What we believe
Great things always start with great people
Great things always start with great people
Terms like “Forward Deployed” are the buzz these days.
At least in places like Silicon Valley, many folks admire Palantir’s model – talented engineers working on site with their customers, building technology that solves business problems.
That’s the part worth admiring – people who actually sit side by side with their customers, working through thorny tech and business problems – not side by side with fresh college grads in San Francisco drinking kombucha on tap. And also not the “forward deployed” teams at some AI labs or consulting firms – a different job title for an embedded sales or solutions architect.
The true forward-deployed model isn’t structurally designed to scale to small businesses.
We believe AI is great in many ways, and also hyped in others.
The pure “AI will replace humans” approach is almost always wrong.
It isn’t what people want, or what society needs.
Companies that use AI to entirely “reimagine” or “disrupt” business models usually fail.
Companies that put their heads in the sand and ignore technology fail too.
They get out competed by tech-focused competitors who move faster at building experiences and products customers love.
Something special happens when you combine people and technology – in the right way.
It always starts with great people.
Talented people with deep operating experience, running businesses in communities they know well and are trusted in.
People that work with their customers to chip away at problems, iterate, and improve.
When you give those people the right incentives and the right technology (where helpful), you can grow businesses in a way that is great for customers, great for employees, and great for investors.
It also happens to build a better world – the future we want to live in. A future where we use technology and AI to improve things and empower people, rather than replace them or create some tech dystopia.
We deeply believe in this mission, and we started Forward Applied to work on it with others – to forward apply great people, give them great incentives and technology, and let them do the best work of their lives.
If you want to read more about who we are and why we are doing this, here is a letter from our founder.
Our mission includes AI and technology.
But most importantly, it’s driven by great people.
People who want to use technology to improve their customers’ lives, thoughtfully and carefully.
In industries that matter.
One community at a time.
We’d love to hear from you if this sounds like you.
Terms like “Forward Deployed” are the buzz these days.
At least in places like Silicon Valley, many folks admire Palantir’s model – talented engineers working on site with their customers, building technology that solves business problems.
That’s the part worth admiring – people who actually sit side by side with their customers, working through thorny tech and business problems – not side by side with fresh college grads in San Francisco drinking kombucha on tap. And also not the “forward deployed” teams at some AI labs or consulting firms – a different job title for an embedded sales or solutions architect.
The true forward-deployed model isn’t structurally designed to scale to small businesses.
We believe AI is great in many ways, and also hyped in others.
The pure “AI will replace humans” approach is almost always wrong.
It isn’t what people want, or what society needs.
Companies that use AI to entirely “reimagine” or “disrupt” business models usually fail.
Companies that put their heads in the sand and ignore technology fail too.
They get outcompeted by tech-focused competitors who move faster at building experiences and products customers love.
Something special happens when you combine people and technology – in the right way.
It always starts with great people.
Talented people with deep operating experience, running businesses in communities they know well and are trusted in.
People that work with their customers to chip away at problems, iterate, and improve.
When you give those people the right incentives and the right technology (where helpful), you can grow businesses in a way that is great for customers, great for employees, and great for investors.
It also happens to build a better world – the future we want to live in. A future where we use technology and AI to improve things and empower people, rather than replace them or create some tech dystopia.
We deeply believe in this mission, and we started Forward Applied to work on it with others – to forward apply great people, give them great incentives and technology, and let them do the best work of their lives.
If you want to read more about who we are and why we are doing this, here is a letter from our founder.
Our mission includes AI and technology.
But most importantly, it’s driven by great people.
People who want to use technology to improve their customers’ lives, thoughtfully and carefully.
In industries that matter.
One community at a time.
We’d love to hear from you if this sounds like you.
Our team has worked at great companies and is backed by lots of great investors – all with very fancy logos 😉
