Two PreSales in a Pod

In this episode, James Kaikis (Co-Founder, PreSales Collective; Founder, GTM Shift) joins Adam + Todd to unpack the rise of Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) and what it signals for the future of presales: a world where proof beats polish, and the teams that win are the ones who can show it working—fast.We get into:What an FDE actually is (and why it’s not as “new” as it sounds)The real driver behind the trend: the burden of proof and collapsing trustWhy the “harbor cruise” demo needs an upgradeHow AI is accelerating skepticism (and why “see it to believe it” is the new default)A practical approach for leaders: start with jobs-to-be-done + small experiments, not a massive org redesign

Show Notes

In this episode, James Kaikis (Co-Founder, PreSales Collective; Founder, GTM Shift) joins Adam + Todd to unpack the rise of Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) and what it signals for the future of presales: a world where proof beats polish, and the teams that win are the ones who can show it working—fast.

We get into:

  • What an FDE actually is (and why it’s not as “new” as it sounds)

  • The real driver behind the trend: the burden of proof and collapsing trust

  • Why the “harbor cruise” demo needs an upgrade

  • How AI is accelerating skepticism (and why “see it to believe it” is the new default)

  • A practical approach for leaders: start with jobs-to-be-done + small experiments, not a massive org redesign

What is Two PreSales in a Pod?

PreSales podcast hosted by Adam Freeman and Todd Janzen. We discuss the burning issues facing the PreSales world in a relaxed and conversational style.

The world can get pretty serious, so join us with for a casual chat on all things PreSales.

Listen to the podcast on your preferred platform with episodes posted regularly.