forward deployed engineer vs solutions architect
Forward Deployed Engineer vs Solutions Architect
SA draws blueprints and hands off. FDE pours concrete on customer infra and stays until it runs. Coding 75 vs 35.
| Dimension | Forward Deployed Engineer | Solutions Architect |
|---|---|---|
| Lifecycle | FDE: post-sale until workflow runs | SE pre-sale / SA design / Consultant SOW |
| Writes prod code at customer | Yes - primary output | Rarely / demo / scoped only |
| Coding intensity | 75-80 | 35 (SA/SE), 45 (Impl) |
| Sales / quota / utilization | 15, no quota, no utilization | SE 75 quota 70/30, SA 65, Consultant 70-80% util |
| Owns prod outcome / paged | Yes - them | No - hands off |
| Scales by | Product - ships to customer #2 | Demos / reference arch / headcount |
| Reports to | Engineering / Product | Sales / Services P&L |