Dropbox uses Cursor to index over 550,000 files and build an AI-native SDLC

Summary

Dropbox adopted Cursor to increase software-development velocity across a demanding environment: its own data centers handle more than 300,000 requests per second, while thousands of engineers maintain a monorepo exceeding 550,000 files. Engineers first experimented organically in 2024, then AI champions, easier sign-up, and a company-wide hackathon helped broaden adoption; CTO Ali Dasdan’s two-hour “smart finder” experience reinforced executive support. Cursor indexed the monorepo by scanning non-ignored files, splitting code into structured chunks, and generating embeddings for a semantic index that supports code generation and editing. More than 90 percent of engineers now use AI tools weekly, with Cursor appearing across coding, review, testing, documentation, and migrations. Dropbox reports that PR throughput and cycle time have moved into the upper tier of industry benchmarks, while describing an ongoing redesign of its software-development lifecycle.

Takeaways

1. 1

   Cursor’s indexing process scans non-ignored files, creates structured code chunks, and generates embeddings that form a semantic index for code generation and editing.

2. 2

   More than 90 percent of Dropbox engineers use AI tools weekly, and Cursor is used across coding, code review, testing, documentation, and migrations.

3. 3

   Since adopting Cursor, Dropbox says PR throughput and cycle time have moved into the upper tier of industry benchmarks.