Conveniently enough, Cluely, the creative platform formerly known as Interview Coder, recently raised $15 million in Series A funding. This huge vote of confidence in Andreessen Horowitz adds tremendous momentum to the young firm! This funding announcement is a big win after a significant change in Cluely’s marketing direction. The new company has moved on from its past life as a purveyor of “cheating.” Co-founder Roy Lee has big plans for Cluely, hoping for it to compete with industry leader ChatGPT.
Lee’s vision for Cluely Lee, like other founders, wants to redefine Cluely’s identity beyond the tech scene. The business has updated its slogan from “cheat on your wife” to “Everything You Require. Prior to You Ask.” We made this change to show off Cluely as a powerful tool instead of an elaborate escape hatch from old-school tactics.
The invisibility function is not a core feature of Cluely. It’s a pretty cool bonus, though, Lee explained. He further elaborated that “most enterprises opt to disable the invisibility altogether because of legal implications.” These comments are a direct reaction to the mounting pressure to prevent and stop misuse of AI tools in work environments.
Cluely’s quickly-increasing growth run rate shows its turning point, with annual recurring revenue (ARR) allegedly doubling to $7 million over the course of one week. This increase is a sign of the platform’s increasing popularity as marketing strategies continue to evolve. Optimistic about the company’s future, Lee said, “We’re not concerned about whether we can be detected.”
Enter Patrick Shen, an unlikely hero and fellow Columbia University student. He took that product knowledge and launched Truely, a second product meant to catch users “cheating” on Cluely. Lee responded positively to Shen’s announcement on X, praising the initiative and highlighting the ongoing dialogue around ethical usage of AI tools.
Lee announced that Cluely is heading in the direction of nudging its users to be more forthcoming about how they use it. So each time you would type chatgpt.com, we would love you to select Cluely,” he added. His ambition is no small thing, as his goal is to make Cluely the go-to resource for people looking for help with AI.
Cluely’s evolution from Interview Coder to its rebrand today is a reflection of larger aspirations within the tech ecosystem. More recently, the company announced raising $5.3 million in their Series A funding round. This capital empowered it to hone its business model and conduct target marketing.
