Most people leave 80% of Cursor's capabilities unused. Here's the complete path from simple setup to AI operating system mastery, and why the gap keeps widening.
This is an exceptional deep dive! Seeing Cursor evolve from a helper to a full AI operating system is eye-opening. Your breakdown makes complex workflows feel achievable.
You made want to come back to Cursor after seeing this. I really wish they don't cap the limits that much otherwise I would have never changed to Claude Code 😂 amazing breakdown as always!!!
I've done a little with Cursor, but as I'm not a developer, I tend to shy away from it. A friend has helped me a bit using Cursor & Claude Code, which got me excited.
So glad to hear that, Kim! Yeah, Cursor can feel a bit intimidating, same with Claude Code. But if you think of it as just a chat box that lets you peek into its internal world, it becomes much easier to drop the mental pressure.
I used Cursor to build and launch MannaWord game but if I had this guide then it would have slashed my learning and coding time by half. Thank you, I am off to do a deep dive into this guide.
The progression from helper to operating system is exactly the mental shift people need to make. Most developers treat Cursor like an autocomplete on steroids, but your breakdown of modes and the sequential thinking approach shows its real power. The MCP integration section is particulary valuable - this kind of modular architecture is where AI coding tools will truly shine. Your point about the 15-minute setup limit is spot-on; I've seen too many people get stuck in configuration paralysis instead of just building. The workflow orchestration you describe transforms Cursor from a productivity booster into an actual development partner.
Amazing article, you made think I should should use these tools. ChatGPT, copy paste is not effective often more time consuming than traditional coding.
This is an exceptional deep dive! Seeing Cursor evolve from a helper to a full AI operating system is eye-opening. Your breakdown makes complex workflows feel achievable.
Cursor’s evolution really is eye-opening. The complex workflows is not complex any more :)
Love how you're using modes, Jenny. Chaining them together is brilliant!
Thanks, Tam! Yeah, once you get used to it, it’s seriously powerful.
It’s how I’m feeling about notion right now :) pulling EVERYTHING into the tool now. Would love to see your setup sometime.
Wow that’s new! I’d love to learn more about it!
I did hear very good things about notion, but for you to pull EVERYTHING there? It must be REALLY REALLY good…
This is a great framework for getting the most out of Cursor.
Thank you. Do you use Cursor for product building?
Cursor is such a valuable efficient tool 🔥
It really is, Dennis.
This is a masterclass, Jenny. Well done.
“That’s it. If you spend more than 15 minutes on setup, you’re procrastinating.” 🤣🤣
Haha thanks Joel! I'm already a Cursor ambassador at work, guess I'm becoming one on Substack too ;)
Yes! You need to get those influencer $$ haha
Super deep dive into Cursor! Loved your workflow, I will implement some of your ideas into my own setup, thx you !
Glad you loved it! Cursor is getting really helpful, hope you enjoy the power setup!
You made want to come back to Cursor after seeing this. I really wish they don't cap the limits that much otherwise I would have never changed to Claude Code 😂 amazing breakdown as always!!!
Lol thanks Alejandro! If you still have Cursor installed and are willing to host llms locally, you can pretty much use it for free :)
Real mastery shows up when the setup fades and the work flows.
Well said John!
Another excellent deep dive Jenny, I'm saving this!
Thanks Karo 🤗
WOW! Thank you for this, Jenny!
I've done a little with Cursor, but as I'm not a developer, I tend to shy away from it. A friend has helped me a bit using Cursor & Claude Code, which got me excited.
I'm diving into this later today.
So glad to hear that, Kim! Yeah, Cursor can feel a bit intimidating, same with Claude Code. But if you think of it as just a chat box that lets you peek into its internal world, it becomes much easier to drop the mental pressure.
Amazing how comprehensive this post is wrt building with Cursor! Thank you for preparing this elaborate guide, Jenny!
Glad it resonated Raghav! I know you built at least one project with Cursor.
nailed it...I've never seen so many details in one post.
Thank you for putting this together...
Thank you Sharyph 🙏
I used Cursor to build and launch MannaWord game but if I had this guide then it would have slashed my learning and coding time by half. Thank you, I am off to do a deep dive into this guide.
Thank you Dipankar! It is exactly why I wrote this article, so others could build on top of our experience.
And we need to catch up on the MannaWord game you built, it was a fun one when I first checked it out!
The progression from helper to operating system is exactly the mental shift people need to make. Most developers treat Cursor like an autocomplete on steroids, but your breakdown of modes and the sequential thinking approach shows its real power. The MCP integration section is particulary valuable - this kind of modular architecture is where AI coding tools will truly shine. Your point about the 15-minute setup limit is spot-on; I've seen too many people get stuck in configuration paralysis instead of just building. The workflow orchestration you describe transforms Cursor from a productivity booster into an actual development partner.
Amazing article, you made think I should should use these tools. ChatGPT, copy paste is not effective often more time consuming than traditional coding.