'Temple energy': San Francisco Rs 26.5 crore AI startup has ‘no shoes in office’ policy. Internet reacts

Cupertino developer shared a photo of shoes scattered on a floor. (Screengrab/ @andrelandgraf)

• Cursor AI startup trends for its no-shoes office policy
• Photo of shoes at Cursor office sparks viral reactions online
• Cursor raised $2.3B in 2025, co-founded by four MIT alumni

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San Francisco-based AI startup Cursor is trending online after a California developer shared a photo of a room filled with shoes on the floor, highlighting the company’s unique no-shoes office policy.

Cupertino-based developer Andre Landgraf took to X this morning to post a picture showing several pairs of shoes scattered across a hardwood floor. “Funny that everyone in SF immediately knows which office this is,” he wrote. Fellow techies quickly identified the space as Cursor’s office, with comments including “Cursor office,” “Has to be Cursor,” and simply “CURSOR.”

Funny that everyone in SF immediately knows which office this is pic.twitter.com/bp7Muk2v59

— Andre Landgraf (@andrelandgraf) February 24, 2026

About Cursor

Cursor is an AI-powered coding startup best known for its smart code editor that helps developers write, edit, and understand code faster using artificial intelligence. Founded in 2022 by Michael Truell (CEO), Aman Sanger, Sualeh Asif, and Arvid Lunnemark, the company raised $2.3 billion (Rs 2,082 crore) in November 2025 at a $29.3 billion (Rs 26,565 crore) post-money valuation. Among its co-founders, Aman Sanger is of Indian origin and one of four MIT alumni who launched the startup.

No-shoes policy

Cursor is among several US-based startups that enforce a no-shoes policy in their offices. The trend gained attention in late 2025 when employee Ben Lang posted photos of shoes scattered across the office floor, asking if other companies followed a similar dress code. He later shared a list of 25 other startups with no-shoes policies.

Landgraf’s post drew widespread reactions on X, ranging from amusement to inappropriate comments.

One X user wrote, "I’m not from SF, but this has two possible explanations: temple energy or remove shoes before entering."

Another user said, "Amusingly, hasn't Gusto been doing this for years? Like slippers and cubbies and stuff?"

A third user commented, "What a great team photo. You can tell so much about people from their shoes. fuzzy clog vibe. Some people are overpronated, but they probably know already."