# Ballet | Stop paying $180k for an integration

> Canonical: https://ballet.dev/forward-deployed-engineer

Forward-deployed engineers and boutique SIs cost $180K and 12 weeks per scoped integration. Ballet generates the integration code on demand and ships it this quarter.

Stop paying $180k for an integration. Ship it today.

Forward-deployed engineers cost $220K+ a year. Boutique SI quotes hit $180K and 12 weeks per scoped integration. Ballet generates the integration code on demand and runs it as reviewable, version-controlled workflows, so the integration backlog ships this quarter, not next year.

## How Ballet works

Type the workflow. Ballet writes the code. Your team approves the run.

### 01 Write the integration you need, the moment you need it

No connector? Ballet writes the code in seconds against any system with an API. SAP, internal ERPs, legacy supply-chain tools. If it has an endpoint, Ballet can integrate.

### 02 Deterministic where it matters, agentic where it helps

n8n-style deterministic workflows + Manus-style agentic reasoning, all written as code. 100% accurate on the steps that need it, intelligent on the steps that don't.

### 03 Catches breakage before it breaks you

Evals on every step. When an API changes or the data drifts, Ballet catches it before the workflow breaks, and shows you the diff.

## How we compare

| | Ballet | n8n / Zapier | Claude Cowork & Code | Contracted FDE |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Approach | Deterministic workflows + agents, written as code | Preset workflows | Task-based agents | Custom code, scoped |
| Output consistency | 100% where it matters, agentic where it helps | 100% accurate | Varies between runs | Deterministic |
| Handles complex multi-system work | Yes | Caps out past 100 nodes | Limited | Yes |
| Time to first workflow | 30 minutes | Hours–days | Fast start, slow to ship | 12 weeks + $180K |
| Connects to any API | Yes, automatic | Partial (manual) | No | Yes (manual) |
| Inspectable code | Yes; generated code, version-controlled | Visual graph | No | Yes |
| Evals on every step | Yes | No | No | No |


## Questions, answered.

### How is this different from n8n / Zapier?

Those tools cap out at their connector library. Ballet writes the connector you need, the moment you need it, and the workflow runs as deterministic code, not a visual graph that breaks on upgrade.

### How is this different from Manus / Claude Cowork / LangChain?

Those are task-based agents. Outputs vary between runs. Ballet writes deterministic workflows as code, with agentic reasoning only where it helps. Code you can read. Runs you can replay.

### How is this different from hiring a contractor or SI?

We replace the contractor's scoped integration work. The contractor is fine, just slower. Your engineering team keeps the platform.

### What about security?

Generated code is visible and version-controlled. Every run is replayable. Approval gates are first-class. Ballet is part of Brainfish and covered by Brainfish's SOC2 Type II compliance. Details are in our <a href="https://trust.brainfi.sh/">Trust Center</a>. SSO/SAML at Enterprise.

### Will it work with our legacy systems?

Any system with an API. We've shipped against SAP, internal ERPs, legacy supply-chain tools. Systems without APIs aren't us.

### Where does Brainfish fit?

Brainfish is the knowledge layer. Ballet is the execution layer. Customers run Ballet workflows triggered from Brainfish, but Ballet works standalone too.

### How fast can we ship a workflow?

Most design-partner workflows ship within two weeks of the initial review. The integration is generated in minutes; the bulk of the time is your team scoping and approving.

## Next step

We'll model it in Ballet on your real systems in a 30-minute working session.

[Book a workflow review](https://ballet.dev/signup)