Hire an FDE.Get outcomes,not just code.
Embedded with your stakeholders and working in your systems, our engineers own the result until it runs in production and moves your numbers.
30+
Forward Deployed Engineers
25+
Clients served
15+
Countries
40+
Enterprise deployments
The challenge
Most projects don’t fail on skill. They fail on context.
Technology delivery often separates the people who understand the problem from the people who build the solution. Something gets lost every time work changes hands.
Requirements miss reality
Specs capture what people asked for, not how the work actually runs.
Context leaks at every handoff
Business, architecture and development teams each hold a piece of the picture.
Feedback arrives too late
Scope changes surface in UAT, when they cost the most to fix.
Ownership stops at go‑live
The project is “done”, yet the business problem is still there.
The real challenge isn’t delivering technology. It’s delivering technology that solves the problem it was meant to solve.
At the end of the engagement, what are you left with?
- Consulting
- You are left with: A recommendation
- Staff augmentation
- You are left with: A stack of timesheets
- Mako FDE
- You are left with: A working system.
why an fde
Developers deliver what was scoped. FDEs deliver what was needed.
A developer works for completion. An FDE bridges business intent and technical execution, owning the outcome from concept to delivery.
| Aspect | DeveloperWorks for completion | Mako FDEWorks for outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| Starts with | A spec someone else wrote | The business problem itself |
| Asks | “How do I build this?” | “What needs to change, and why?” |
| Measured by | Tickets closed, features shipped | The business metric that moved |
| Business context | Passed on second-hand | Learned first-hand with your users |
| Done when | The code is merged | It’s live, adopted and stable |
the mako fde model
Business understanding meets Engineering ownership.
An FDE connects what your business needs with how it gets built.
Embedded problem solving
Your FDE works inside your teams to uncover the real challenge, its constraints and hidden dependencies.
Outcome-first engineering
Success criteria are agreed early, and every engineering decision is tied back to them.
Rapid build and iteration
Prototype, build and validate in short cycles so you see progress in working software.
Specialists on tap
Bring in Mako experts in applications, data, integration, cloud, QA and AI only when you need them.
Systems thinking & integration
Connecting solutions to existing systems, workflows and infrastructure so they work seamlessly in the real world.
Ownership into production
Your FDE stays through deployment, stabilization and outcome validation, not just design.
how it works
From business challenge to measurable outcome.
Five stages, one FDE from start to finish. Every stage ends with something you can see, test or measure.
Stage 1 of 5
Discover & Align
Understand the business, the users and the systems before deciding anything.
What happens
- Stakeholder and user sessions
- System and data walkthrough
- Success measures agreed
You get
Problem brief and success scorecard
Stage 2 of 5
Architect & Prioritize
Choose the right approach and start where the value is highest.
What happens
- Solution approach and tech choices
- Value-ranked backlog
- Risks and dependencies flagged
You get
Architecture outline and roadmap
Stage 3 of 5
Engineer & Iterate
Build alongside your team in short, visible cycles.
What happens
- Short build cycles
- Regular demos with real users
- Integration with existing systems
You get
Working software, validated as it grows
Stage 4 of 5
Deploy & Operationalize
Go live with Mako’s wider engineering teams behind the release.
What happens
- Security, performance and QA checks
- Production rollout with cloud and DevOps
- Runbooks and team handover
You get
A production-grade release your team can run
Stage 5 of 5
Measure & Optimize
Prove the outcome against what was agreed on day one.
What happens
- Track agreed measures in production
- Tune what isn’t landing
- Plan the next highest-value step
You get
Outcome report against the scorecard
Where FDEs create value
Built for complex, evolving challenges.
FDEs make the biggest difference where the problem is unclear, the systems are tangled and the outcome really matters.
Enterprise AI adoption
Turn AI ideas into working prototypes and production integrations that change daily work.
Example success measures
- Task accuracy
- Adoption
- Human intervention
Platform modernization
Untangle legacy dependencies, migrate data and integrations without disrupting operations.
Example success measures
- Migration accuracy
- Reconciliation
- Cutover readiness
Product engineering
Validate features faster with product stakeholders in the room and ship with confidence.
Example success measures
- Time-to-market
- Feature adoption
- Release quality
Complex SaaS implementations
Bridge product capabilities, customer requirements and integrations to speed up onboarding.
Example success measures
- Onboarding duration
- Go-live readiness
- User adoption
Cloud & platform transformation
Modernize infrastructure while protecting reliability and business continuity.
Example success measures
- Deployment frequency
- Availability
- Recovery time
Enterprise automation
Remove manual steps across workflows and systems so teams spend time where it matters.
Example success measures
- Processing time
- Manual effort saved
- Workflow completion
Measures are illustrative. Targets and how we measure them are agreed with you for each engagement.
why mako
An FDE is only as strong as the team behind them.
You get the speed of one embedded engineer with the depth of an established engineering company. When your FDE needs expertise, they bring in a specialist instead of learning on your time.
A specialist bench
Product, data, integration, cloud, QA and AI engineers your FDE can pull in, so you never depend on one person.
Global delivery footprint
Offices in the US, India and the UK, with delivery experience across 15+ countries.
Enterprise-grade trust
ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certified, AWS Certified Partner, and rated on Clutch.
faq
Questions, answered.
What does an FDE do day to day?
Works on your problem with your people: sessions with users, writing and reviewing code, connecting systems, demoing progress and tracking the measures you agreed on.
How is this different from hiring a developer?
A developer builds what is specified. An FDE helps decide what should be built, builds it, and sees it through until it works and gets used.
What if the work needs skills the FDE doesn’t have?
They bring in Mako specialists across product engineering, data, integration, cloud, QA and AI, so the engagement never depends on one person’s skill set.
On site or remote?
Either, or a mix. Most engagements combine time with your stakeholders and focused remote build work. We agree the model with you up front.
How soon can an FDE start?
It depends on scope and your onboarding and security steps. After the first call we’ll give you a realistic start window.
Is our data safe?
Mako is ISO 27001 certified, and your FDE works inside your security policies and access controls.
why mako
Got a problem that won’t stay solved? Put an FDE on it.
Tell us what’s stuck. We’ll tell you honestly whether an FDE is the right fit.
30 minutes. No commitment.