He got kicked out of Harvard—then grew to $5M ARR in just 3 months. | Roy Lee, Co-Founder of Cluely

A Product Market Fit Show | Startup Podcast for Founders

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2M ago 52:45

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Roy Lee went from getting kicked out of Harvard and Columbia to building Cluely, one of the fastest-growing AI startups ever—going from 0 to $5 million ARR in just 3 months.

We go deep on Roy’s playbook for using controversy, virality, and content to get millions of views—and millions in ARR. You’ll learn why Roy intentionally designs content to spark outrage, how he leveraged Twitter to raise millions from top VCs within 24 hours, and his tactical advice for mastering the short-form algorithms that dominate attention today.

If you want an unfair advantage to scale your startup, this is a must-listen.

Why You Should Listen

How Roy Lee mastered viral marketing to scale from 0 to $5M ARR in 3 months.
Why controversy and shock value are the ultimate distribution hacks.
Exactly how Roy raised $5M in 24 hours by leveraging Twitter virality.
Why short-form content is the most underrated growth channel for startups today.
The secret to X/Twitter's algorithm.

Keywords

Roy Lee, Cluely, viral marketing, startup growth, product market fit, AI startup, raising venture capital, short-form content, going viral, Twitter strategy

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:20 Getting Kicked Out of Harvard and Columbia

00:10:31 How Roy Engineered His Viral Moment

00:17:23 Launching Cluely and Hitting $5M ARR in 3 Months

00:20:49 Secrets to Mastering the Twitter Algorithm

00:28:21 The Formula Behind Virality

00:38:31 Leveraging TikTok, Instagram, and an Army of Creators

00:44:06 Retention Challenges and Future Product Vision

00:50:50 Roy’s Advice for Early-Stage Founders

Send me a message to let me know what you think!

Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Getting Kicked Out of Harvard and Columbia (00:02:20)

3. How Roy Engineered His Viral Moment (00:10:31)

4. Launching Cluely and Hitting $5M ARR in 3 Months (00:17:23)

5. Secrets to Mastering the Twitter Algorithm (00:20:49)

6. The Formula Behind Virality (00:28:21)

7. Leveraging TikTok, Instagram, and an Army of Creators (00:38:31)

8. Retention Challenges and Future Product Vision (00:44:06)

9. Roy’s Advice for Early-Stage Founders (00:50:50)

224 episodes

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