I came across Manus just before it started making waves in tech circles. I was already following Monica, the Chinese startup behind the project. What they’ve built isn’t just an upgrade to a virtual assistant. It’s something else entirely — a tool that can make decisions, chain together tasks, and deliver complete outputs. That’s new.
It doesn’t just respond — it acts
A concrete example? You tell it: “build a landing page for a note-taking app.” It won’t ask which framework you prefer, what color palette you like, or how many sections you want. It selects a relevant structure, writes the HTML/CSS, fills in the content, and delivers a fully responsive mockup.
That’s when I started to take it seriously.
Not just hype
A lot of tools generate buzz without much substance. Manus went through the GAIA benchmark, which is specifically designed to assess how agents handle real-world scenarios. It outperformed major models like GPT-4 and Gemini Pro on concrete tasks — things like project planning, legal document drafting, and sorting large sets of data.
And this isn’t just marketing fluff — I’ve seen devs and analysts posting on X (formerly Twitter), surprised at how solid the results are.
Selling like limited-edition sneakers
Here’s the wild part: access is closed. Invite only. Some codes are being resold for over $6,000 on private forums and marketplaces. The waitlist? Over 2 million people.
So yeah, the hype is very real — even if the exclusivity strategy raises eyebrows. I managed to try it through a colleague who had an invite. I got about three hours with it. Honestly? I haven’t seen anything like it.
Why it matters to me as a dev
I write code every day. I’m not trying to automate my job, but I do want to delegate low-value, time-consuming stuff. Manus can run a quick technical audit of a site, flag issues, suggest fixes, and even code the corrections — all while keeping the task on track.
It understands dependencies between actions. It keeps the thread going. This is way beyond classic GPT assistants where you have to hand-hold everything step by step.
Still, let’s stay grounded
Nothing’s magic. We don’t know exactly how Manus is trained or how it handles user data. The servers are in China, and Monica hasn’t been very transparent about its privacy policy. That’s a serious concern for professional use.
Also, you can’t yet plug it into your workflow or use an API — it’s a closed interface for now.
Final thoughts
Manus isn’t just another gadget. It’s already useful in plenty of scenarios — especially where logical steps need to be followed without constant human input. It’s not perfect, but it’s a real shift.
I get the feeling this is just the beginning. Once the public version drops — or a more open competitor catches up — things will start moving fast in our field.
