New Delhi: A fast-growing artificial intelligence startup recently went viral online for an unusual office rule, employees are not allowed to wear shoes inside the workplace. The company is the AI coding startup Cursor, which has gained huge popularity among developers in recent years.
The story started when a tech professional shared a picture from an office building in San Francisco showing dozens of shoes placed outside an office door. The post joked that anyone working in the tech industry would instantly recognise which company the office belonged to. Soon many developers in the comments confirmed that it was the office of Cursor, a startup known for its unusual workplace culture.
Cursor is an AI-powered coding startup founded in 2022 by a team that includes Aman Sanger along with Michael Truell, Sualeh Asif, and Arvid Lunnemark. The company develops a smart AI code editor that helps programmers write and understand software code faster using artificial intelligence tools.
The “no shoes in office” policy surprised many people because it is not common in Western tech companies. But inside the startup community, many employees said the rule actually creates a relaxed environment similar to working from home. Some even joked that it makes the office feel like a mix between a tech company and a yoga studio.
The startup itself has grown extremely fast. In 2025, Cursor reportedly raised a major funding round that valued the company at more than $29 billion, making it one of the fastest-growing AI startups in the world.
Because of its unusual office culture, photos of shoes lined up outside the office door quickly spread on social media. Many users found the situation funny, while others said such rules show how modern startup workplaces are becoming more relaxed and creative.
