a16z Podcast Michael Truell: How Cursor Builds at the Speed of AI
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Nov 10, 2025 
Michael Truell, CEO of Cursor, shares insights from building a rapidly growing AI-first code editor. He discusses why they focused on power users instead of the democratization narrative and the innovative two-day trials for hiring. Truell emphasizes the importance of owning the editor despite conventional wisdom. He reveals how Cursor's strategic multi-cloud approach and acquisitions have shaped their infrastructure and product offerings. The conversation also dives into the balance between rapid scaling and maintaining quality in a fast-paced tech landscape.
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Product-As-Platform Flywheel
- Cursor aimed to build a "cursor for X" company for verticalized knowledge work and product-led model improvement.
- The plan: win product, gain data and capital, then iterate models to create a flywheel.
Failed CAD Start, Then Pivot To Code
- The team tried building a CAD product first and found terrible founder–market fit and data cold-start problems.
- They pivoted to programming where models and demand were already stronger.
Focus And Rapid Shipping Won Users
- Cursor shipped fast by hacking together an IDE and launching a beta within months to capture momentum.
- They deliberately owned the editor surface to win users despite conventional wisdom it was impossible.