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In focus
- Why forward-deployed engineer is Silicon Valley’s hottest new job title
- How Malaysia’s Zetrix is using profitable Web3 businesses to fund its AI ambitions
- Spotlight: Why Chinese AI labs are closing in on Anthropic’s frontier
Hello reader,
Almost every software engineer has seen this happen: A product works perfectly in a demo then meets the people who actually have to use it – who may have no idea how it fits into their daily work.
The messy reality bears little resemblance to a clean development environment. That means a technically sound product can become another expensive tool nobody uses.
Usually, the response would be to go back and fix the product. But if you were an AI company with billions already invested, rebuilding your core systems for every customer might not be a good idea.
The solution? Hire a particular expert and send them to the field to close the gap for you. The job has a fancy label: forward-deployed engineer (FDE).
What better way to learn about the role than from someone currently performing it?
In our first featured story today, OpenAI FDE Sharan Thangavel takes us inside the role and debunks some of the misconceptions others may have about it. For example: While technical ability is essential for an FDE, so are judgment, communication, humility, and what he calls “street smarts.” After all, an impressive solution can still be the wrong one.
Meanwhile, our second story looks at Malaysia’s Zetrix AI and its government-first pursuit. The firm believes commercial customers will follow once governments adopt its digital infrastructure.
Zentrix AI’s ambitions include building an AI double of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, taking the company’s blockchain model to the Philippines, and listing its AI arm on the Nasdaq. On paper, this playbook seems straightforward: Win government trust at home, export the model across Southeast Asia, and then take the story to Wall Street.
Glenn Kaonang, journalist
Top Stories
1️⃣ Inside the buzzy world of forward-deployed engineers
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