Building Cluely: The Viral AI Startup that raised $15M in 10 Weeks

a16z Podcast

a16z

Science, Innovation, Business, Entrepreneurship, Culture, Disruption, Software Eating The World, Technology

4.4 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 25 June 2025

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What if virality wasn’t a tactic — but the entire product? In this episode, a16z General Partners Erik Torenberg and Bryan Kim sit down with Roy Lee, cofounder and CEO of Cluely, one of the most talked-about consumer AI startups of 2025. Cluely didn’t raise a mega round or drop a feature suite to get traction - it broke through by turning distribution into design: launching viral short-form videos, pushing polarizing product drops, and building in public with speed and spectacle. We cover: – Why virality is Cluely’s moat – Building a brand-native AI interface – The Gen Z founder mindset – What most startups get wrong about attention – Why creators are the new product managers – Cluely’s long-term vision for ambient AI Cluely is a glimpse at the next generation of startups, where the line between product and performance is disappearing.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	We wrote our first lines of code 10 weeks ago.
0:02.3	We're like earlier than the latest YC batch of companies,
0:05.5	yet we're like generating probably more revenue than every single one of them.
0:08.5	It's been so hard to pierce through the noise of everything in the AI,
0:13.3	especially for the consumer facing, pursuers facing.
0:15.8	To do that consistently is actually way harder, near impossible.
0:20.4	I heard someone call it RIS Marketing, which is a compliment.
0:22.6	They're like, I hate this Riz marketing.
0:24.6	AI is so magical. We like built the digital god, locked it in a chat bot.
0:29.6	Six months ago, some random college kid in a dorm, and now I feel like I'm at the center of the tech universe.
0:35.6	What happens when a founder treats virality not as a tactic but as the product?
0:41.5	Roy Lee, co-founder and CEO of Cluley, is either a generational entrepreneur or a walking internet
0:46.6	experiment, maybe both.
0:48.7	In just a few months, he's built one of the most talked about startups in tech, not with
0:52.7	a massive fundraise or a polished product suite, but through relentless short-form content, polarizing stunts, and a translucent
0:59.1	AI overlay that feels more like performance art than interface. Joining me today is Roy, along with
1:04.6	Brian Kim, who led A16Z's investment in Cluele. We talk about Roy's approach to building in
1:09.7	public, what Gen Z understands
1:11.5	about attention that tech still doesn't, and why momentum might be the new moat in consumer AI.
1:16.5	This is a conversation about distribution as design, founder market fit at internet speed,
1:21.1	and what happens when you stop trying to be professional and start trying to win. Let's get into it.
1:27.4	As a reminder, the content here is for informational purposes only. Should not be taken and start trying to win. Let's get into it.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 6 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from a16z, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of a16z and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.