OpenAI Flips the Script (10 minute read)

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Summary

OpenAI's Codex has surpassed Anthropic's Claude Code in functionality for some users, driven by the capabilities of GPT-5.5 and an improved desktop application. The article discusses migration strategies and personal use cases for adopting Codex as a primary tool for knowledge work.

OpenAI's Codex now surpasses Anthropic's Claude Code after Codex's integration of GPT-5.5 and improved app performance. Austin Tedesco highlights Codex's use in creating strategy documents from diverse sources, while Dan Shipper uses it for recruiting based on career trajectories. Marcus Moretti adopts a cautious approach to new AI tech, focusing only on tools solving real problems and proven by reputable use.
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# OpenAI Flips the Script Source: [https://every.to/context-window/openai-flips-the-script](https://every.to/context-window/openai-flips-the-script) There’s no resting on your laurels in the AI race: OpenAI’s Codex went from trailing Anthropic’s Claude Code to pulling ahead in functionality, at least for now, in a matter of months\. Today, Every CEO**[Dan Shipper](https://every.to/@danshipper)**explains why OpenAI’s coding app has become his daily driver for work, head of growth**[Austin Tedesco](https://every.to/@tedescau)**shares his no\-nonsense advice for switching over from Claude Code, and**[Spiral](https://writewithspiral.com/)**general manager**[Marcus Moretti](https://every.to/@marcus_fd8302_1)**argues it’s OK—good, even—to let some AI trends pass you by\. *Was this newsletter forwarded to you?[Sign up](https://every.to/account)to get it in your inbox\.* --- ## ‘AI & I’: Why we switched from Claude Code to Codex #### Codex takes the lead If you’re looking for evidence of AI’s unrelenting pace, here it is: In January, Dan[wrote](https://every.to/chain-of-thought/openai-has-some-catching-up-to-do)that whoever wins vibe coding wins how you work on your computer—and that OpenAI had some serious catching up to do\. Three months and the release of OpenAI’s[latest model](https://every.to/vibe-check/gpt-5-5)later, Codex is there, and in a new episode of*[AI & I](https://every.to/podcast)*, Dan and Austin get into why they do much of their knowledge work in Codex now\. They cite the power of[GPT\-5\.5](https://every.to/vibe-check/gpt-5-5), paired with a desktop app that is faster and more powerful than Claude Desktop or Cowork\. Watch on[X](https://x.com/danshipper/status/2052054077656252512)or[YouTube](https://youtu.be/x9BNBcP_C7Q), or listen on[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2HuoYt9ZV6CzY6foHL1vJe?si=98cb3DpLR266jg06bR2SXg)or[Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-we-switched-from-claude-code-to-codex/id1719789201?i=1000766460229)\. You can also read[the transcript](https://every.to/podcast/transcript-why-we-switched-from-claude-code-to-codex)\. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/x9BNBcP_C7Q/maxresdefault.jpg)![](https://d24ovhgu8s7341.cloudfront.net/static/emails/youtube-logo.png)](https://youtu.be/x9BNBcP_C7Q) Here are a couple of Dan and Austin’s favorite current use cases for Codex: - **Austin uses Codex for strategy docs\.**Austin needed to write a go\-to\-market plan for a new Every product but kept getting pulled away by other work\. So he pointed Codex at the team’s Notion meeting notes, Slack threads, and his preferred template and told it to pull together content where they’d discussed strategy and transform it into an action plan\. What came back was 80 to 90 percent of the way there\. - **Dan uses Codex for recruiting\.**When he is[recruiting](https://every.to/careers#open-roles)people to work at Every, Dan starts with a sense of where strong candidates might have learned the skills Every needs, instead of looking for a specific job title\. He then asks Codex to find people who match that career arc—for example, to find someone to[help scale Every’s courses](https://modern-ton-234.notion.site/1ffca4f355ac8361a0948106d4dc1bed?pvs=105), he looked for candidates who had worked at education startup General Assembly before transitioning into AI\. Miss an episode? Catch up on Dan’s recent conversations with LinkedIn cofounder**[Reid Hoffman](https://every.to/)**; the team that built Claude Code,**[Cat Wu](https://every.to/)**and**[Boris Cherny](https://every.to/)**; Vercel cofounder**[Guillermo Rauch](https://every.to/)**; podcaster**[Dwarkesh Patel](https://every.to/)**; and others, and learn how they use AI to think, create, and relate\. --- ## Migration anxiety #### Claude Code\-to\-Codex If you want to switch to Codex or any other coding app, how should you think about migrating? When your setup includes app\-specific[project folders](https://every.to/p/the-agent-that-saved-my-brain), skills, plugins, or integrations, it can be daunting\. Austin’s migration from Claude Code to Codex was disarmingly simple: He opened his Every work project in Codex, told it he typically worked in Claude Code, asked it to inspect the folder, and told it to update anything that should work differently in Codex\.

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