Cluely, a startup founded by a 21-year-old, has garnered attention through its narrative-first approach, leading to a $15 million investment from Andreessen Horowitz. The startup aims to create a tool that acts as an invisible assistant for various professional interactions. Its success highlights the importance of generating attention in the ad tech industry, echoing sentiments that better products do not always equate to better business outcomes, particularly with the rise of AI technology. Cluely illustrates the blend of cultural and technological narratives in the marketplace.
Generating massive attention doesn't necessarily lead to revenue but once it does it can have a compounding effect - unless the product itself sucks, said Joe Zappa, CEO and founder of marketing and communications firm Sharp Pen Media.
It's always been the case, much to the chagrin of ad tech founders, that a better product doesn't lead to a better business but that's truer than ever now that AI is making it much easier to build products, said Zappa.
Cluely's moment lands. It crystallizes something that the ad tech industry's been circling around: in a crowded field, attention is often a moat.
It's a cultural story, not a tech one, according to marketing expert James Kirkham.
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