A California-based artificial intelligence startup, valued at about $29.3 billion, has gone viral for its unusual office rule that doesn’t allow employees to wear shoes inside the workspace.
Cursor was founded in 2022 by four MIT graduates, including Indian-origin co-founder Aman Sanger.The post went viral after a tech worker in San Francisco posted a photo showing several pairs of shoes left on the floor outside the office door.
“It’s funny that everyone in San Francisco immediately knows which office this is,” Andre Landgraf, a Cupertino-based developer, wrote on social media platform X, alongside the photo. Cursor is known for developing a smart, AI-powered code editor that helps programmers write, edit, and understand code more quickly. The company attracted significant investment, and in November 2025 completed a $2.3 billion financing round, raising its valuation to about $29.3 billion.The shoeless desk trend is gaining attention in the technology world, with proponents saying it makes workplaces more relaxed and comfortable. The Index rule sparked an online debate about office culture and dress codes in modern startups.
Social media reactions:
- Goodies are shipped from this office
- This is either a startup office or a meditation studio
- As someone from Europe, this is the only logical thing to do – indoor slippers in the office, outdoor shoes stay at the door. Why is this controversial?
- There’s always someone who everyone prefers to keep their shoes on
- I am from India and even we don’t do that in the workplace
