Learning module 01 / 06

Role and mindset

Understand who an FDE serves, how to enter customer context and what constraints an AI partner needs.

Learning goal and artifact

A role responsibility and skill-gap inventory

Complete and self-check the connected workshop first, then attempt the extension with fictional or authorized material you select. Reading alone does not establish capability.

Concept summaries

Understand the role through customer work

An FDE discovers problems, scopes work, designs and builds systems, and coordinates production delivery. Identify frontline work, decision authority and operational ownership before choosing a solution.

AI capability needs project context

A model can help implement work but does not know customer permissions, historical decisions or the actual environment. Supply verified facts, constraints and criteria; check plausible errors, context pollution and local optimization.

Complete small task · free study

Separate responsibilities from release claims

Fictional client Qinghe Equipment: operators submit fault titles; dispatchers classify and confirm assignments. Lin approves scope, Chen approves data access, and Zhou owns operations. The pilot suggests categories to dispatchers without automatic assignment. Use synthetic tickets, with no client systems or external models.

Download runnable lab Download six-module workbook and checklist

Follow along: inputs, steps and reasoning

Map submission → suggested category → dispatcher confirmation → technician acceptance. Exclude automatic assignment.
Name the approver and executor for each decision. Available data is not approved data; passing code is not operational ownership.
Separate demo, readiness and adoption evidence. Adoption requires real tasks; a local lab can only design an observation plan.

Worked example

Incorrect: “The FDE owns everything; passing tests means release.” Correction: Lin approves scope; Chen approves non-synthetic data; the FDE implements and records limits; Zhou rehearses operation and recovery; dispatchers confirm suggestions. Local output proves a demo. Readiness also needs access, change approval and handover. Adoption needs real dispatcher tasks in an agreed window.

Try independently first

Independent task: Lin asks for automatic assignment after the demo; Zhou has no runbook. Write a responsibility table, a decline/defer decision and two skill gaps. Explain escalation. Save as 01-role.md.

After answering, reveal reference and common errors

Defer automatic assignment: it changes pilot scope and lacks handover. Ask Lin to confirm the scope change and provide Zhou with a runbook. Lin’s request does not imply Chen’s data approval. Describe skill gaps as trainable behaviors, such as explaining escalation, rather than vague technical weakness.

Record self-check progress

Stored only in this browser, not independent review approval. Use the downloaded workbook across devices; clearing browser data removes this record.

Each decision has an owner and scope changes have an escalation path.Separate all three evidence types; local output is not customer adoption.

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Extension exercise

Teaching exercise: for a fictional monthly reconciliation assistant, assign responsibilities to users, the customer owner, the FDE and operations. List separate evidence for a working demo, production readiness and sustained use; identify your skill gaps.

Use fictional or authorized deidentified material. Keep reports, implementation and checks in your own project; this site accepts no exercise uploads and performs no online grading.

Review criteria

Responsibilities identify decision and operational owners rather than relying on job titles.
Demo, readiness and adoption evidence are distinct, without outcome guarantees.

If criteria are unmet, record gaps and a correction plan, then review again with evidence. Confirm sharing permissions before instructor or peer review.

Complete lessons in this module

Study the full explanations, examples and exercises in these lessons, then integrate the artifacts using the connected workshop above.