Desk·2026-08-30
Shop cash still the plan for a 26-year-old
Same SWE title. Jane Street pays the year in cash. Cursor pays the mark in paper. Name the floor before the lottery.
Cursor typical $850,000 against $525,000 at Jane Street.
SWE typical
Cursor typical sits ~1.62× Jane Street
Same title. Shop clears cash you keep. Agent product clears paper you underwrite. Thin samples on the agent side.
How to plan it
Sit the shop loop before the next agent seat
A 26-year-old who can ship systems and still read a book should clear Jane Street, HRT, and Jump before treating Cursor as the default high-band seat. Jane Street prints $525k typical in cash you can spend in two years. Cursor prints $850k typical with a thin base and small n. If you need a floor for a house or a family, the desk is the plan. If you can carry the mark and want the 2026 agent product on the resume, take the Cursor loop — but name the tradeoff. Do not treat a $525k shop year and an $850k agent mark as the same career move. The title is not the plan; the cash is.
Also: QR shops · SWE companies