What it's about
Good software is built close to the people who use it every day. Philipp Kohnen combines delivery and advice: as a Forward Deployed Engineer he works right next to the real workflows and ships running software; as a technology consultant he supports architecture, vendor selection and IT strategy. He complements existing teams and their technical leadership – and steps in where there isn't any (yet).
His work doesn't start with the question of which software to use, but with: What is costing you unnecessary time today? The right solution follows from that – sometimes a new web application, sometimes improving an existing system, sometimes an automation, and sometimes simply an honest assessment of which technical solution makes sense at all.
Services
Forward Deployed Engineering
Embedded development instead of a requirements document, on site at your company or remote: gathering requirements directly with the people who use the system every day, building in short iterations, deploying and refining – from the first version to stable operation.
Technology Consulting
Sparring partner and second opinion for management, technical leadership and engineering teams: architecture, vendor selection, IT strategy and prioritisation. Where there is no technical leadership in place, Philipp Kohnen can also take on that role for a limited time.
Custom Web Applications
Small, well-fitting applications instead of oversized standard software: internal tools, dashboards, forms, databases and workflows that simplify a specific process and bring data together in one place.
Process Automation and AI Agents
Automating repetitive work, connecting systems through APIs and using AI agents where they deliver real value.
From AI Prototype to Production System
With today's AI tools, employees can build a first prototype in a few hours – and that's a good thing, because business teams often know best what they need. Turning it into a real system means user permissions, data protection, backups, integrations, security, updates, performance, monitoring and maintainability. Philipp Kohnen turns prototypes into reliable applications.
Operations, Monitoring and Maintenance
Monitoring infrastructure and applications, regular updates and security measures, so systems stay available and up to date.
Open Source, Data Sovereignty and European Infrastructure
Where it makes sense: open-source components, established industry standards, free office suites and European hosting. The goal is to reduce proprietary licence costs and dependence on individual technology vendors.
System Analysis and Technical Assessment
Analysis of existing systems and an honest evaluation of which solution really makes sense – even if the answer is that no new software is needed.
Principles
- Technology is a tool. What matters are the people who will work with the systems every day.
- Building it yourself is good – running it securely is the craft. “Building a prototype is sometimes astonishingly easy today. Running it properly is a different story.”
- Agency, not dependency. “You should know where your data lives, which dependencies exist and what happens when a vendor or its business model changes.”
- Unspectacular, fast, practical. The way good IT should be.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Forward Deployed Engineer?
A Forward Deployed Engineer is a software engineer who works closely with a client's business teams: they understand the real workflows, build applications, automations and AI integrations tailored to them, ship them to production and keep running them – rather than handing over a concept or an off-the-shelf product.
We already have a CTO or an in-house IT team. Is this still a fit?
Yes. Philipp Kohnen works with existing teams, not around them: as extra capacity for a specific project, as a sparring partner for technical decisions, or to bring prototypes from business teams cleanly into the existing architecture. Where there is no technical leadership in place, he can also take on that role temporarily.
Our staff are already building prototypes with AI. Do we still need support?
Building prototypes with AI is often the fastest way to make an idea tangible. Once a prototype becomes a real system, user permissions, data protection, backups, integrations, security, updates and monitoring come into play. That's exactly where Philipp Kohnen helps.
Why custom software instead of off-the-shelf software?
Often a small, well-fitting application is the better solution because it maps a specific workflow instead of forcing that workflow into someone else's product.
Why open source and European infrastructure?
It's about staying in control, not ideology: if you know where your data lives and which dependencies exist, you stay independent of individual vendors' pricing and strategy changes.
Contact
Philipp Kohnen · Berlin, Germany
Email: mail@kohnen.digital
Phone: +49 160 90 22 88 20