The text discusses the concept of Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE), a function that sits within the engineering organization of a company and works directly with customers' engineers to accelerate time-to-value with the product. FDE is distinct from other functions such as consulting, solutions architecture, or sales engineering, as it makes regular contributions to the product roadmap and operates at the boundary between the product and customer. The text highlights that FDE is suitable for companies with substantial product and/or technology risk, deep technical stakeholders, and high leverage from customer-driven innovation. It also emphasizes the importance of recruiting, enabling, and retaining top-tier engineers who can work closely with customers and make significant contributions to the product. The author shares lessons learned from running an FDE team at Baseten, including engaging with customers early, keeping FDE within engineering, hiring builders and letting them build, prioritizing software engineering fundamentals, and contributing frequently to the product. Ultimately, the text suggests that FDE can be a transformative solution for companies with highly technical products and a startup ethos, but it's not a one-size-fits-all approach and requires careful consideration of its suitability for each company.