a16z Podcast Building Cluely: The Viral AI Startup that raised $15M in 10 Weeks
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Jun 25, 2025 
Roy Lee, Cofounder and CEO of Cluely, a frontrunner in consumer AI with a knack for viral marketing, joins Bryan Kim, a General Partner at a16z focused on consumer technologies. They dive into how Cluely turns virality into its entire product philosophy and the shift from traditional marketing to data-driven creativity. Topics include the evolving role of creators as product managers, the importance of authenticity in branding, and Cluely's vision for ambient AI in a fast-paced startup landscape.
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Roy Lee's Provocative Youth
- Roy Lee was always provocative, splitting opinions from elementary school through high school.
- After being rescinded from Harvard, he spent a mentally tough year alone that fueled his entrepreneurial resolve.
Virality Requires Quantity and Controversy
- Viral content thrives on quantity and controversy, which many on LinkedIn/X fail to grasp.
- People crave digestible, viral content, but intellectual content lacks viral fit and reach.
Creators as Core Marketers
- Companies need marketers with large social followings to master virality.
- Employ creators as content producers paid per video to efficiently generate viral marketing.