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Model Selection and Prompting Best Practices

December 9, 2025·30 min

Learn Cursor Agent best practices, from choosing the right model, understanding token efficiency, and writing effective prompts.

We'll cover:

  • Choosing the right model for the job: thinking vs. non-thinking, deep reasoning vs. quick code gen
  • What token efficiency really is, and how it impacts both cost and speed
  • Live, side-by-side model comparisons (speed, verbosity, and agency)
  • How to write effective prompts: vague "do everything" requests vs. precise, efficient instructions
  • Using Plan Mode so a smart model scopes and a fast model executes
  • Walking through real usage logs for a breakdown on token counts and costs

If you want to control spend, move faster, and write good code, this session will give you practical tips on improving your workflow.