The FDE Playbook for AI Startups with Bob McGrew

In this episode of The Light Comb, Harj Taggar and Blake Scholl interview Bob McGrew, formerly of OpenAI and Palantir, about the Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) model. McGrew explains the origins of the FDE model at Palantir, where engineers were embedded at customer sites to customize the product and drive product discovery. He details the roles of the Echo and Delta teams within the FDE framework, emphasizing the importance of hiring "heretics" with domain expertise and prototyping skills. The conversation explores how the FDE model differs from traditional consulting and SaaS models, particularly in the context of AI agent startups. McGrew also shares insights on pricing strategies, the need for executive buy-in, and the challenges of balancing customer-specific solutions with generalizable product development. Finally, McGrew discusses his new role with the US Army Reserve and the broader opportunities for startups in bridging the gap between AI capabilities and real-world adoption.