M0-L3.2Lifecycle-to-Module Map
In one sentence: Each stage of the FDE lifecycle draws on a specific part of this handbook, so the 44 lessons after Module 0 form a capability map rather than a list of topics.
What it is
Section titled “What it is”| Stage | Where the capability is built | What you learn there |
|---|---|---|
| Qualify, Discover | Module 5, Lessons 2–3 | Discovery interviews, stakeholder maps, as-is / to-be workflows |
| Define | Module 5, Lessons 4–5 | Scope, PRD and SOW, acceptance criteria, choosing the simplest architecture |
| Build | Modules 1–3 | Software systems (M1), AI application engineering (M2), agent engineering (M3) |
| Build, with the customer | Module 5, Lesson 6 | Demos, feedback and change requests |
| Integrate | Module 4, Lessons 1–3 | APIs and MCP connectors, authentication and permissions, real-world data |
| Evaluate | Module 2, Lesson 5; Module 3, Lesson 6 | Evaluating AI applications; evaluating, tracing and debugging agents |
| Deploy | Module 4, Lessons 4–5 | Reliability, cost and scale; deployment, CI/CD and observability |
| Adopt, Handoff, Productize | Module 5, Lesson 7 | Pilots, business value, handoff and productization |
Three modules cover the whole loop rather than one stage:
- Module 6 applies the lifecycle to four use-case archetypes of increasing complexity (a support RAG application, a content workflow, provider research and outreach, a multi-agent research desk).
- Module 7 is the practicum: you run the full lifecycle yourself, from Discovery to Handoff.
- Module 8 turns that work into evidence for FDE interviews.
Why an FDE needs this
Section titled “Why an FDE needs this”It answers the question every new reader has: “why do I need to learn this?” When a lesson in Module 4 feels like pure infrastructure, the map shows which stage of a customer engagement it serves. It also helps you plan: if your weakest responsibility is Adoption, you know which lesson to prioritize.
Key concepts
Section titled “Key concepts”Modules 1–4 are the Production responsibility
Section titled “Modules 1–4 are the Production responsibility”Four of the eight content modules serve Production. That reflects reality: in enterprise AI, making something run safely in a real environment is where most of the engineering effort goes.
Module 5 is where the FDE-specific skills live
Section titled “Module 5 is where the FDE-specific skills live”Discovery, scoping, change management, adoption and productization are what separate an FDE from a strong engineer. Module 5 covers both ends of the lifecycle.
Evaluation appears twice on purpose
Section titled “Evaluation appears twice on purpose”Evaluating a single AI application (Module 2) and evaluating a multi-step agent (Module 3) need different methods. Both feed the Evaluate stage.
Common misconceptions
Section titled “Common misconceptions”- “The modules should be read strictly in order.” They are ordered for a beginner. Experienced readers can jump to the stage they need; see Handbook Reading Paths.
- “Module 5 is the soft-skills module.” It contains concrete artifacts (stakeholder maps, PRDs, acceptance criteria, pilot metrics) that are graded as strictly as code.
Typical interview questions
Section titled “Typical interview questions”Which part of FDE work are you least prepared for, and how are you closing the gap?
Name a stage, not a vague skill (“Integrate: I haven’t worked with enterprise identity and permissions”). Then name the concrete step you are taking and the artifact you will be able to show.
Learn more
Section titled “Learn more”- No external resource needed. Use the Module Overview for hours per module, and the Introduction of each module for its lesson list.