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Cursor Head of Design Reviews Startup Websites

Overview

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Cursor Head of Design Reviews Startup Websites

Y Combinator Startup Podcast

2025/11/20
Y Combinator Startup Podcast

Y Combinator Startup Podcast

2025/11/20
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

Cursor Head of Design Ryo Lu has spent his career at the intersection of design and engineering—from building fan sites as a kid to designing products at Stripe, Asana, and Notion. Now he's rethinking how software itself gets made. On this episode of D...

Highlights

In this episode, design and engineering leader Ryo Lu joins Aaron Epstein to dissect the strengths and weaknesses of startup product websites, particularly those built by YC founders. With a sharp eye for clarity and user experience, Ryo examines how small design and messaging choices can dramatically impact whether a visitor instantly 'gets' what a product does—or quickly clicks away.
07:49
Websites should clearly explain what the product is, who it's for, and why it's different.
10:08
A chart that looks like an Excel screenshot hurts professional perception
17:41
Startups should focus on explaining their product, not just showcasing YC backing.
22:58
Freya Voice provides natural-sounding, multilingual AI agents for 24/7 customer service.
33:38
Showcasing others' projects can improve user engagement and understanding.

Chapters

Why most startup websites fail to explain what they actually do
00:00
When brand names confuse more than clarify
10:08
Are you designing for users—or for design awards?
17:41
How to make an AI voice platform feel trustworthy and clear
22:58
What happens when the user interface lies to the user?
33:38

Transcript

Aaron Epstein: Today, I'm excited to welcome Ryo Lu. He's the head of design at Cursor, the leading AI coding tool used by more than a million people worldwide. Before that, he was a founding designer at Notion and a product designer at Stripe and Asana. T...