OpenAI hires Claude Code product lead from Anthropic
Catherine Wu, who led product for Claude Code at Anthropic, is joining OpenAI to run product management for its Core Products, according to The Decoder.
The facts
- Catherine Wu, who led product for Claude Code at Anthropic, is joining OpenAI to run product management for "Core Products", according to The Decoder.
- Growth marketing manager Austin Lau is also moving from Anthropic to OpenAI.
- Anthropic has also recently lost Thariq Shihipar and Anthony Morris, who built Claude Code Desktop. Neither has gone to OpenAI, at least not yet.
- Wu says she wants to build agents that take work off users' plates while keeping them in control.
Case notes · Danny's take
Why it matters
The AI race is not only about models. It is also about who builds the product around them, and who knows how people actually use it. Wu helped shape Claude Code from a small internal tool into something that now handles large migrations. That experience moves with her. Talent is the one asset you cannot copy from a leaked benchmark.
For builders
Both labs are pushing agents that do more work with less hand-holding. Wu says the default in Claude Code has shifted from approving every permission to trusting the model's judgment. If you build on these tools, watch how each company handles permissions and user control. Those choices will shape what you can safely automate.
Not financial advice. Do your own investigation.
This story was summarised with AI from The Decoder's reporting and checked against our editorial policy. Danny's take reflects his views. Disclaimer.
Danny Walter
Founder of Moon Republic, Volt Terminal and Moon Republic Academy. Author of The Market Is a Crime Scene and After the Applause.