Lenny Rachitsky@lennysanAug 10

Cursor has spent its entire existence competing with every major AI lab and incumbent in the toughest market in tech—and has continued to win. So much so that @elonmusk bought them for $60 billion to help SpaceX win the AI race. They've done this by building one of the most talent-dense teams in history. Adam Ward (@wardadamp) is Head of Talent at @Cursor_AI—who acquired his legendary recruiting firm after he spent 20+ years building the most elite teams in tech—and in our conversation he shares the entire playbook for building high talent-density teams. We discuss: 🔸 Why the traditional recruiting funnel—the "funnel of doom"—guarantees mediocre hiring 🔸 Adam's three-step playbook for hiring the top 1% 🔸 The rise of the forward-deployed engineer 🔸 Today's "tale of two cities" talent market 🔸 The biggest mistake founders make with their first recruiting hire 🔸 The worst question you can ask when sourcing talent (you've definitely asked it) Watch the full episode right here 👇