This AI Startup Pays $1 Million

Hello! Today, I've brought a really hot topic from the tech world for you! Imagine a startup offering a base salary of up to $1 million for engineers. Sounds crazy, right? Well, it's happening. Let's dive into the story of Cluely, the viral AI startup that's shaking up the industry with its controversial past and jaw-dropping compensation packages.

☆ Topic 1: Unprecedented Salaries to Attract "World-Class" Talent

Cluely, the AI startup that once famously promised to help people "cheat on everything," is making headlines again, this time for its aggressive hiring strategy. The company is offering compensation that is far beyond the industry standard.

According to a LinkedIn post by CEO and cofounder Chungin "Roy" Lee, the San Francisco-based startup is offering:

• Engineers: Up to $1 million in base salary.
• Designers: A range of $250,000 to $350,000.

To put this into perspective, a typical senior engineer in San Francisco might earn up to $235,000. Cluely is offering more than four times that amount. Similarly, senior designer salaries usually top out around $172,000. This massive financial bet is all part of their plan to attract what Lee calls "world-class" talent.

☆ Topic 2: The "Elite Comp" Hiring Philosophy

Cofounder Roy Lee openly disagrees with the traditional startup hiring model. He stated, "A startup truth I disagree with is that you shouldn't pay high cash comp." He criticizes the old way of paying below market rates, offering a little more equity, and selling candidates on the "mission." Lee believes that to win, a startup must be "elite at everything, including comp."

His approach to hiring is just as unconventional:

• Portfolio is everything: The job application form has only one field: a link to your portfolio. Lee says, "I only care about how good your work is."
• No other criteria: He explicitly states, "I do not care about school, experience, age, citizenship status, etc. Please be world-class."
• Brutally efficient review: Lee is reviewing every application himself, spending about two seconds on each portfolio. He says, "As soon as I find something wrong with it, I'll reject them." Only about 1 in every 100 portfolios makes the cut.

This ruthless focus on proven skill over credentials is a bold statement in the competitive tech hiring landscape.

☆ Topic 3: What is Cluely? The Story Behind the Viral Startup

Cluely first gained notoriety earlier this year as a tool to help software engineers cheat on job interviews. This led to its founder, Lee, being suspended from Columbia University.

While the company has since removed direct references to "cheating on job interviews" from its website, it still markets itself as an "undetectable" AI that can see a user's screen and provide real-time answers. This controversial edge hasn't scared away investors; in fact, Cluely recently landed $15 million in funding in a round led by the prestigious venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). This significant financial backing is what allows them to offer such high salaries.

☆ Topic 4: The Lean and Mean Team Strategy

Despite the massive salaries, Cluely isn't planning to build a large corporation. Lee believes that startups "don't need 100 people," but rather "a few killers who move insanely fast." The company is reportedly only hiring engineers and influencers, betting on the latter to drive viral growth on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

This aligns with a growing trend in the AI space. With powerful AI tools, small teams can achieve what previously required large departments. For example, Anysphere, the maker of the coding assistant Cursor, also operates with a tiny team. As OpenAI CEO Sam Altman predicted, "We're going to see 10-person companies with billion-dollar valuations pretty soon." Cluely seems determined to be one of them.

☆ Questions

Q1. How much is Cluely offering to new hires?
A. The company is offering up to $1 million in base salary for engineers and between $250,000 and $350,000 for designers, in addition to company equity.

Q2. Why is Cluely paying such high salaries?
A. The cofounder, Chungin "Roy" Lee, believes that to build a winning company, it must be "elite" in every aspect, including compensation. He wants to attract the absolute best "world-class" talent by offering top-of-market cash salaries, breaking from the traditional startup model.

Q3. What does Cluely actually do?
A. Cluely is an AI tool that can see a user's screen and provide them with real-time answers and suggestions. It initially gained fame for helping users "cheat" on tasks like job interviews and has since raised $15 million from top investors like Andreessen Horowitz.

☆ Conclusion

Cluely's strategy is a high-risk, high-reward gamble. By combining massive salaries, a ruthless focus on skill, and a lean team structure, the startup is challenging the very definition of how to build a tech company. While its methods are controversial, its ability to secure major funding and attract thousands of applicants shows that its message is resonating. Whether this approach leads to a billion-dollar company or a cautionary tale, one thing is certain: everyone in Silicon Valley is watching.