The code editor wars continue...

Summary

In this video, the creator discusses the evolving landscape of AI-powered code editors, focusing on VS Code, Cursor, and Super Maven. They highlight Cursor's user experience improvements and Super Maven's fast, responsive AI model. The creator also shares their investment in these tools for transparency. The script contrasts VS Code's open-source model with Cursor's closed-source fork and Super Maven's focus on model development. It concludes with Super Maven's decision to build their own editor to fully leverage their advanced AI features, indicating a significant shift in the AI code editor market.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video discusses the competition among AI code editors, highlighting the efforts to create the best AI-first editor for developers.
• 👨‍💻 The speaker reminisces about their experience with Super Maven, an AI autocomplete tool for developers, and how it compares to other tools like Cursor and Visual Studio Code (VS Code).
• 💡 Super Maven was created by the developer of TabNine, aiming to leverage the new wave of AI technology to offer a faster and more intelligent coding experience.
• 📈 The speaker discloses their investments in Microsoft (creator of VS Code), Super Maven, and Cursor, emphasizing transparency in their biases.
• 🚀 Super Maven has recently raised $12 million from Bessemer Venture Partners to build an AI-focused text editor that integrates tightly with their models.
• 🔧 The video explains the differences between VS Code, which uses the open-source AI model Codex from OpenAI, Cursor, a closed-source fork of VS Code with improved user experience, and Super Maven, which focuses on a fast AI autocomplete model.
• 🤖 The speaker misses the speed and responsiveness of Super Maven's AI model when using other editors like Cursor.
• 🛠️ Cursor offers unique features like 'Command K' for making pages responsive and a more intuitive undo system that handles AI steps.
• 🔄 Super Maven, while fast and accurate, is currently limited by being just a VS Code extension and lacks its own model, unlike Cursor.
• 💼 The decision to build a standalone editor by Super Maven is driven by the need for full control over the user interface to implement advanced AI features that are not possible within the constraints of VS Code extensions.
• 🌐 The video concludes with an invitation for engineers to join the team at Super Maven, indicating the exciting opportunities in the field of AI and software development.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the development and comparison of AI-powered code editors, specifically focusing on VSS Code, Cursor, and Super Maven.

What is VSS Code?

VSS Code is an open-source code editor developed by Microsoft that is extensible and has an AI-powered coding assistance feature called GitHub Copilot.

Who created Super Maven and what was their previous work?

Super Maven was created by the same person who made Tab 9, which was one of the first autocomplete code tools.

What is the significance of Super Maven's AI autocomplete model?

Super Maven's AI autocomplete model is considered the fastest for developers and provides almost instantaneous code suggestions with every character typed.

Why did Cursor decide to fork from VSS Code?

Cursor forked from VSS Code because the original VSS Code was considered a bit rough to work with, and Cursor aimed to provide a better user experience.

What is the relationship between the speaker and the companies mentioned?

The speaker is an investor in Microsoft (creator of VSS Code), Super Maven, and Cursor, and they disclose this to maintain transparency.

What is the main difference between Cursor and VSS Code?

Cursor is a closed-source fork of VSS Code that is fully compatible with all VSS Code tools and offers a different user experience with a focus on AI integration.

What is the current limitation of Super Maven as a VS Code extension?

Super Maven, as a VS Code extension, is limited because it cannot display its own UI elements inline with the code and is restricted by the UI elements provided by the editor.

Why is Super Maven raising funds and building its own editor?

Super Maven is raising funds and building its own editor to fully control the user interface and take advantage of new AI models that support more features, which are not possible with just a VS Code extension.

What is the speaker's opinion on the competition between Cursor, Super Maven, and VSS Code?

The speaker believes that while all three have their strengths, Cursor's unique editor experience and Super Maven's focus on AI model development set them apart from VSS Code and make them more appealing.

What is the speaker's view on the future of AI in code editors?

The speaker is excited about the future of AI in code editors, seeing it as a unique time in history where new tools and interfaces are being developed that were unthinkable just a few years ago.

Outlines

00:00

💻 The Evolution of AI Code Editors

The paragraph discusses the rapid development in AI code editors, focusing on the competition to create the best AI-first editor for developers. It mentions VSS Code, a fork with enhanced AI features, and the nostalgia for tools like Super Maven and GitHub Copilot. The speaker, who has invested in Microsoft, Super Maven, and Cursor, discloses their biases. Super Maven, created by the developer of Tab 9, is praised for its speed and intelligence, and the speaker expresses a desire for its return. Cursor is highlighted as a closed-source fork of VSS Code with a user-friendly interface and reliance on existing models. The paragraph ends with a comparison of VSS Code, Cursor, and Super Maven, emphasizing their different approaches to AI code assistance.

05:02

🔄 Command Z and the Innovations in Code Editors

This paragraph delves into the innovative features of code editors, particularly the command Z functionality in Cursor, which allows users to undo AI steps rather than just text. It contrasts this with the limitations of VSS Code extensions and praises Cursor for its superior user experience. The speaker also touches on Super Maven's fast AI model, which learns from user behavior, and its current limitations as a VS Code extension. The paragraph concludes with a discussion of how Cursor and Super Maven are different competitors in the market, with Cursor focusing on UX and DX, and Super Maven on model development.

10:02

🛠️ Building a New Editor for Advanced AI Features

The final paragraph discusses the decision to build a new editor by Super Maven due to the limitations of existing editors in supporting advanced AI features. It explains how extensions in VSS Code restrict certain functionalities, such as displaying custom UI elements. The speaker provides an example of a TypeScript error extension and how it struggles within the confines of VSS Code's extension model. The paragraph concludes with an invitation for engineers to join the team, emphasizing the exciting opportunities in developing new tools for software development with AI.

Keywords

💡VSS Code

VSS Code, likely referring to Visual Studio Code, is a popular open-source code editor developed by Microsoft. It is extensible and customizable, allowing for a wide range of extensions that enhance its functionality. In the video, the script discusses how various AI tools are built around or forked from VSS Code to improve the coding experience.

💡Cursor

Cursor is described as a closed-source fork of Visual Studio Code. It aims to provide a better user experience by being fully compatible with all VSS Code tools and allowing for a more intuitive way to interact with AI models. The script mentions Cursor's ability to import configurations from VSS Code and its focus on user experience.

💡Super Maven

Super Maven is an AI-powered code completion tool created by the developer of TabNine. It is praised for its speed and intelligence, providing real-time suggestions as the developer types. The script highlights Super Maven's impressive autocomplete model and its origins from the TabNine creator.

💡AI Autocomplete

AI Autocomplete refers to the use of artificial intelligence to predict and suggest code as the developer types. It is a central theme in the video, with the discussion revolving around how different tools like Super Maven and Cursor utilize AI to enhance coding efficiency. The script specifically mentions Super Maven's AI autocomplete model as being the fastest.

💡Investor

The term 'investor' is used in the script to disclose the speaker's financial interest in Microsoft, Super Maven, and Cursor. This disclosure is meant to provide transparency about potential biases that might influence the speaker's opinions on the tools discussed.

💡Extensions

Extensions in the context of the video refer to add-ons that can be installed in code editors like VSS Code to extend their functionality. The script discusses how Cursor is compatible with all VSS Code extensions, and how Super Maven started as an extension before moving to develop its own editor.

💡UX (User Experience)

UX, or user experience, is a measure of how intuitive, enjoyable, and accessible a software application is. The script contrasts Cursor's focus on improving UX with the limitations of VSS Code's built-in features, highlighting Cursor's innovations in providing a better user interface.

💡DX (Developer Experience)

DX, or developer experience, pertains to how easy and efficient it is for developers to work with a tool or platform. The video script mentions Cursor's efforts to improve DX by providing a more seamless integration of AI models and a better overall experience for developers.

💡Co-pilot

Co-pilot, as used in the script, refers to AI assistance tools that help developers write code more efficiently. It is noted that VSS Code uses GitHub Copilot, which relies on OpenAI's GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) model, to provide AI code suggestions.

💡Fork

A 'fork' in software development means to create a separate version of a project, taking the original codebase and making independent changes. The script describes Cursor as a fork of VSS Code, indicating that it started with the same codebase but diverged to offer different features and improvements.

💡GitHub Copilot Enterprise

GitHub Copilot Enterprise is mentioned in the script as running on GPT-4, which is a more advanced version of the AI model used for code suggestions. This highlights the continuous development and integration of advanced AI models in coding tools to improve their capabilities.

Highlights

VSS Code is trying to catch up with Cursor, a fork with better AI features.

The competition to build the best AI-first editor for coders has been intense.

Super Maven, created by the original developer of Tab Nine, offers the fastest AI autocomplete model for developers.

The speaker is an investor in Microsoft, Super Maven, and Cursor, and aims for transparent disclosure of biases.

VS Code is built on Electron, has a powerful extensions model, is open source, and uses GitHub Copilot's AI code.

Cursor is a closed-source fork of VS Code, fully compatible with all VS Code tools.

Cursor has a unique feature that allows undoing AI steps, not just text changes.

Super Maven is currently a VS Code extension with a fast, responsive AI model.

Super Maven has raised $12 million to build an AI-focused text editor.

Cursor's adoption is high due to its fundamentally different and better user experience.

Super Maven's focus is on the AI model rather than the user experience.

Cursor and Super Maven are competing with GitHub Copilot, which is integrated into VS Code.

Super Maven is building its own editor to take full advantage of new AI models.

VS Code extensions have limitations when it comes to user experience enhancements.

Super Maven's new editor aims to predict jumps and deletions, surpassing the limits of editor extensions.

The speaker is excited about the potential of AI in software development and the new tools it enables.

Super Maven is a small team of five engineers looking to revolutionize the text editor space.

Transcripts

remember how I just did a video on VSS

code trying to catch up with cursor

which was a fork of VSS code but had

better AI features and I kind of miss

super Maven and co-pilots where it all

started you know how chaotic this mess

has been the war to build the best AI

first editor for us coders has been

intense to say the absolute least and my

favorite little moment where I went from

liking these tools to loving them was

when I discovered a really nice co-pilot

alternative for vs code called super

Maven super Maven was creat by the same

person who made tab 9 originally which

was like the first ever autocomplete

code tool he has since left and started

building much better tools to take

advantage of this new AI wave and the

result was the fastest AI autocomplete

model for devs and it still is and I

find myself missing it when I'm using

cursor all of that said SE Raven's been

kind of limited not by their skills or

their team or anything there but by the

thing that they're building around vs

codee vs code is a bit rough to work

with which is why cursor decided to fork

and now that super Maven has seen where

they have gone with that they're not

going to sit around and just watch

they're taking this seriously they just

raised a whole bunch of money and

they're now going to start building a

real editor also before I forget quick

disclosures I am an investor in

Microsoft who creates VSS code I'm an

investor in super Maven which we're

talking about today and I'm an investor

in cursor so I'm equally distributed

with my biases here I hope that cancels

out but I know you guys are going to

complain anyway so figured I'd put it

out there I try to be transparent with

all these things because I think it's

important so now you know anyways we've

raised 12 million from bessim R Venture

Partners to build an AI focused text

editor that integrates tightly with our

models we started super Maven because we

wanted to create a co-pilot that was

faster more intelligent easier to use

and accessible to everyone we delivered

that goal by creating the super Maven

editor extensions that are actively used

by over 40,000 developers today decent

number of which came from me shelling it

because it is it's still kind of insane

just how fast super is it's literally

like every character it generates a new

output and I miss it it was faster than

intell Ence with typescript and as great

as the cursor DX is I miss the speed and

cursor if you guys don't already know

this doesn't even really have their own

model I think that they're training some

things but they're largely relying on

existing models I almost want to excal

draw this out cursor versus VSS code

versus super Maven kind of annoying

having versus in vs you guys get the

idea so let's start with vs code cuz

it's the thing that we all understand

the most hopefully VSS codes Parts quite

simple vs code built on top of electron

powerful is extensions model open source

uses co-pilot for AI code so apparently

co-pilot's model is codex which comes

from GPT from open AI probably a big

part of why open AI in Microsoft got so

close so that's VSS code now let's talk

about cursor cursor is is a closed

Source Fork of VSS code fully compatible

with all VSS code tools so if you want

to use VSS code extensions not only can

you use all of them you can actually

import and by default will import your

exact config from vs code it's almost

weird when you first open cursor because

it just looks like VSS code levels had a

banger tweet where he said he changed

the icon and name of cursor 2vs code so

his brain autocom completely go the

right place I have a fun problem where I

recently started using cursor and I was

using a different terminal that had a

black like main color so my editor was

blue cuz it was vs code and my terminal

was black around the same time I

switched to cursor as my IDE and I

switched to ghosty as my terminal so

when I'm trying to get to my code I keep

going to ghosty cuz it's the blue one

when I'm trying to get to my terminal I

keep going to curser cuz it's the black

one and it's driving me insane

I'm almost at the point where my brain's

autocomplete is there but I might just

give up on command Tab and finally bind

specific keys to specific programs cuz

I'm going insane chat found a useful

thing GitHub copilot Enterprise is

running GPT

40 very interesting so most of the

models for co-pilot are special but

they're special just based on open AI

stuff back to cursor though cursor close

source for vs Cod fully compatiable VSCO

tools and notably it has every model so

they're not building their own model it

just gives you access to all of them and

they broke out of the vs code

extension model to allow better ux or I

should say DX there's a lot of little

things that cursor does well serious

pick thing which is like a real project

let's say I want this page to be

responsive and right now it is not

command a command K make this page

responsive on mobile submit and now it's

going to propose all these

changes I can select them all by doing

command enter and it applies them but

here a thing none of the other editors

do command Z doesn't undo what it

applied it brings back the application

state so I can now go through and

manually for each of these apply or not

apply it or command shift Z to go back

command Z in the history isn't just the

exact text of my editor it also handles

their AI steps which I have found to be

quite nice to be able to undo but undo

isn't undoing everything I just did it's

undoing the step that I just applied I

found that much more intuitive to work

with and you cannot do that with a vs

code extension like at all vs code EXs

are super limited when it comes to like

user experience things you can add

unless you're just putting in the

sidebar speaking of limitations vs code

and the sidebar let's talk about super

Maven right now it's a vs code extension

or neovim plug-in it's mostly just a

dope model and it's a dope model it is

fast it is trained on your diffs instead

of your whole kiss or like dep it flies

and it also learns as you're doing

things much better so if I make a change

like three times it will apply that

correctly going forward it's like

responsive feels better than any of the

other models in that sense they also

have a chat I don't like built-in chats

I just don't use them it's cool it has

it but I just I don't care I'd rather

just go open up Claud but super Maven is

very limited because it is just a vs

code extension at the moment so to to

tldr this vs code is its own project

obviously that's using co-pilot which is

open AI GPT based cursor is building a

whole new ux on top of PS code with the

ability to use a lot of different models

and super Maven is just a better model

for developers that has pretty good

Integrations with existing editors was

weird is when you put these two next to

each other they're like obviously

competitors right but they're so

different this lives outside of VSS code

it has created it has wrapped VSS code

in better ux and DX but not really

innovated much on the model side if at

all whereas super Maven went the

opposite direction they're building into

VSS code and other things and their

focus has been on the model they built a

great model but this is just on I think

I've been saying for a while not

necessarily in my videos but like in

person I took a long time to try

alternatives to co-pilot because the

friction of installing it was enough

that I didn't care I don't care if the

responses are 177% more accurate or 25%

faster if it's not a massive win for me

super maven's speed was interesting

enough to me that I gave it a shot and I

was really impressed but most people

aren't going to switch their workflows

from that whereas cursor being a fully

different editor experience providing

fundamentally different and better ux in

the editor made it much more appealing

and that's why cursor's adoption is as

insane as it is Sir mavens is still

really good for a new project just not

quite the same level because it's harder

to look at and be like I need that right

now and both are competing with the

thing that's already built into your

editor which is co-pilot which is made

by code and by Microsoft which makes it

hard to compete with and I don't think

just having a better model is enough and

I've been concerned about that for a

while seems like I'm not the only one

who's concerned because they're going

all in on making an editor now our goal

of making our product accessible to

everyone raises a natural question why

make a text editor if possible we would

prefer to meet people where they are now

and provide the best possible product

without making users learn new tools

we're building an editor because with

our most recent update that predicts

jumps and deletions we've reached the

limit of what's possible with an editor

extension yeah I know they worked really

hard to get this working vs codes

extensions do not want you to jump

around when you're writing code it

fights you hard when you introduce

features like that if I recall this is

also the killer feature that got cursor

going as hard as they're going so yeah

they got it working they to fight to get

it working but they did as we develop

new models that support more features

the only way to take full advantage of

those features is by having full control

over the user interface this requires us

to build our own editor because

extensions can't display their own UI

elements in line with the code they can

only use the UI elements made available

to them by the editor I brought this up

in another video but uh pretty TS errors

is a great example of this this is the

plugin I use in VSS code to make my

typescript errors look way less awful

it's great there's even a video where I

showcase it that they have embedded on

the page now a lot of others did videos

on it too which is really cool it's a

great extension and you can see very

clearly why someone would use this like

obviously so if you're curious how this

works it's actually embedded as an SVG

icon cuz it was the only way to build

this type of UI inside of VSS code

there's no way to make an alternative

view that renders it own HTML so instead

he's rendering an SVG icon and then I'm

breaking out of that in order to do this

the better actual UI so like if I make a

demo function quick just have a type

error cool so this takes user function

if I function takes user not a name

whatever we'll at this type

error and on top we get the normal

typescript error but below I get the

fancier one in this case it's a simple

one if it's a more complex one which uh

how do I want to demo more complex type

error

cool there we go now I got a more

complex one but notice that I have to

scroll CU it can't change the size to

make it the right size and it can't even

hide the original error I have to scroll

to see it and this is in cursor by the

way like theoretically they could fix

these things and open up extensions to

be able to do more don't know if they're

going to probably not going to but vs

code did not make it easy for poor yo of

here to make this extension possible so

if it's that much hacking like literally

every commits document the custom CSS

hack like the things they have to do to

make this work are insane and that's

just for giving you a better error on

Hover now imagine building all these

fancy features where things are like

showing this UI on top right there where

I can tab to get rid of the thing and

all that like you can't just do that if

vs code explicitly doesn't want you to

just do that so yeah sympathy to anyone

trying to build those things it's not

viable yeah this is requires us to build

our own editor because yeah the endline

stuff is impossible this is a unique

time in history of software development

with AI new tools are possible that were

Unthinkable just 5 years ago these new

tools require new interfaces and having

an editor allows us to build those we're

a small team of five Engineers if this

sounds exciting join us that sounds

exciting I can't remember I can't really

imagine a cooler place to work than

either of those companies right now like

if you're a nerd about code you're

watching all these videos you know what

you're doing it's a cool place to be I

think that's all I got on this one I'm

excited to see where all the stuff goes

until next time peace nerds