# Founder Mode: How Windsurf builds product, from 0 to 1M users

DevFeed: [Founder Mode: How Windsurf builds product, from 0 to 1M users](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/founder-mode-how-windsurf-builds-product-from-0-to-1m-users-31011.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.mintlify.com/blog/founder-mode-how-codeium-builds-product>)

Author: Tiffany Chen

Published: 2024-12-03T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Mintlify Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/mintlify-blog.md>)

Topics: [Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/development.md>), [dogfooding](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/dogfooding.md>), [Agentic development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/agentic-development.md>), [developer tooling](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/developer-tooling.md>), [GitHub Copilot](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/github-copilot.md>), [Visual Studio Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/visual-studio-code.md>)

Tags: [agentic](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/agentic.md>), [agentic-development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/agentic-development.md>), [article](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/article.md>), [discord](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/discord.md>), [dogfooding](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/dogfooding.md>), [for-founders](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/for-founders.md>), [github](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/github.md>), [github-copilot](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/github-copilot.md>), [vscode](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/vscode.md>)

## AI overview

Kevin Hou describes how Windsurf, formerly Codeium, grew from an initial VS Code extension into a product used by more than one million users. The article attributes this growth to a free-first strategy, user feedback, dogfooding, vertical integration, and a focus on agentic development tools.

## Source excerpt

[Note: This was published under Codeium, but the company has since rebranded to Windsurf. Edits have been made accordingly.]