Cluely’s Roy Lee on the ragebait technique for startup advertising

Cluely’s Roy Lee has a message for startup founders: you ought to be considering tougher about how you can go viral.

“Typically, for those who’re not in deep tech, then it is advisable low-key deep give attention to distribution,” Lee informed the gang at Disrupt 2025.

However he additionally made it clear that not everybody was lower out for this type of viral advertising.

“If you happen to’re any good at engineering, you’re in all probability not humorous and also you’re in all probability not going to be a content material creator since you don’t have it in your blood. Realistically, most of those folks haven’t any likelihood of going viral.”

Cluely’s AI assistant grew well-known this April with a viral declare that its undetectable home windows might “make it easier to cheat on something” — a declare that was shortly disproven when a string of proctoring companies confirmed they may, the truth is, detect use of the AI assistant. However in a matter of months, the corporate had raised $15 million from Andressen Horowitz, turning into probably the most seen merchandise within the crowded AI assistant house.

As Lee frames it, it’s a part of his expertise for going viral, which regularly means making numerous folks very offended at him. “I feel I’m significantly good at framing myself in a approach that’s controversial,” he stated onstage. “I do numerous issues which might be totally different. And every thing I do this’s totally different, I body it by means of the filter of my voice. And my voice is of course simply very enraging to lots of people.”

For Lee, it’s a part of a broader concept of social media, wherein consideration is the one forex.

“Fame is kind of a factor of the previous,” Lee stated. “You possibly can attempt to be the New York Occasions and guard your ironclad status, however realistically you’ve obtained Sam Altman on the timeline speaking about sizzling guys and also you’ve obtained Elon Musk going batshit loopy.”

“You simply have to understand that the world is trending to a unique place,” he continued, “the place you need to be excessive, you need to be genuine and you need to be private.”

It’s onerous to say how properly that technique is working, although. When requested for Cluely’s income numbers or person numbers, nonetheless, Lee demurred.

“What I’ve discovered is that it’s best to by no means share income numbers as a result of for those who’re doing properly, no one will discuss how properly you’re doing. And for those who’re doing poorly, folks will solely discuss how poorly you’re doing,” Lee stated.“I’ll say we’re doing higher than I anticipated, but it surely’s not the quickest rising firm of all time.”