Job postings for Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) have surged, but many professionals don’t want the role because it’s more like solutions engineering than software development.
AI Summary
The FDE role, a highly sought-after position in 2024, has become increasingly undesirable to software engineers in 2025. Despite growing demand and higher pay, the role involves less software engineering and platform work, instead focusing on sales, solutions engineering, and consulting. As a result, many engineers who take the role soon quit, citing mismatched expectations and unappealing company culture.