Cluely Founder Roy Lee Maps Three AI Profit Opportunities

Rapid advances in generative AI and falling development costs are shifting startup opportunities beyond model building into infrastructure and application services. Roy Lee, founder of AI startup Cluely, argues that entrepreneurs with early access to new tools and better market information can test products with far smaller teams, reduce operating expenses and challenge the capital-intensive model that has traditionally shaped technology startups.

Lee recently outlined three potential AI “gold rushes” for 2026: supplying infrastructure to frontier AI laboratories, using very small teams to rapidly test and launch multiple AI applications, and offering AI-generated video advertising services, which he described as the easiest entry point. He said the latest generative tools can accelerate development and monetization, though the report disclosed no specific revenue, profit or investment figures for Cluely.