Michael Truell, CEO of Cursor, discusses the company's rapid growth, emphasizing a strategy of deliberate focus on power users over broad democratization. He shares insights into their unique two-day work trials that test for agency, the technical and relational challenges of out-scaling cloud and API providers, and a talent-first approach to M&A, all while navigating a market poised for its next 'iPhone moment'.
YC partners discuss go-to-market strategies for AI in legacy industries, balancing growth with defensibility, knowing when to pivot even with traction, tackling hard technical problems, and making key hiring and open-source decisions.
Garry, Harj, Jared, and Diana discuss why founders should pursue contrarian ideas in a crowded AI market. They analyze how companies like Uber, Coinbase, and Flock Safety found massive success by tackling non-obvious, legally ambiguous, or seemingly impossible problems that others ignored.