Grinberg: Software requiring forward-deployed engineers to close deals is a bad product
Matan Grinberg · OpenAI vs Anthropic vs Open-Source | Token Maxing, AI Hangovers & The Coming ROI Reckoning · 20VC with Harry Stebbings · Jun 13, 2026 · at 1:15:15
Matan Grinberg, founder and CEO of AI software engineering startup Factory, discusses enterprise go-to-market strategies and the widespread reliance on forward-deployed engineers (FDEs) in tech.
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“If we need FDEs to make the product work, we have a shit product. Like, the point of FDEs should be accelerate and get them consuming faster. If you're putting in FDEs, because that's the only way you'll get a deal done, I'm sorry, my friend, you have a shit product.”
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