A recent study estimates that only 2,000 engineers in the United States possess the skills to deliver measurable returns on AI investments. While traditional software engineers create products, forward-deployed engineers integrate those products into a company’s complex systems. This gap between “we bought AI” and “AI is working for us” is where forward-deployed engineers come in. According to Mashable, major players like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic are investing in super app strategies. Microsoft is reportedly aiming for a Copilot super app launch by the end of summer 2026.