The Koerner Office - Business Ideas and Small Business Deep Dives with Entrepreneurs This Simple Playbook Built a $120M AI Business (in 3 Months) w/ Sam ⏐ Ep. #200
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Jul 25, 2025 Sam Thompson, co-founder of the rapidly-growing AI company Cluely, shares his insights on building a $120 million business in just three months. He discusses the viral content strategies and unique pay-per-view model that fueled their success. Sam also offers tips on launching your own clipping farm or media agency, emphasizing the importance of genuine human storytelling in an increasingly AI-driven world. Finally, he highlights innovative ways to leverage new LLC registrations for high-margin lead generation.
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Cluely Founders' Viral Start
- Cluely's founders got kicked out of Columbia after posting a viral AI interview tool video.
- They moved to San Francisco to build a billion-dollar AI business just three months ago.
AI Limits: Creativity, Salesmanship
- AI struggles most with genuine salesmanship and true creativity.
- Humans excel at dynamic context switching and original emotion-filled storytelling.
Clipper Payment Strategy
- Pay clippers only per thousand views, not per video, to avoid waste.
- Reward your top 1% clippers well since they generate most of the views.