At Cluely, the controversial AI startup known for its “cheat on everything” slogan, the workforce is divided into just two roles: engineers or influencers. “You’re either coding the product or making it go viral,” said Chungin “Roy” Lee, the 21-year-old CEO and co-founder, during a recent “Sourcery” podcast episode. “If you’re not a top-tier engineer, you’d better have at least 100,000 followers.”
Launched in 2025, Cluely initially gained notoriety for an AI tool designed to help software engineers cheat on job interviews. After co-founder Roy Lee’s suspension from Columbia University over the tool, called “Interview Coder,” the San Francisco-based startup shifted its branding. References to cheating on interviews have been scrubbed from its website, but Cluely still markets itself as an “undetectable” AI assistant that monitors users’ screens and provides real-time answers for tasks like meetings or sales calls.
Betting on Viral Growth
On June 20, 2025, Cluely announced a $15 million Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz, following a $5.3 million seed round. The company is now doubling down on influencer-driven growth, aiming to dominate platforms like Instagram and TikTok. “Big companies are known by everyday people,” Lee told Business Insider, setting a goal of 1 billion views across social media. “Traditional marketing teams can’t compete. You need young, culture-savvy creators who know what’s funny and viral.” He dismissed older marketers, saying even heavy scrollers lack the “viral sense” to craft hooks that rack up millions of views.
To fuel this strategy, Cluely plans to hire 50 “growth interns” tasked with posting at least four TikToks daily, leveraging a seven-person growth team where each member boasts over 100,000 followers. This approach has already driven early consumer subscription revenue and enterprise contracts, particularly in sales environments.
No Room for Work-Life Balance
Cluely’s culture rejects the notion of work-life balance, a stance Lee champions unapologetically. “Your work should be your life,” he said on the podcast, describing a setup where most team members live and work together. “You wake up, dive into work, and crash on the couch.” He told Business Insider on June 24, 2025, that work-life balance at early-stage startups is a “myth” and success demands an “all-in” mindset, not a 40-hour workweek.
Lee insists his team embraces this intensity. “Everyone’s on board with the craziness,” he said. “It’s the lifeline of the company—either we’re crazy enough to win, or we’re crazy enough to fail.” This ethos isn’t unique to Cluely. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman has said startups aren’t the place for work-life balance, and billionaire Mark Cuban has echoed that sentiment, noting that ambitious people face relentless competition from those working around the clock.
A Polarizing Approach
Cluely’s provocative tactics, from its initial “cheating” pitch to stunts like a police-shut-down party after Y Combinator’s AI Startup School, have sparked both buzz and criticism. A video of Lee using Cluely to bluff through a date went viral, showcasing the startup’s knack for attention-grabbing content. Yet, some testers have flagged issues like laggy responses and unnatural answers, raising doubts about the tool’s readiness.
Despite ethical concerns and mixed reviews, Andreessen Horowitz sees strategic intent behind Cluely’s chaos. Partner Bryan Kim praised Lee’s “vision and fearlessness,” noting the startup’s rapid traction and profitability. With a reported $120 million valuation, Cluely is betting that its blend of cutting-edge AI and Gen-Z marketing will redefine productivity tools, even if it ruffles feathers along the way.
Cluely’s unorthodox strategy—focusing on engineers and influencers, embracing viral controversy, and dismissing work-life balance—reflects a high-stakes gamble to disrupt the AI landscape. Whether its bold vision will lead to lasting success or burnout remains to be seen, but Lee and his team are all-in on making Cluely a cultural and commercial phenomenon.