For Candidates

You Might Already Be an FDE.

If you can extract unclear problems, build under ambiguity, and ship outcomes, you are likely closer than your title suggests.

Get Qualified →

Non-Traditional Archetypes

The best FDEs have unusual backgrounds.

Traditional recruiting scans for credentials. We look for the cognitive signature: systems thinking, discovery instinct, and the ability to ship under ambiguity. Here are the 10 pools we specifically recruit from.

Click any archetype to learn more.

3-Minute FDE Fit Check

Are You an FDE?

Rate each statement on a 1–5 scale. Be honest — we're looking for signal, not a particular answer. 10 questions, under 3 minutes.

0 of 10 answered

01I regularly turn vague stakeholder requests into concrete technical plans.

02I can explain technical tradeoffs to non-technical decision makers.

03I have shipped production changes tied directly to business outcomes.

04I am comfortable working without detailed specifications.

05I can quickly learn domain language in industries I'm unfamiliar with.

06When given an unclear problem, I start moving before I have complete information.

07I have owned an initiative from discovery through deployment, without handoffs.

08I can identify when a customer's stated problem is not their actual problem.

09I have built prototypes under tight timelines that changed how a stakeholder thought about the problem.

10I perform better in ambiguous environments than in well-defined ones.

Compensation Reality

FDE pay is already priced as strategic talent.

$238K
Palantir baseline average
Total compensation, not just base
$350–550K
AI labs mid-senior
OpenAI, Anthropic, Windsurf ranges
$630K+
Staff FDE upper tier
Palantir Staff roles

What Qualification Looks Like

Three phases. Real work.

01

Discovery Scenario

We send you a vague brief from a fictional stakeholder. You have 2 hours to ask your questions and outline your approach. We're measuring whether you surface the real problem.

02

Build Exercise

A 48-hour prototype sprint with intentionally incomplete specifications. We evaluate your technical execution, decision quality under ambiguity, and what you ship vs. what you cut.

03

Readout

You present to our team. Expect challenges, questions, and requests to iterate in real time. We evaluate stakeholder management and persuasion under pressure.

Ready to find out where you stand?

Take the fit check above, then apply to complete the full qualification. We'll map your competency profile, identify any gaps, and match you to roles where you'll have the highest leverage.

Start Qualification →