- Published on
Why I'm Recommending Cursor to My Engineers
- Authors
- Name
- Nitin Wadhawan
As an engineering manager, my top priority is empowering my team to deliver high-quality code efficiently, collaborate seamlessly, and avoid burnout. In 2025, AI-powered tools are fundamentally reshaping how we build software—and one tool stands out: Cursor, an AI-native code editor built on Visual Studio Code.
After personally using it and hearing feedback from engineers across the industry, I've decided to roll out Cursor with my team. Here's why I believe it's a game-changer.
⚙️ The Developer Experience Is Broken — Cursor Fixes It
Most AI tools today feel duct-taped onto legacy workflows. Engineers juggle:
- Copilot in VS Code
- ChatGPT in the browser
- Docs, Slack, GitHub tabs open
- PRs, issues, refactors across 5+ tools
This context switching kills flow—and productivity.
Cursor rethinks the developer experience from the ground up. It's not just an editor with AI — it's an AI-native environment built to reduce mental overhead and streamline modern dev work.
🚀 1. A Clear Productivity Boost
Cursor integrates top-tier AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic for intelligent autocompletion, generation, and refactoring. Developers report it as a "2x improvement over GitHub Copilot" (@cursor_ai, Jul 3, 2025), and @kentcdodds says it "anticipates exactly what I want 25% of the time."
At Pioneer Square Labs, engineers used Cursor to build a demo game in 30 minutes—a task that usually takes hours (GeekWire, Jun 25, 2025).
For my team, this means:
- Less time writing boilerplate
- Faster debugging and prototyping
- More focus on high-value architecture and logic
🔄 2. Seamless Integration with Our Workflow
Cursor is built on VS Code, so our extensions and settings work immediately.
It also introduces Shadow Workspaces — letting AI test code changes in isolation before touching our main branch. With MCP server integrations (like GitHub MCP), AI agents in Cursor can manage pull requests, issues, and commits right from the IDE.
@iannuttall nailed it: "Cursor can read Slack threads, understand context, and create PRs without leaving the conversation." (Jul 2, 2025)
That level of automation significantly reduces friction—especially in hybrid or remote teams.
🎧 3. "Vibe Coding" Unlocks Developer Creativity
You describe what you want in natural language—and Cursor makes it happen:
- Generate full modules
- Explain legacy code
- Refactor large blocks safely
A Seattle startup vibe-coded a production-ready app in 90 minutes (GeekWire, Jun 25, 2025). I've used Cursor myself to build out early versions of projects — and I shipped in hours what used to take days.
The "Context Engineer" MCP inside Cursor even acts like a virtual tech lead — nudging you with suggestions, architecture prompts, and PR strategy (@alessiocarra_, Jul 11, 2025).
💬 4. Developers Are Choosing Cursor — Not Being Told To
Cursor's rise is developer-led. Engineers at OpenAI, Stripe, and Shopify are adopting it on their own.
It hit 200M revenue this year (taptwicedigital.com, Apr 29, 2025).
@GergelyOrosz: "Switched from Copilot to Cursor for my side projects. It's just better." (May 9, 2025)
This kind of grassroots excitement makes team-wide adoption easier—and more authentic.
❗ Addressing the Real Concerns
Rolling out an AI-native editor raises good questions:
- Will devs become too reliant on AI? Cursor is built for a pair programming workflow. Engineers stay in control.
- Is it secure? Yes — OAuth 2.0, scoped access, enterprise-grade compliance.
- What about the learning curve? Minimal. We'll start with a pilot and support it with training.
🕒 Why Now?
AI tools like Cursor aren't optional anymore. They're the new standard. Cursor is ahead of the curve—deeply integrated, fast-moving, and focused on making engineers more productive.
If you're trying to scale without burning out your team, this is a tool worth considering.
Explore Cursor at cursor.com