Desk·2026-09-24
Cursor still leads Cognition on the hot SWE book
Same software-engineer title. Cursor prints the agent product mark. Cognition prints the Devin lab. Name the book before the heat.
Cursor typical $850,000 against $380,000 at Cognition.
SWE typical
Cursor typical sits ~2.24× Cognition
Same title. Agent editor clears $850k typical. Devin lab clears $380k. Thin samples on both sides.
How to plan it
Sit the product mark before the agent lab year
A software engineer planning 2027 should treat Cursor and Cognition as two hot books, not one agent band. Cursor prints $850k typical on the ledger with a $260k base. Cognition prints $380k typical with a $210k base. The editor compounds a shipping product mark that already leads the SWE company rank. The Devin lab compounds a thinner IC year — staff there prints $520k typical, still under Cursor IC. If you can hold paper and clear the product interview, take Cursor first — it leads the pair by about $470k. If you want the agent-that-finishes-the-repo seat and can live with the thinner typical, sit Cognition — but name the tradeoff. Do not treat an $850k product year and a $380k lab year as the same next seat. The title is shared; the books are not.