Startups are often romanticized as engines of innovation, but according to Chungin Roy Lee, cofounder and CEO of the AI app Cluely, the reality is less glamorous. Most startups do not fail because of weak products. They fail because nobody sees them.
Lee told TechCrunch at Disrupt 2025 that engineers, no matter how brilliant, “just cannot make good content.” The internet rewards bold, authentic, and personal voices, not polished corporate messaging. For a startup, failing to get attention can be fatal, even if product-market fit exists.
Cluely launched earlier this year as an AI tool that helps software engineers cheat on job interviews. While the company has since removed that messaging from its site, the platform still offers real-time guidance by viewing users’ screens and feeding them answers. Lee insists the startup’s focus is on distribution, not gimmicks. The company is betting big that visibility drives growth.
A tongue-in-cheek video posted by Cluely earlier this year went viral, showing Lee trying to impress a date using the app. It was a demonstration of how personality, humor, and virality can outweigh product polish. Lee emphasizes that Cluely is not about rage-bait or trickery. “I do not even think I rage-bait,” he said. “It is probably just my personality. I try to be honest and authentic.”
The San Francisco startup raised $15 million in June, led by Andreessen Horowitz. Lee says the goal is ambitious: Cluely must become “the biggest thing” on Instagram and TikTok. Distribution is central to the company’s DNA. There are only two job titles at Cluely: engineer or influencer. Every team member must excel in their role and have a significant social following.
Traditional marketers are unlikely to succeed in this environment. According to Lee, “You can have a 35-year-old marketer who scrolls as much as they want. For some reason, they just will not have the viral sense to come up with hooks that are capable of generating 10 million views.” Understanding young culture, tapping into trends, and leveraging authenticity are more important than strategy documents.
Cluely’s approach extends to compensation. Engineers are offered up to $1 million in base salary, and designers $250,000 to $350,000, alongside equity. “I only care about how good your work is,” Lee wrote on LinkedIn. “I do not care about school, experience, age, citizenship status, etc. Please be world-class.”
For founders and early-stage startups, the lesson is clear: engineering brilliance is not enough. Success is defined by visibility, cultural relevance, and the ability to engage an audience at scale. Distribution, not just innovation, separates startups that flop from those that thrive.
Read the original coverage at Business Insider.
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