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The BEST New AI Opportunity Nobody Is Talking About (Codex + Cursor)

⏱ 21 min video · 3 min read11 Jun 2026Worth watching

TL;DR

Chris introduces 'agent native apps' as an underexplored business model where applications are built to run inside AI super-apps like Cursor and Codex, allowing users to bring their own agents rather than relying on embedded AI. He demos the concept using Magic Path inside Cursor and outlines a 5-step framework for building and launching your own agent native app.

Key points

Agent native apps invert the traditional model: instead of an app with an agent inside it, you have an agent (like Cursor or Codex) with an app running inside it via an in-app browser.

The key advantage is that the user's own agent has full local context (project files, brand docs, second-brain systems) that a siloed in-app agent would never have access to.

Apps qualify as agent native if they expose an MCP (Model Context Protocol), CLI, or API that external agents can connect to and control.

Most legacy software incumbents (Adobe, Photoshop, Illustrator) have not built agent native versions yet, representing a wide-open opportunity for new builders.

Dan Shipper from Every (on Lenny's podcast) is cited as a source arguing that most knowledge work will migrate into super-apps like Cursor, Codex, and Claude desktop within 1-2 years.

Actionable insights

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Start by picking the job-to-be-done: what outcome does your app help the user and their agent achieve together, and what shared surface will they both work on simultaneously?

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Plan your MCP or CLI integration from day one, not as an afterthought. Scope exactly how external agents will authenticate and interact with your app before writing any code.

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Check the Cursor or Codex marketplace tab to instantly see which apps already have agent connectors, and use this as inspiration or a gap map for what has not been built yet.

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Avoid building a desktop app if your tool is meant to be agent native. A web interface that opens in the Cursor or Codex browser is far more compatible with the bring-your-own-agent pattern.

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Look for industries or niches where you have deep expertise and legacy tools still dominate. Those are the highest-value targets for an agent native replacement.

Notable quotes

“Instead of having an app with an agent inside it, you have an agent with an app inside it.”

“This is the type of app that you can think about building that's going to work with these applications — and not many companies are actually thinking about how they bring their application to the user's own agents.”

“Everyone doing this kind of knowledge work is going to be moving to these tools. Marketing, design, all of these other things outside of Codex are going to sit in tools like Codex, Cursor, and the Claude desktop app.”

Worth watching?

✅

Worth watching the full video?

Watch if you are an indie builder or founder thinking about what to build next with AI — the live Cursor + Magic Path demo and the 5-step framework give you a concrete starting point that most AI business content completely misses.

Topics

AI & Tech Cursor

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