Question 1

What is FDE Providers?

Accepted Answer

A vendor-neutral directory and decision layer for teams that deploy AI into real systems: forward deployed engineering (FDE) providers, AI implementation partners, embedded pods and staff augmentation. You describe the problem, we build a deployment profile and match it against provider capabilities, technology, industry and deployment experience.

Question 2

Is it free for buyers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Browsing, matching, the assessment, the cost calculator and the research reports are free. We make money from providers (featured listings, subscriptions) and sponsors, and every paid placement is labelled.

Question 3

How does matching work?

Accepted Answer

Matching is a weighted score across capability fit, industry, technology, engagement model, geography, team size, budget and availability. The weights are published on the match page and the same for every provider. Featured or sponsored status never changes a score. Results are presented as recommended matches based on your requirements, with plain-language reasons and gaps.

Question 4

What do the verification labels mean?

Accepted Answer

Unverified: platform-created from public information and not yet checked. Platform verified: our team checked the profile against public sources. Provider verified: the provider claimed the profile and confirmed its details. The label is shown on every profile and case study.

Question 5

Does a Featured or Sponsored label mean a provider is better?

Accepted Answer

No. It means the provider paid for visibility. Featured providers appear in labelled slots, sponsored articles carry a disclosure, and neither affects verification status, ranking or match scores. We do not publish ratings or claim any provider is the best.

Question 6

What happens when I submit a requirement?

Accepted Answer

You get an immediate shortlist. If you leave contact details, we store the requirement as a lead, notify our team, and only share it with providers you choose to contact or, where you have agreed, with the most relevant matches. We do not sell contact details.

Question 7

I am not sure whether to build, hire or partner. Where do I start?

Accepted Answer

Take the assessment. Twelve questions produce a recommendation with reasoning, an estimated team size and duration, and the capabilities you would need. You can carry the result straight into matching.

Question 8

How do I get listed?

Accepted Answer

Submit your company through the provider form. You verify your email, our team reviews the submission against public sources, and the profile goes live with a verification label. You can then claim and manage it from a dashboard. A basic listing is free.

Question 9

My company is already listed but I did not add it. What now?

Accepted Answer

Many profiles are platform-created from public information. You can claim the profile by verifying a company email address, then correct or complete it. Claimed and confirmed profiles carry the Provider verified label.

Question 10

Something on my profile is wrong. How do I fix it?

Accepted Answer

Claim the profile and edit it, or contact us with the record and the correction. We check corrections against public sources or provider evidence and update the record, keeping a note of what changed.

Question 11

Can I add case studies?

Accepted Answer

Yes, from your dashboard once the profile is claimed. Each case study should state the problem, solution, results, team size, duration, stage reached and integrations. Where a public source exists, link it; case studies without a public source are labelled provider-reported.

Question 12

What does featured placement cost and what does it include?

Accepted Answer

Featured placement, sponsored content and premium listings are priced on request and set by the platform team. Every paid placement is labelled and excluded from ranking and matching, so it buys visibility, not preference.

Question 13

Is the platform operator also a provider?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The platform is operated by Magic Makers Lab, which is listed as a provider on the same terms as everyone else. It receives no preference in matching, ranking or lead routing, and its listing carries the same verification labels.

Frequently asked questions

For buyers

For providers