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How I Broke LeetCode and Raised $5.3M: The Full Story Behind Cluely | Cluely, Chungin (Roy) Lee
@ EO
05/18/25
Takeaways
R
Roy
05/18/25
@ EO
I built Interview Coder, a tool for software engineering technical interviews, after being expelled from Columbia University.
R
Roy
05/18/25
@ EO
Interview Coder is designed to help users cheat on technical interviews, and it has generated nearly $5 million in annual recurring revenue.
R
Roy
05/18/25
@ EO
The technical interview process is flawed; it focuses on memorizing riddles rather than assessing real job skills.
R
Roy
05/18/25
@ EO
I publicly demonstrated using Interview Coder during an Amazon interview, highlighting how easy it is to hack the interview process.
R
Roy
05/18/25
@ EO
Despite initial struggles and criticism, Interview Coder eventually went viral, which helped secure my position in the tech industry.
R
Roy
05/18/25
@ EO
I realized that the attention from virality was crucial, as the product's relevance would diminish once companies changed their interview processes.
R
Roy
05/18/25
@ EO
I learned that being polarizing and controversial online can drive engagement and interest in my company, Cluely.
R
Roy
05/18/25
@ EO
The phrase 'cheat on everything' is intentionally ambiguous, provoking thought about the implications of using AI in various contexts, and if you can use AI to help, then you should use it, just like using a calculator or spell check, as AI will eventually take over many tasks, making traditional job interviews less relevant.
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Chungin (Roy) Lee
05/18/25
@ EO
Technical interviews need to evolve in the age of AI. If AI can answer a question, that question should probably be removed from the interview process.
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Chungin (Roy) Lee
05/18/25
@ EO
In the future, if AI knows everything about you, a lengthy interview may not be necessary, as AI can assess your skills and match you directly to jobs based on a brief conversation.
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Chungin (Roy) Lee
05/18/25
@ EO
The goal of Cluely is to help everyone adapt to a life where AI is used in every aspect, which will lead to significant job displacement but also increased productivity.
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Chungin (Roy) Lee
05/18/25
@ EO
If every scientist utilized AI effectively, they could be significantly more productive, potentially leading to major medical breakthroughs much earlier than expected.
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Chungin (Roy) Lee
05/18/25
@ EO
The user experience of AI tools should be seamless and intuitive, focusing on taste rather than just technical challenges. This requires continuous iterations to improve usability.
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Chungin (Roy) Lee
05/18/25
@ EO
Improving AI response speed and accuracy is crucial, and hosting models on private servers can help reduce latency and enhance performance.
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Chungin (Roy) Lee
05/18/25
@ EO
As we gather more data on user preferences, we can create highly personalized AI models that cater to individual needs, making interactions more effective.
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Chungin (Roy) Lee
05/18/25
@ EO
Taking bigger risks is essential for success. By pushing yourself into challenging situations, you will discover your true capabilities and find life becomes more interesting.
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Chungin (Roy) Lee
05/18/25
@ EO
Confidence is key in entrepreneurship. Many successful founders are not necessarily smarter but are willing to take risks and work harder than others.
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Chungin (Roy) Lee
05/18/25
@ EO
The gap between successful entrepreneurs and the average person is not as large as it seems. With confidence and a willingness to take calculated risks, anyone can achieve great success.