In the wild world of Silicon Valley, where innovation meets audacity, a young entrepreneur has just dropped an app that’s causing more drama than a Netflix series.

Roy Lee, a 21-year-old Columbia dropout, launched Cluely - an AI tool that promises to help users “cheat on everything” - and honestly, the tech world is absolutely losing its mind. Initially marketed with provocative “rage-bait” tactics, the app has now rebranded itself as a “productivity tool” after raising a cool $15 million from Andreessen Horowitz.

The Backstory

Lee’s journey began with Interview Coder, an app designed to secretly help users during coding interviews. Cluely takes that concept and supercharges it, functioning as an “invisible desktop assistant” that can transcribe speech, identify speakers, and provide real-time contextual feedback during meetings, interviews, and potentially… cheating scenarios.

The Rival App

Enter Patrick Shen, another Columbia student who wasn’t about to let this slide. He launched Truely, a competing app specifically designed to detect stealth AI tools like Cluely during virtual meetings. Talk about tech drama!

The Future of Cheating?

While Cluely claims it’s moving towards more transparent practices, the ethical questions remain. Are we witnessing the future of productivity or just a sophisticated cheating mechanism? Lee remains unapologetic, stating they’re already profitable with a small team working six days a week.

One thing’s certain: in the Bay Area’s tech ecosystem, the line between innovation and shenanigans continues to blur in the most entertaining ways possible.