FDE Toolkit
The working kit for Forward Deployed Engineers shipping enterprise AI.
Most enterprise AI projects fail in discovery and scoping, not in the model. This kit gives you the sixteen templates an experienced Forward Deployed Engineer already has on disk, including three for always-on agent rollouts, plus a fully worked engagement that shows the core thirteen filled in: every question has the reason you ask it and the answer that should stop the project, every acceptance criterion is a number with a named owner, and every template ends with what to send the customer the same day.
Coming soon. Ask to be notified at launch.
What is inside
18 documents, about 19,000 words, each as DOCX, Markdown and PDF. Lengths are approximate.
00Execution guide
Which document to use on which day of an engagement, start to finish.
~1,700 words
01Customer & technical discovery questionnaire
Two sessions, every question with the reason to ask it and the red flag that should stop the project.
~1,700 words
02AI use-case scoring model
Rank candidate use cases by value, feasibility and risk before committing.
~1,200 words
03POC scope & definition of done
Define what done means in writing so the POC cannot drift.
~1,500 words
04Success-metric contract
Measurable outcomes, each with a number and a named owner, agreed before you build.
~1,100 words
05Architecture decision record (AI-specific)
Capture retrieval, model and access-control decisions with reasons.
~900 words
06Data readiness checklist
Find out early whether the customer's data can support the system.
~1,000 words
07Security & compliance discovery
PII, PHI, access control and audit questions for regulated customers.
~1,200 words
08Integration checklist
Auth, identity, ticketing and downstream systems mapped before build.
~1,200 words
09POC-to-production checklist
Everything that has to change between demo and go-live.
~1,100 words
10Weekly stakeholder update
Updates executives actually read.
~800 words
11Executive demo script
Structure a demo around the customer's decision, not your features.
~1,100 words
12Post-POC recommendation memo
Close the engagement with a clear go or no-go.
~900 words
13Engagement risk register
The risks that actually kill AI pilots, pre-filled, with triggers and owners.
~1,000 words
14Worked example engagement
A fictional enterprise engagement with templates 01 to 13 filled in end to end.
~1,300 words
15Agent identity & approval policy
One page to agree an always-on agent's identity, access and approval tiers with the customer.
~300 words
16Agent pilot plan
90 days from read-only to supervised, with exit criteria and pause conditions.
~250 words
17Agent readiness scorecard
Decide with the customer whether an agent is ready for more autonomy.
~250 words
Who it is for
- Engineers moving into Forward Deployed or solutions roles
- AI engineers running their first customer POC
- Consultants who need repeatable structure for enterprise AI work
- Hiring managers building an FDE onboarding kit
Who it is not for
- You want code or a framework. This is a document kit; the free site has the code.
- You have never built software. Start with the free AI Engineer roadmap first.
- Your organisation already has a mature delivery playbook you are required to use.
Not sure yet? Judge the style for free.
The one-page FDE Discovery Cheat Sheet is written the same way as the toolkit. If it is useful, the toolkit is the full version of that approach.
FDE Toolkit FAQ
What format are the templates in?
Every document comes as editable Word (DOCX, which also opens in Google Docs), Markdown and a print-ready PDF, delivered as one ZIP download.
Is the FDE Toolkit a one-time purchase?
Yes. AUD $19.99, paid once.
Can I use the templates with my clients or employer?
Yes. The licence covers a single purchaser for unlimited engagements. Please do not redistribute or publish the templates.
Is any of this available free on the site?
The free site teaches the FDE role, roadmap and interview process. The templates themselves are only in the toolkit. A free one-page discovery cheat sheet lets you judge the style first.
Launching soon
Ask to be notified at connect@learnaiengineering.dev and you will hear the day it launches.