Questions
Questions buyers ask
Straight answers to what buyers ask before signing.
What we are
What is a forward deployed engineer?
A senior engineer who works inside your business, not at a distance. They learn your process, your data, and your rules, then build the system that fits. You get working software, not a slide deck.
How is this different from a consulting firm?
Consulting firms build and leave. We build it, run it, and stand behind it. The engineers who ship your system also operate it, so the quality of the build is their problem on day 90.
How is this different from a managed-service provider?
Providers of managed services run infrastructure someone else built. We build the application, the automation, and the AI, and we run the cloud platform underneath. One team covers both.
How is this different from hiring our own engineers?
A senior FDE takes months to recruit and years to build into a team. You get a working team in weeks, with the operating discipline already in place. When your own team is ready to take over, we hand over the system, the documentation, and the playbooks.
How it works
Which AI models do you use?
The right one for each step, from any provider or your own fine-tune. We build model-neutral, so swapping a model is a configuration change, not a rebuild.
How do you keep AI output trustworthy?
Three controls on every system: human verification where a wrong answer is costly, a complete audit trail of every model call and action, and rollback. We write the evaluation tests before we ship, then monitor them in production.
What does the first 30 days look like?
Week 1: assessment and working-backwards document. Weeks 2 to 4: a working version on your real data, demoed weekly. You see the system run before you commit to a larger scope.
What clouds and systems do you work with?
AWS, Azure, GCP, and on-premises. We integrate with the systems you already run: CRM, ERP, data warehouses, ticketing, and identity providers.
What happens after the build?
You choose: we run it, we run it with your team, or we hand it over. Every engagement ships with runbooks so the choice stays yours.
Can we keep our own engineers involved?
Yes. We work beside your team and train them on the system. You choose whether to run it, share it, or hand it over.
Cost and ownership
What does it cost?
Builds are scoped and priced up front. Operation is a monthly rate. UnifAI platform usage is AI model cost plus a flat 15%. The AI Assessment is a fixed $7,500.
Who owns the work?
Your data is yours and always exportable. Deliverables, documentation, and code ownership are named in each statement of work. TachyonShift keeps ownership of its reusable platform and tools, and says so in writing before you sign.
Do we have to use UnifAI?
No. UnifAI is the platform we recommend when you want governed multi-model AI across the company. Most forward deployed engagements stand alone.