In the wave of AI editors, Cursor is like a rapidly growing teenager. In just over a year, it has transformed at an astonishing speed. With many innovative ideas and practices, it has become a pioneer in this field. However, behind its dazzling aura, there are unknown difficulties and struggles.
It is undeniable that Cursor’s growth is obvious to all. Its emergence has brought users a brand-new editing experience, attracted much attention, and set off an upsurge. But followed by a large number of imitators, market competition has become increasingly fierce. What’s more fatal is that it is deeply constrained by the large model supplier Claude, as if being choked by someone. Claude’s arrogance makes the cooperation full of inequality. A large amount of money invested by Cursor’s investors finally flows to Claude’s parent company, but it is caught in the dilemma of “losing money to gain popularity”. Although Claude also spends a lot of money on training models, it is a precipitation for the future, while the moat built by Cursor’s investment is so shallow that it is easy to be broken by competitors in the future.
The young founder is under unimaginable pressure. The anxiety of investors, the continuous burning of funds, and the complaints of users are pouring in like a tide, making him feel extremely tormented. Recently, they have avoided all complaints. Maybe they want to show the suppliers that you take so much money but have no sympathy at all. His choice to make the supplier’s pricing public is perhaps a helpless move under great pressure, but it has caused more disputes. Now he shuts himself up and refuses to meet people. It is conceivable that he is anxious - watching investors’ money keep flowing to the large model, his hard - earned editor has little income, and it is likely to be broken. Anyone would feel desperate.
But we can’t deny the value of Cursor because of this. It is still very young, and it is inevitable to encounter setbacks on the road of exploration. Its predicament is not only due to the fierce competition in the external environment but also due to its excessive dependence on suppliers, which can’t be changed by its subjective will. The anxiety of the founder and the worries of investors all reflect the weight that this young enterprise has to bear in the process of growth.
As for whether Cursor will eventually sell its business, it’s too early to draw a conclusion. We should give it more understanding and support rather than just complain. We hope that Cursor can cheer up, find a way to get out of the predicament and get through this difficult period. At the same time, we also hope that those complaints and pressures can make the greedy model suppliers restrain themselves and face up to the equality and value of cooperation. After all, a healthy ecosystem needs the joint maintenance of all parties, not the dominance and exploitation of one party.