Desk·2026-08-19
SF agent labs share a city and a mark
Thinking Machines and Cognition both sit in San Francisco. Same SWE title. Small n. The band is the bet.
Thinking Machines typical $420,000 against $380,000 at Cognition.
SF agent typical
Thinking Machines typical sits ~1.1× Cognition
Same city. Same agent story. Thin samples. The top is paper you underwrite, not a floor you can spend.
How to plan it
Name the SF agent seat before you move
A mid IC who wants the 2026 agent resume should interview both Thinking Machines and Cognition before treating SF as interchangeable. Thinking Machines clears a higher typical on a thinner sample. Cognition is the Devin story with more ticks. Neither prints the cash of a shop or a public cash-max. If you need a floor in two years, take the shop loop first. If you can underwrite the mark and want the lab on the resume, pick the specific seat — not the city. Do not move for 'SF tech.' Move for a named band.
Also: SWE companies · Cognition vs Cursor