Scott Wu is the co-founder and CEO of Cognition, creator of the AI software engineer Devin. He explains the timeline behind Cognition's acquisition of Windsurf following Windsurf's agreement with Google.
“We found out, honestly, on Friday, the same time everyone else did, that all of this was happening, and that this was the split, and that it was Google”
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More from Scott Wu
AssertionSupported
Cognition added roughly $80M in run-rate revenue in six to eight months
“Yeah, look, I don't want to get into exact numbers, but even with the windsurf deal aside, like not including that at all, we are basically, we've done roughly that as well in the last six to eight months.”
Scott WuJul 18, 2025▶ 27:28Cognition CEO Scott Wu on Acquiring Windsurf: The Process, The Deal, The Rationale · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Insight
Wu: Fewer than 10,000 researchers drive the vast majority of AI progress
“Somewhere in between those two is right. You know, I think there are at least a hundred folks that, that, that, that are, that really matter in making a lot. A lot of differences. Certainly less than 10,000 and probably a good bit less than that, if I had to g…”
Scott WuJul 18, 2025▶ 9:56Cognition CEO Scott Wu on Acquiring Windsurf: The Process, The Deal, The Rationale · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Insight
Wu: AI application layer talent competition is fiercer than at foundation labs
“I think the level of talent and the fierceness of competition is, in many of these is actually like, Greater even in the application layer, which is crazy to say, because I think the competition in the Foundation Labs is extremely strong.”
Scott WuJul 18, 2025▶ 10:29Cognition CEO Scott Wu on Acquiring Windsurf: The Process, The Deal, The Rationale · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
PredictionNot checkable as stated
Wu: AI will make software engineers 10x faster within three years
“Look, I think in three years, there's no reason that shouldn't be a 10 X.”
Scott WuJul 18, 2025▶ 18:04Cognition CEO Scott Wu on Acquiring Windsurf: The Process, The Deal, The Rationale · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
PredictionNot checkable as stated
Wu: AI will make 30 million global software engineers 10x more efficient
“There are thirty million software engineers in the world. You know, we're going to make them all 10 X more efficient over these coming years. We're going to be writing 10 X more code.”
Scott WuJul 18, 2025▶ 22:20Cognition CEO Scott Wu on Acquiring Windsurf: The Process, The Deal, The Rationale · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
PredictionNot checkable as stated
Wu: Future software engineering will replace coding with expressing intent
“At some point, telling your computer what to do is not going to take place with code. It is going to take place with you just expressing your intent.”
Scott WuJul 18, 2025▶ 31:04Cognition CEO Scott Wu on Acquiring Windsurf: The Process, The Deal, The Rationale · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
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