Customer success
is a core value for
Salesforce. As we
scale AgentForce, our
engineering leaders
are engaging directly
with our customers
to design, build, and
deploy solutions.
Here with more on how
forward-deployed
engineers are driving
measurable customer
success is Irina Gutman,
VP for Forward
-Deployed Engineering.
But Irina, thank
you for being
here. I have a
question. What is
forward-deployed
engineering?
Well, great question.
It's actually
one that a lot of
people ask. So the
forward deployed
engineering terms comes
from the concept
that engineers are
historically and
traditionally are
product focused,
not customer facing.
But the reality
shows that emerging
technology,
AI, agentic AI,
customer actually
need a little bit of a
boost to get going with
it, to start adopting,
to actually understand
and maybe overcome
that fear. Here comes
forward deployed engineer.
It is the engineering
skill set, meaning
deep product knowledge
combined with consultative
skill set. And you
forward deploy these
professional at the
customer side to do
exactly that, to help
propel with agentic
technology, to remove
being a technical or
deployment or organizational
barriers to help them
get going. Brilliant.
I love that. So how
are you approaching the
challenge of scaling
engineering programs
globally to meet that
demand for AI-driven
solutions? Absolutely.
So Salesforce
was very smart to
make an explicit
investment into this
initiative and
stood up for our
deployed engineering
organization.
Once they tried
it out and kind of
play around with
it a little bit, we
settled on an
operating model that
the most effective
way to help our
customers are in
three people pods.
There's another
role that I'm going
to introduce
called deployment
strategist. So,
it's a person who
goes, still
technical individual,
goes between the oversight
of the engagement,
helping with value
definition, kind
of strategic AI road
mapping, partnering
with two forward
deployed engineers who
are deep architect,
hands-on builders.
That SWOT team is
actually deployed at
the customer side to
help them do what I
just explained. So
Salesforce and Salesforce
customers quickly
recognize that that
immediacy of engagement
actually drives
tremendous consumption,
tremendous value,
and therefore they
want it to expand.
So to do that effectively
and efficiently
and yet kind of make
sure that we maintain
that high level of
professionalism and quality,
we're partnering
with our recruiting
organization globally
with Employee Success.
We're doing a robust
outreach to both
internal candidates as
well as external, like
our competitors. We
love to see alternative
perspective joining
the sales force.
And the bigger shout
out is to our teams
who are participating
in the interviewing
process to make
sure that we hire
expeditiously, but also
maintaining that high
bar for the product
knowledge and consultative
skills. It's so
forward thinking. I
love it. What's the
most important way
that engineering leaders
can tie technical
strategy directly to
measurable customer
outcomes? So, no
matter what technology
is, the formula is
pretty much the same.
In order for any
technology, AI is
no different. To
be valuable, it
needs to solve a
business problem.
And this is the first
thing that we start
with. We are identifying
what problem we're
going to be solving
with agentic technology.
customers on
success factors.
And then once we start
delivering on that
promise, implementing
those use cases,
those success factors
that we align with
from the very beginning
help us hold each
other accountable as
we deliver authentic
use cases. In your
view, what role does
executive sponsorship
play in accelerating
AI adoption across
large enterprises?
Well, I think executive
sponsorship is very
important. It does
multiple things. One, it
shows that credibility,
shows Salesforce
commitment into our
customers, but it also allows
us to elevate those
conversations to the
right level of
stakeholders, to the right
decision makers. So we
don't just kind of do
little use case here
and there, but we're
really helping our
customers position towards
that agentic enterprise
journey, which means
scaled adoption and
commitment to this type
of technology. And
to get that type of
commitment, you need to
elevate the conversation
to the right level. And
that's where executive
sponsorship comes
in. That makes sense.
How are you enabling
engineers now at all
levels to stay ahead
in this agentic era of
balancing the speed,
quality, and innovation?
Great question. So
there are a few ways.
Forward deployed
engineering organization
is strategically
positioned on the
crossroads between
professional services and
product. So we have
very, very close
relationship with
product. We have advanced
knowledge of the
stuff that are about
to come out. We can
get our hands, we can
get hands-on with any
pilots. For instance,
there was a dedicated
training for
our organization a
day before Dreamforce.
So we can get
advanced knowledge
and all these
cool features that
are being introduced
at Dreamforce.
We're also focusing
very, very seriously on
new hires. And every
new person joining our
organization, being it
internal or external,
goes through a six
-weeks boot camp, very
rigorous boot camp
that allows a certain
number of certification
as well as hands-on
experience with agent
force. And we call it
Ready in Six Weeks,
Ready, Hit the Ground
Running. Wow. Who's
looking for a role? Keep
that in mind. We're
hiring. Yeah, that's
right. What practices
around knowledge sharing
and collaboration
have you found most
effective for scaling
AI adoption and impact?
Internally, we are part
of a lot of different
communities, and we
are very intentional
about sharing our
lessons learned, which
is the most invaluable.
Lessons learned
is the most invaluable
information that we
can share because it
comes from interaction
with real customers.
In addition of
sharing best practices
and any gotchas, we are
part of the communities,
but we're also
working with product to
learn, again, anything
latest and greatest.
And sometimes we're
that media that helps
bring that knowledge
to the broader
sales force. And, of
course, educating our
customers along the way.
I love all of it.
And most importantly,
if you're looking
for a role.
Forward deployed
engineering is hiring.
FTE is hiring. I love
it. Irina Gutman, VP
for Forward Deployed
Engineering. Thank you
so much for your time
today. Thank you.