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.