Cursor, the AI-powered code editor that has rapidly emerged as one of Silicon Valley’s hottest startups, has an unusual hiring practice that sets it apart from the typical tech recruitment playbook.
Michael Truell, co-founder and CEO of Cursor, recently revealed that every engineer and designer who joins the company must first spend two full days working in their office on a real project within Cursor’s codebase. It’s a demanding, immersive trial that goes far beyond the standard whiteboard interviews and coding challenges that have become industry norms. The approach offers a window into how fast-growing AI companies are rethinking talent acquisition in an era where finding the right people can make or break a startup’s trajectory.
“Everyone who gets hired on the engineering team and the design team spends two days in office and they work on a project and it’s very freeform,” Truell explained. “It’s not like you have this whiteboard interview and then that whiteboard interview and your days, two days are packed. It’s, here’s a desk, here’s a laptop, here’s three projects you could work on.”
The exercise serves multiple purposes, according to Truell. “This has kind of two functions. So one function is, I think it’s a really great test that tests for orthogonal things to the normal coding style interviews that we ask for. People get onsite where you’re seeing, can they go end-to-end in the code base? This gives you a sense of that. What would they build if left in a vacuum without a team? And so I think it really gives us a lot of signal on the raw technical skills needed to be successful in our environment.”
But the technical assessment is only half the story. “The other thing that it does for us is it also functions as a culture interview where you have four to six meals with us, and that gives us a sense of would we want to be around you? Do you want to be around us?” Truell added. “If one of the benefits, maybe sub point, third benefit is, it really gives the candidate a ton of information about the company and what it’s going to be like to show up on the first day. And I think that that’s led to really, really, really high chance of fit on their end too if they say yes.”
Despite the company’s growth, Cursor has maintained this unconventional approach. “That’s one of the more unorthodox things we do, is we have this two day onsite and we’ve clung to it even though we’re over 200 people now,” Truell said.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how AI-native companies are approaching talent acquisition. Unlike traditional tech giants that rely heavily on algorithmic coding interviews and behavioral questions, companies like Cursor are betting that real-world performance provides better signals than artificial test environments. The approach bears similarities to “working interviews” that have gained traction in other sectors, but Cursor’s two-day commitment is notably more extensive. It also echoes the philosophy of companies like Basecamp and GitLab, which have long emphasized cultural fit and realistic job previews. For candidates, the process offers a rare opportunity to evaluate a potential employer with equal rigor—experiencing the actual work environment, codebase, and team dynamics before making a commitment. In an industry where hiring mistakes can be costly and culture mismatches can lead to rapid turnover, Cursor’s intensive screening process may represent a return to fundamentals: actually working together before making long-term commitments. As AI continues to reshape software development, the companies building these tools are simultaneously reimagining how they build their teams.