Roy Lee's Journey with Cluely AI: Secrets to Viral Success and Navigating Controversy

oy Lee, the audacious co-founder and CEO of Cluely AI, has taken the tech world by storm with his unconventional approach to building a company.

From a college dorm to the center of the tech universe, Lee's story is one of bold moves, viral mastery, and embracing controversy.

In a candid podcast interview, Lee, alongside his investor Brian, shared insights into Cluely’s meteoric rise, his strategies for leveraging social media algorithms, and the controversies that have fueled his journey. This blog dives into Lee’s ascent, his secrets to success, and the polarizing reactions that define his path.

Roy’s Rise: From Dorm Room to Tech Titan

A Provocative Foundation

Lee’s journey is rooted in a lifelong knack for grabbing attention. “From birth, the most character-defining feature of me has been attention-grabbing and provocative,” he said, reflecting on his childhood.

This trait followed him through school, where he polarized peers into camps of admirers and detractors.

His bold personality culminated in a high school incident that led to a suspension and the rescission of his Harvard acceptance—a devastating blow, especially given his parents’ college admissions consulting business.

“The youngest son of the company gets rescinded from Harvard—it’s like the worst thing ever,” Lee recalled.

This setback, however, became a turning point. Spending a year in isolation, Lee doubled down on his ambitions. “I decided I’m all in on building companies... I might as well quintuple down on every single crazy belief I have and live the most interesting life ever,” he said.

This conviction led him to community college, then Columbia University, where he met his co-founder Neil and began hacking on the earliest version of Cluely, initially called Interview Coder.

Mastering the Algorithm

Lee’s secret weapon? A deep understanding of social media algorithms, honed over a decade on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. He identified a gap in the tech world’s approach to content creation, particularly on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.

“There’s such a small intersection of people who understand how developed the algorithm is on Instagram, TikTok, and people in tech on Twitter, LinkedIn, X,” he noted.

This insight allowed him to craft viral content that tech audiences weren’t ready for, giving Cluely an edge.

His first viral hit came with Interview Coder, a tool designed to help users cheat on technical interviews, which Lee brazenly used to land an Amazon interview—only to get blacklisted and expelled from school.

“When’s the last time someone got kicked out of an Ivy League and raised $5 million?” he quipped.

The stunt garnered 250 million impressions, proving his knack for virality was no fluke. Cluely’s subsequent launch video and a campaign hiring 50 interns to create TikTok and Instagram content pushed the startup past a billion views, making it “probably the most viral startup in the world.”

The Power of Distribution

Lee’s philosophy hinges on distribution as the ultimate competitive advantage. “Distribution is a scarcity,” he emphasized, echoing investor Brian’s sentiment that in today’s flooded software ecosystem, standing out requires mastering attention.

Cluely’s team is split into two roles: world-class engineers and world-class influencers, with every full-time employee boasting over 100,000 social media followers.

“If your head of marketing doesn’t have at least 100,000 followers, you need to replace them,” Lee asserted, highlighting how the game has changed.

This creator-driven approach allows Cluely to iterate rapidly. “We didn’t even have a functioning product when we launched the video,” Lee admitted.

By leveraging usage data from millions of views, Cluely identifies sticky use cases—like enterprise sales calls, which generated over $1 million in revenue. “Your users will tell you where the direction of market fit is headed,” he said, underscoring how distribution eliminates the guesswork in product development.

The Translucent Overlay: A Game-Changing UX

Cluely’s product, an “invisible AI overlay” that integrates seamlessly into users’ screens, evolved from Interview Coder’s coding-specific roots to a general-purpose tool.

Lee and Neil stumbled upon the translucent overlay concept while seeking a less intrusive UX for coding interviews. “We landed on translucency, and it was like a magical moment,” Lee said.

Recognizing its broader potential, they expanded it to “cheat on everything,” positioning Cluely as a pioneer in a novel AI form factor. “This is how an integrated AI should feel,” Lee argued, likening it to Apple’s liquid glass vision.

Embracing the Backlash

Lee’s provocative style has sparked both admiration and ire. “I tweeted, ‘How you feel about Cluely is how you feel about yourself,’ but I deleted it because I didn’t want to inflame,” he said, acknowledging the polarized reactions.

His stunts, like the Interview Coder scandal and viral campaigns, have drawn meta-analyses and accusations of “RZ marketing”—a term Lee embraces as a compliment.

Critics argue he prioritizes hype over substance, while supporters see him as a visionary redefining corporate authenticity.

The backlash, however, only amplifies Cluely’s reach. “Every time someone comes at you, the more aura points it gets,” Brian noted, calling Lee’s approach “anti-fragile marketing.”

Lee avoids “punching down” and emphasizes authenticity, which he believes algorithms reward. “There’s zero other company out there that is being fully honest about everything,” he said, citing Elon Musk as a rare peer in transparent leadership.

Redefining Professionalism

Lee sees his controversial approach as part of a broader societal shift.

“There’s been such a sharp drop-off in professionalism... People crave authentic people who make content,” he observed.

He envisions a future where Cluely’s success forces a reevaluation of corporate culture. “If Cluely wins, the entire state of corporate culture in America will shift,” he predicted, arguing that the world craves transparency over sterile brand images.

His bold claim: “The most entertaining outcome is the most likely,” a nod to Musk’s philosophy.

Secrets to Success

Master the Algorithm: Lee’s decade-long experience on Instagram and TikTok gave him an edge in crafting viral content that tech platforms like X weren’t prepared for.

Prioritize Distribution: By focusing on distribution first, Cluely uses user data to guide product development, bypassing traditional market fit challenges.

Lean into Authenticity: Lee’s unfiltered transparency resonates with audiences desensitized to corporate polish, aligning with the democratization of content creation.

Innovate Rapidly: Cluely’s translucent overlay and creator-driven model allow for quick iteration, staying ahead in the fast-moving AI landscape.

Embrace Controversy (Strategically): Lee’s calculated provocations amplify reach, but he avoids crossing ethical lines, ensuring authenticity drives engagement.

The Future of Cluely

Lee views Cluely’s journey as a land grab for the translucent overlay market. “Right now, we’re making so much noise—why would it not be us?” he asked, confident in Cluely’s distribution advantage over giants like OpenAI.

His staged approach—distribution first, product second—ensures Cluely builds hype while refining its offering based on real-time user feedback.

As Lee pushes boundaries, he challenges the tech world to rethink professionalism and embrace transparency. “Imagine a world where every company was 100% radically transparent,” he mused.

Whether Cluely becomes the “first destination for consumers and enterprise alike” or not, Lee’s impact on how startups build and market is undeniable. His story is a testament to the power of momentum, authenticity, and a fearless embrace of controversy in the AI era.