Forward deployed engineer vs. dedicated developer
Both give you engineering capacity without hiring in-house. The difference is where the engineer works and what they are responsible for.
Side by side
| Forward deployed engineer | Dedicated developer | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts from | A business problem | A specification or ticket |
| Works inside | Your team, chat and tools | The vendor’s team, with a point of contact |
| Decides what to build | Together with you | You decide; they build it |
| Responsible for | The outcome | The assigned tasks |
| Works with | The people who do the work, and your real data | A product owner or project manager |
| Fits best when | Requirements are unclear, or AI must fit existing workflows | The backlog is well defined |
Choose a forward deployed engineer when
- You know the problem but not yet the solution.
- AI or software has to fit into workflows and data you already have.
- You want one person who understands the business and ships the result.
Read more in what is a forward deployed engineer?
Choose a dedicated developer or team when
- You have a defined backlog or specification.
- You already have someone deciding what gets built.
- You need more hands to build web apps, mobile apps or back ends.
How Fullstack HQ offers both
Our forward deployed engineers join your team remotely and work in your chat, stand-ups and tools. Our development team builds web apps, mobile apps and back ends from your backlog. Both work with AI tools every day.
Not sure which one fits?
Send us your task list and we’ll tell you which setup we’d recommend.
