Thesis · updated October 2026
Forward-deployed Engineers Are the New SaaS
Short answer: Compare the workflows you need, the cost of renting, and the work of maintaining your own tool. Building is not always the better choice. Read verified reports and check the assumptions against your own team.
What SaaS Gave You
Software without hiring engineers. In return: per-seat fees, yearly price increases, features you don't use, and data that lives on someone else's terms.
What an FDE Gives You
Compare your actual subscription, migration, hosting, maintenance and support costs. Use the Build vs. Buy estimator for estimates, not as a reported result.
Why Now
AI tools let one engineer design, build, test and check software that used to take a team. The cost of building keeps falling; the cost of renting usually rises at each renewal.
When SaaS Still Makes Sense
Commodity plumbing, payroll, payments, email delivery, tax filing, and anything tied to hardware or heavy regulation. Rent those. Own the workflows that make you different.
Questions
What is a forward-deployed engineer?
An engineer embedded with your team who builds and adapts software directly around how your business works, instead of selling you a one-size product.
Is an FDE cheaper than SaaS?
Often, for tools priced per seat. A one-time build plus upkeep is frequently less than three to five years of subscription and renewal increases. Run the numbers for your own tool.
How is this different from hiring a dev shop?
A dev shop works from a spec and bills change orders. An FDE works inside your business, ships in small steps, and stays close to the people using the tool.
Do I own the code?
You should. Insist on full code and data ownership in writing.