on may 7, 2025 cursor dropped some pretty big news:
honestly? it's kind of amazing.
ai coding assistant, free for a whole year, right when you're just getting started.
but here's the real question:
are you coding? like, really coding?
or is cursor quietly doing most of the work for you?
this move from cursor isn't random. it's strategy.
that same day, openai bought windsurf, another cool coding tool, for $3 billion.
$3 billion. for a code editor. wild.
these companies know the next generation of developers is learning
right now and they all want to be the tool that teaches you.
because if you grow up building things inside cursor or windsurf or whatever comes next
you'll probably keep using it when you're working at your first job. or your second.
or when you're building your own thing
so giving it away now makes total sense but just remember
you're right in the middle of a billion-dollar race
and your attention, your habits, your trust is what everyone's chasing
these tools are amazing
they save time, unblock you, and help you build fast
they make you feel 10x smarter, and sometimes you actually are with the right prompt
a few years ago, building something like a blog or a game might've taken weeks
now with cursor, you could have it done in a weekend. maybe less
and that's empowering
especially for students just getting into coding
but here's the quiet trade-off
if ai is always one step ahead, finishing your thoughts and fixing your bugs
how much are you actually learning?
what happens when you turn it off?
or when it gives you something that looks right but breaks everything?
i've had moments where cursor gave me an answer and it worked
but i didn't understand it
and later, when something else broke, i was stuck
it's tempting to let the tool go on autopilot
write the function, fix the bug, explain the error
but those tiny struggles, those late-night bugs, that moment when you finally get it
that's where real confidence comes from
it's the difference between copying a recipe and learning how to cook
and no matter how smart ai gets, that joy of figuring something out yourself
nothing beats that
so yeah, try cursor
it's free, it's powerful, it'll help you build real things
it might even save you hours
but don't let it become a crutch
because in a few years, when you're interviewing or launching your own thing
you'll want that muscle memory
that confidence from messing up, fixing it, and actually learning
code with cursor
learn with it
get faster with it
but make time to do it the slow, confusing way sometimes
that's how you grow
that's how you get proud
that's how you build stuff that lasts with your own smarts, not someone else's shortcuts
you've got a whole year
make cool stuff
mess up
fix it
and most of all, enjoy the ride
this is your time to learn how to really build
you've got this
until then,
sidharth
say hi on x.com or email notcodesid@gmail.com. i read every message :)