What it tests

EVERYTHING — actual work, cultural fit, collaboration, endurance

Format

1After initial screens, invite candidate for a 2-day on-site
2Day 1: Pair with a team member on a real project, attend meetings, eat lunch together
3Day 2: Continue project, present progress to the team, social dinner
4End of Day 2: Mutual evaluation — team votes, candidate decides if they want to join

What to look for

How they collaborate in real-time (not performative interview mode)
Social fit during meals and breaks (relaxed environment reveals true personality)
Work quality under realistic conditions
Endurance and energy level over 2 days
Would you actually want to sit next to this person every day?

Full description

Format:

After initial screens, invite candidate for a 2-day on-site
Day 1: Pair with a team member on a real project. Attend meetings. Eat lunch together.
Day 2: Continue project. Present progress to the team. Social dinner.
End of Day 2: Mutual evaluation — team votes, candidate decides if they want to join

Time: 2 full days

What to look for:

How they collaborate in real-time (not performative interview mode)
Social fit during meals and breaks (relaxed environment reveals true personality)
Work quality under realistic conditions
Endurance and energy level over 2 days
Would you actually want to sit next to this person every day?

Why it works: Cursor is the fastest B2B company to hit $1B ARR with ~50 employees. Every hire matters enormously. The 2-day trial ensures near-zero hiring mistakes.

Trade-offs: Expensive (travel, time commitment). Only works for senior roles or companies where culture fit is existential. Candidates need to be able to take 2 days off — biases toward employed people with flexible schedules.