Enterprise FDE demand projected to surge 2,100% by end of 2026

A Christian & Timbers study (Jan–Jun 2026, 250+ C-suite interviews, 300+ FDE interviews) projects demand for forward-deployed engineers to surge 2,100% by end of 2026. Companies planning FDE hires jumped from 5–10% at January's start to 70% by end of Q2. The report estimates just 2,000 U.S. engineers qualify for enterprise-scale AI transformation — "Not 2,000 available. 2,000 total."