Stage 1 · Lesson 4 of 7
Comparing timing, output and pressure
The three roles overlap, so compare them on four things. Timing: work mostly before the contract is signed, FDEs mostly after it, and across both. Output: demos and proof for a sales engineer, a solution design and plan for a solutions engineer, code for an FDE.
Coding: some, regular and daily, in that order. Measurement: and deals, customer fit and adoption, and software in use. Titles vary widely by company, so one firm's solutions engineer is another's sales engineer. Place every posting on this grid by its responsibilities.
Common trapchoosing by title or by what sounds most prestigious, instead of by the daily work you would actually enjoy.
A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 2 cheat sheet entries come with the full roadmap. Unlock
Resources for this stage
Start with
- GuideFreeThe Pragmatic Engineer
Gergely Orosz
Free issues cover how forward deployed and customer-facing engineering roles work at real companies
Also worth your time
The free part explains the role's origins and how it differs from solutions engineering