These six interactions determine whether AI deployment scales or collapses into bespoke chaos. Each pattern defines a flow, a risk, and a success condition — the three levers that govern system reliability.

1. SE ↔ SA — The Scoping Dance

Phase: Discovery (Phase 1)

Flow:
SE uncovers use cases → SA validates feasibility → SE adjusts scope.

Risk:
Overselling (SE) or over-engineering (SA).

Success:
A deal with realistic technical scope FDEs can actually deliver.

2. FDE ↔ PM — The Reality Bridge

Phase: Implementation (Phase 2)

Flow:
FDE hits customer reality → PM prioritizes fixes based on real constraints.

Risk:
FDE builds custom workarounds; insights never reach Product.

Success:
Field learnings shape product evolution; platform quality compounds.

3. FDE ↔ ML Eng — The Tech Reality Check

Phase: Implementation (Phase 2)

Flow:
FDE identifies real-world constraints → ML Eng tunes models for production.

Risk:
ML Eng optimizes in isolation; models fail in deployment.

Success:
Models tuned for actual environmental conditions (latency, data, workflow).

4. Architect ↔ FDE — Pattern Extraction

Phase: Optimization (Phase 3)

Flow:
Architect extracts patterns from FDE deployments → standardizes successful templates.

Risk:
Architect designs in an ivory tower; FDEs ignore standards.

Success:
Reusable, repeatable architectures reduce deployment time by 60 percent or more.

5. Agent Architect ↔ Architect — The Future Layer

Phase: Optimization (Phase 3)

Flow:
Architect builds foundational infra → Agent Architect orchestrates autonomous agents.

Risk:
Agent design without infra maturity; chaos at scale.

Success:
Coordinated multi-agent ecosystems at enterprise scale.

6. SA ↔ PM — Strategic Alignment

Phase: Phase 1 → Phase 2 Bridge

Flow:
SA designs architecture → PM validates market fit and prioritizes roadmap.

Risk:
Beautiful architecture for a problem no one cares about.

Success:
Architectures map to product strategy, not engineering imagination.

Critical Success Factors for Role Coordination

1. Clear Role Boundaries

Each role owns distinct outcomes; no overlapping accountability.

2. Structured Handoffs

Every phase transition is documented, validated, and operationally clear.

3. Active Feedback Loops

FDE → PM → Architect loops operate weekly, not quarterly.

4. No Silos

Roles collaborate cross-functionally; no “territorial ownership”.

5. PM as Orchestrator

PM coordinates cross-role priorities and resolves conflicts.

6. Measure Collaboration

Track handoff quality and cycle time; measure collaboration like throughput.

7. Shared Success Metrics

All roles aligned on customer outcomes, not departmental KPIs.

8. Weekly Syncs

Fast cross-role check-ins prevent drift and creeping misalignment.

9. Clear Escalation Paths

Conflicts resolved fast through predefined routes — not ad-hoc escalation.