaps in our proxies impossible to ignore.

The Problem
FDE HIRING IS TOUGH
What began with a handful of Palantir engineers has become one of the fastest-growing roles in tech, yet while many companies know they need FDEs, far fewer know what kind they actually need.
01
Same title. Different job.
"Forward Deployed Engineer" means something different at every company, making hiring and expectations inconsistent.
02
One role. Many definitions.
Some companies want a customer facing software engineer. Others need a product thinker or a deployment lead.
03
Hiring without clarity.
Without a shared definition of the role, companies often hire the wrong profile and struggle to scale successful deployments.
04
Hiring Is Only Getting Harder
FDE Hiring Growth
+1,165%
The Problem
FDE HIRING IS TOUGH
What began with a handful of Palantir engineers has become one of the fastest-growing roles in tech, yet while many companies know they need FDEs, far fewer know what kind they actually need.
01
Same title. Different job.
"Forward Deployed Engineer" means something different at every company, making hiring and expectations inconsistent.
02
One role. Many definitions.
Some companies want a customer facing software engineer. Others need a product thinker or a deployment lead.
03
Hiring without clarity.
Without a shared definition of the role, companies often hire the wrong profile and struggle to scale successful deployments.
04
Hiring Is Only Getting Harder
FDE Hiring Growth
+1,165%
The Expertise
WE’VE MAPPED
THE MARKET

FDE now describes multiple distinct roles with different skills and career paths.

NAZARE maps the market beneath the acronym, helping companies identify the right profile instead of hiring by title.

The Expertise
WE’VE MAPPED
THE MARKET

FDE now describes multiple distinct roles with different skills and career paths.

NAZARE maps the market beneath the acronym, helping companies identify the right profile instead of hiring by title.

The Approach

BUILT AROUND THE REAL WORK

The role isn’t a coding test. It’s navigating customers, teams, and technical complexity. Our assessments reflect the job candidates will actually do.

Problem Solving
Go beyond the obvious. Form the right hypotheses, identify root causes, and navigate ambiguity under pressure.
Customer Communication
Lead difficult conversations, ask the right questions, and build trust while solving complex technical problems.
Ownership
Go beyond the obvious. Form the right hypotheses, identify root causes, and navigate ambiguity under pressure.
The Foundation

SEVEN YEARS INSIDE THE FDE MACHINE

NAZARE was built by Anjor Kanekar, a former Palantir Forward Deployed Engineer and hiring manager who spent seven years building and scaling FDE teams.

Experience as a Palantir FDE & Hiring Manager

7
Years

Building and hiring Forward Deployed Engineering teams at Palantir.

The Foundation

SEVEN YEARS INSIDE THE FDE MACHINE

NAZARE was built by Anjor Kanekar, a former Palantir Forward Deployed Engineer and hiring manager who spent seven years building and scaling FDE teams.

Experience as a Palantir FDE & Hiring Manager

7
Years

Building and hiring Forward Deployed Engineering teams at Palantir.

Why NAZARE

PROVEN IN PRACTICE

The impact of NAZARE’s approach, shared by the people who’ve worked with Anjor firsthand.

Perspectives from engineering leaders, founders, and hiring managers who know what great FDE talent looks like.

“
The Nazare team have been great - we hired an FDE in Paris and they presented high quality candidates throughout the process. They have been an excellent partner to support us building an FDE team at Comand AI.
Marie Inuzuka
Co-Founder & CPO, Comand AI
“
Anjor brings an unusually clear understanding of what separates strong technical candidates from truly exceptional Forward Deployed Engineers.
Engineering Leader
Former Palantir
“
The hiring process became more focused, more consistent, and far better aligned with the actual work our technical teams needed candidates to perform.
Founder
Technology Company
NAZARE'S FDE EVENTS

Invite-only events

Private dinners, focused roundtables, and community events for forward deployed engineers, AI strategists, founders, hiring leaders, and VCs.

Roundtable
London

The Changing Shape of the FDE Function

An evening bringing together FDEs, founders, and VCs from across the UK AI ecosystem. Our panellists have collectively raised over £100M with FDE teams at the centre of how they scaled.

View event
NAZARE'S FDE EVENTS

Invite-only events

Private dinners, focused roundtables, and community events for forward deployed engineers, AI strategists, founders, hiring leaders, and VCs.

Roundtable
London

The Changing Shape of the FDE Function

An evening bringing together FDEs, founders, and VCs from across the UK AI ecosystem. Our panellists have collectively raised over £100M with FDE teams at the centre of how they scaled.

View event
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The Membership

NAZARE’S FDE EVENTS

NAZARE runs private events for the people shaping AI deployment: FDEs, AI strategists, founders, hiring leaders, and VCs.

Jun 18

The Changing Shape of the FDE Function

Membership

BUILD YOUR FDE TEAM WITH NAZARE

Find, assess, and hire Forward Deployed Engineers with the skills, judgement, and ownership your business needs.

Speak with Us
Membership

BUILD YOUR FDE TEAM WITH NAZARE

Find, assess, and hire Forward Deployed Engineers with the skills, judgement, and ownership your business needs.

Speak with Us
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