Key takeaways
- Built by Shortcut, a project management tool with 50,000+ active organizations — established player adding AI layer
- Claims 48% reduction in spec creation time and 40% increase in engineering velocity
- Interaction-based pricing ($59/250 interactions) differs from traditional seat-based models
- Zero data retention agreement with Anthropic — strong privacy positioning for enterprise
FAQ
What is Korey?
Korey is an AI agent built by Shortcut that helps product engineering teams manage projects, track status, and accelerate workflows from idea to shipped feature.
How much does Korey cost?
Korey offers Starter at $59/month (250 interactions), Growth at $149/month (1000 interactions), and custom Enterprise pricing.
Who competes with Korey?
Korey competes with Modem for workflow automation, ChatPRD for spec generation, and native AI features in project management tools like Linear and Jira.
Executive Summary
Korey is an AI agent for product development teams, built by Shortcut — a project management platform with over 50,000 active organizations backed by Greylock and Battery Ventures.
Unlike many AI PM tools that focus on documentation, Korey emphasizes the full workflow: spec creation, task breakdown, stand-up preparation, and release notes. The positioning is "clear the overhead so you can spend your time building products, not managing them."
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Company | Shortcut (formerly Clubhouse) |
| Founded | 2014 (Shortcut); Korey launched 2025 |
| Funding | Backed by Greylock, Battery Ventures |
| Employees | 50-100 (Shortcut overall) |
| Headquarters | New York, USA |
Product Overview
Korey is an AI agent that integrates with project management tools to automate the administrative overhead of software development. It learns your team's writing style and standards, then applies them to spec generation, updates, and documentation.
Key Capabilities
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Spec Creation | Generate dev-ready specs in your team's writing style |
| Task Breakdown | Break complex ideas into manageable subtasks |
| Auto Release Notes | Convert finished work into non-technical summaries |
| Stand-up Assistant | Compile yesterday's commits, today's priorities, tomorrow's deadlines |
| Capacity Overview | See team availability and assign work to humans or agents |
Product Surfaces
| Surface | Description | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Web Interface | Primary interaction point | GA |
| Shortcut Integration | Deep integration with Shortcut PM tool | GA |
| GitHub Integration | Code repository awareness | GA |
| Cursor Integration | AI coding tool connection | Coming Soon |
Technical Architecture
Korey leverages Shortcut's existing project management infrastructure, adding an AI layer powered by Anthropic (Claude).
Key Technical Details
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deployment | Cloud (SaaS) |
| AI Provider | Anthropic (Claude) with Zero Data Retention agreement |
| Integrations | Shortcut, GitHub, Cursor (coming), Slack (coming) |
| Open Source | No |
The Zero Data Retention (ZDR) agreement with Anthropic is notable — user data is never stored or used for model training, a strong privacy stance for enterprise adoption.
Strengths
- Established parent company — Shortcut has 50,000+ organizations and VC backing; Korey inherits credibility
- Workflow focus — Addresses full development cycle, not just documentation
- Privacy-first — ZDR agreement with Anthropic, SOC 2 Type II compliant
- Team-aware — Learns team writing style and applies it consistently
- Quantified claims — 48% spec time reduction, 40% velocity increase (though self-reported)
Cautions
- Shortcut-centric — Deepest value requires Shortcut adoption; limited standalone utility
- Interaction-based pricing — Can be unpredictable for heavy users; 250 interactions/month is limited
- Early stage — Key integrations (Cursor, Slack) still "Coming Soon"
- Narrow ecosystem — Limited integrations compared to alternatives like Modem or ChatPRD
- Self-reported metrics — Velocity claims lack third-party validation
Pricing & Licensing
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | $0 | 100 interactions for new teams |
| Starter | $59/mo per org | 250 interactions, unlimited seats |
| Growth | $149/mo per org | 1,000 interactions, high volume |
| Enterprise | Custom | SSO, team management, high volume |
Licensing model: Organization-based subscription with interaction limits
Hidden costs: Interactions don't roll over; add-on interactions available but create variable costs. Heavy-use teams may burn through allocations quickly.
Competitive Positioning
Direct Competitors
| Competitor | Differentiation |
|---|---|
| Modem | Korey focuses on spec/workflow; Modem on feedback triage |
| ChatPRD | Korey is workflow-integrated; ChatPRD is documentation-focused |
| Linear AI | Korey is Shortcut-native; Linear has its own AI features |
| GitHub Copilot Workspace | Korey focuses on PM workflows; Copilot on coding |
When to Choose Korey Over Alternatives
- Choose Korey when: You're already using Shortcut and want AI-powered workflow acceleration
- Choose Modem when: Your primary need is feedback triage and customer communication
- Choose ChatPRD when: You need standalone document generation without PM tool integration
Ideal Customer Profile
Best fit:
- Engineering teams already using Shortcut for project management
- Teams that want AI assistance embedded in their existing workflow
- Organizations with privacy requirements (ZDR agreement is compelling)
Poor fit:
- Teams using Linear, Jira, or other PM tools (integration depth is limited)
- Individual contributors or very small teams (organization pricing may not make sense)
- Teams needing customer-facing features (feedback loops, release notes distribution)
Viability Assessment
| Factor | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Financial Health | Strong (backed by parent company Shortcut with VC funding) |
| Market Position | Niche (Shortcut users) with expansion potential |
| Innovation Pace | Moderate (roadmap visible, but key integrations still pending) |
| Community/Ecosystem | Limited standalone; inherits Shortcut's 50,000+ org base |
| Long-term Outlook | Positive if Shortcut maintains market position |
Korey benefits from Shortcut's established customer base but faces the challenge of expanding beyond Shortcut users. The PM tool market is competitive, and AI features are becoming table stakes across all players.
Bottom Line
Korey is a well-positioned AI agent for teams already invested in the Shortcut ecosystem. The privacy stance (ZDR with Anthropic, SOC 2 compliance) makes it enterprise-friendly, and the workflow focus goes beyond simple documentation.
Recommended for: Engineering teams using Shortcut who want AI-powered workflow automation without changing tools.
Not recommended for: Teams using other PM tools, or those needing customer-facing features like feedback collection and release note distribution.
Outlook: Korey's success is tied to Shortcut's market position. If Shortcut continues growing, Korey adds significant value. If teams migrate to Linear or other tools, Korey's value diminishes.
Research by Ry Walker Research • methodology