Cursor Can Write Code — It Can't Build a SaaS

The Cursor Illusion

Cursor is the best code writing tool I've ever used. I use it every day. I ship faster because of it.

But I've also watched dozens of founders use Cursor to build apps that never made a dollar. Not because Cursor failed them — but because they confused writing code with building a business.

Cursor is a tool for the first part. It has nothing to say about the second.

What Cursor Does Brilliantly

Let's be clear about Cursor's strengths:

• Speed: Write code 3-5x faster than typing manually
• Context awareness: Understands your codebase and suggests relevant code
• Learning acceleration: Use frameworks you've never touched before
• Boilerplate elimination: Never write the same pattern twice

For the mechanical act of writing code, Cursor is transformative. It removes friction from implementation.

What Cursor Can't Do

Cursor can't decide what to build. It can't tell you:

• Which problem is worth solving
• How to structure a business around a solution
• What price to charge
• How to reach customers
• What infrastructure a real business needs

Ask Cursor to "build me a SaaS that makes money" and it will write you code. That code won't have lead capture. Won't have CRM. Won't have proper payment handling. Won't have the boring systems that separate demos from businesses.

Cursor writes what you ask for. It doesn't know what you should ask for.

The Architecture Problem

Here's where Cursor is actively dangerous: it will confidently write code for any architecture you describe.

If you describe an architecture that doesn't support teams, Cursor builds it. If you describe payment logic that doesn't handle edge cases, Cursor builds it. If you describe a database schema that will collapse at scale, Cursor builds it.

Cursor doesn't push back. It doesn't say "this design will cause problems later." It just builds what you asked for, faster than you could build it yourself.

This means architectural mistakes compound faster. You arrive at the rebuild moment sooner — but the rebuild is just as painful.

The Missing Decisions

Building a SaaS requires hundreds of decisions Cursor can't make:

• Should users belong to organisations or be standalone?
• How should permissions work across team members?
• What happens when a subscription lapses?
• How do leads flow from signup to conversion?
• What data needs to be tracked for operational visibility?

These decisions shape everything. Make them wrong and you rebuild. Cursor helps you implement decisions — it doesn't help you make them.

Using Cursor Effectively

The founders who succeed with Cursor use it differently:

• Start with proven architecture: Begin with infrastructure that's already designed for business operations
• Use Cursor for customisation: Modify proven foundations rather than building from scratch
• Focus on differentiation: Use Cursor speed for features, not infrastructure

Cursor is a multiplier. If you're building on a solid foundation, it multiplies your progress. If you're building on sand, it multiplies your mistakes.

The Right Starting Point

The fastest path isn't Cursor + blank project. It's Cursor + production-ready foundation.

Start with infrastructure that has the business decisions already made. Then use Cursor to customise, extend, and ship features at 10x speed.

Cursor is a coding tool. Treat it like one. The business decisions happen before you open the editor.