Head of Design @ryolu_ helped transform Cursor from a feature-layer on top of VS Code into one of the world's leading AI code editors. He joins YC's @aaron_epstein on Design Review to talk about the path that brought him to Cursor, how rapid prototyping reshaped the core
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@ycombinator @ryolu_ @aaron_epstein Thanks for bringing all the cool design talk to the YC community @aaron_epstein
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@ycombinator @ryolu_ @aaron_epstein This is a great interview. Design is so hard to do well, at least for someone like me who has a very technical mind. Glad to have any help I can get!
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@ycombinator @ryolu_ @aaron_epstein The focus on rapid prototyping is spot on. For dev tools, especially in the data space, reducing setup friction is critical. A developer should be able to run a real PoC in minutes, not days.
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@ycombinator @ryolu_ @aaron_epstein “My personal KPI at Cursor this year is to turn all the designers into coders.” ⚡️
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@ycombinator @ryolu_ @aaron_epstein Cursor poaching design talent from VS Code. The AI code editor eating the traditional editor's lunch. Not just features, but actual design principles and culture. That's how you win.
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@ycombinator @ryolu_ @aaron_epstein The line between designing and building is fading, and honestly it’s making products better. When you can shape the idea and ship it, things click in a different way. The best products come from people who can do both.
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@ycombinator @ryolu_ @aaron_epstein Designers will start coding. Coders can't design. If they could we designers never would have had careers. Just sayin' Also reliance on preconceived ux design patterns kill innovation. Everyone will require a sign up flow before anyone can use an app, is the perfect example.
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@ycombinator @ryolu_ @aaron_epstein It’s indeed a revolution. A million early adopters are already on
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@ycombinator @ryolu_ @aaron_epstein Watched Cursor pivot to agent-first architecture. That's how you build AI-native tools, not just AI-enhanced ones.
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@ycombinator @ryolu_ @aaron_epstein The shift to standalone AI code editors like Cursor is a control-surface play. The VS Code fork enables native, deep AI integration for multi-file context and full 'autonomy agentic' modes, exceeding extension API limits.
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