Everyone's freaking out.
Anthropic just cut off third-party tools like @opencode and @cursor_ai from using @claudeai. No warning. Devs paying $200/month woke up to error messages. Twitter is in shambles. The AI coding world is shook.
My take? This is good.
Competition Benefits Builders
Here's the thing — I want them all to win.
I hope Cursor puts out a model that beats Claude. I hope OpenAI bests Cursor. I hope @AnthropicAI comes back swinging. I don't care who's on top. I just want the best product.
And competition is how we get there.
Why I Switched
I used to be a heavy Cursor user. Loved it. Would go back. But the pricing and usage limits pushed me out.
I'd blow through my entire monthly usage in a week running big models like Opus 3.5 or GPT-5.2 Ultra Max Super Hard Thinking (someone at OpenAI needs to be fired for these names, btw).
Then I switched to Claude's command line interface (CLI).
I was amazed at how long my usage lasted. How good the model felt. Simply put, it was obvious that Anthropic had built the best experience around their own model.
Which, in hindsight, makes total sense.
Vertical Integration Wins
There's a concept that comes up a lot when dealing with Apple: vertical integration.
The most notable example? AirDrop. Apple's bluetooth capabilities are unparalleled. Why? Because Apple made both the hardware and the software. They know their products inside and out. They understand the phone, so they build the best features around it.
The same logic applies here.
Anthropic knows Claude best. What he likes. His favorite color. His wants. His desires. I'm being serious... sort of. So, of course they can build the best product around him.
OpenAI knows their models best. That's why Codex works the way it does.
This isn't a conspiracy. It's just... obvious? The company that builds the model builds the best wrapper.
What This Means for the Ecosystem
So what happens to everyone else?
For simplicity, let's take Cursor as an example. They've got three paths:
1. Throw in the towel. They're not gonna do that. Cursor basically started the vibe coding wave. They're a hungry startup. Nothing more dangerous than a hungry lion. (Is that the saying? Whatever. You get it.)
2. Rely on open-source models. Maybe. But I don't think free models beat what Anthropic and OpenAI are putting out. Not yet.
3. Build their own model. This is the way. Cursor already has Composer. I'd bet they go all-in on it. Optimize the workflow around their own model. Vertical integration — just like everyone else.
And honestly? That's great for us.
More companies going deep on their own models means more competition. More competition means better tools. We win.
So What Should Builders Do?
People are up in arms about these changes. But here's the reality:
Providers will try to make things sticky. Use our web app. Use our editor. Download our desktop client.
Your job? Don't get stuck.
If you use what's sticky, you'll get stuck. Not rocket science.
The answer is simple: use the CLI.
What's a CLI?
If you don't know what a CLI is, I got you.
CLI stands for command line interface. It's just a way to interact with your computer (or a tool) by typing commands instead of clicking around.
You know in movies when hackers are typing green text into a black screen and taking down the mainframe? That's a CLI. (Okay, not exactly. But it feels like that.)
In reality, it's just a simpler, more direct way to use these models. No apps to download. No pages to navigate. Just you and the terminal.
Every model provider has a CLI — or at least they should. And here's the beautiful part: they all work the same way.
Setting Up Claude Code (5 minutes)
Here's how easy it is:
- Sign up for Anthropic
- Swipe your card
- Open your terminal and run:
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code- Type `claude` and hit enter
Boom. You're in. Just like the desktop app — just looks a little different.
Why This Keeps You Portable
Here's the magic:
Say OpenAI drops a crazy new deal. One year, 50% off. Three months free. GPT-6 Hyper Mega Ultra Thinking. Whatever.
You want to try it? Cool.
Same flow:
- Sign up
- Swipe card
- `npm install` their CLI
- Open terminal, type the command
You've exited the Claude ecosystem. You switched by typing a few words. No uninstalling apps. No migrating projects. No friction.
Next time a provider releases something better? Repeat the process.
Now you can use whatever's best, without friction. You're unstuck.
The Point
The AI landscape is shifting. Providers are locking down. Building moats. Going vertical.
That's good, actually. It means better products.
Dont panic. Just use the CLI. Switch when something better comes along. Let the companies fight it out.
We want the best tools, and this is how we get them.
Don't get stuck.