How to build (more) successful products
Cursor does zero PR, zero marketing, has fewer than 20? people, and spreads like electricity from developer to developer. Now at $100M+ ARR. We'll likely see more startups like this in the future.
Cursor isn’t alone here. I’ve noticed a few things consistent between them that’ll inform new products I build going forward. 3 keys to successful products AI-native: Predicated on different assumptions and reimagining a better way to do things. Scratch your own itch: A product you, the founder, use yourself daily Built-in distribution: Thanks to #2 above, you’ll share how you’re using it and others talk about how they use it. AI is constantly improving, so there’s also something new and interesting to talk about, which generates buzz within the target group. Solving distribution (the hard part)
The distribution angle resonates since I was listening to Nikita Bier on Lenny’s podcast last night and he talked about how he targets teens because 1) they’re still meeting new people and hanging out with each other, which means 2) they’re more likely to share frequently. This stops as people age.
