Two Asians Competing for America’s Real-Time AI Interview Assistant Market: Roy Lee vs. Kagehiro Mitsuyami
Two Asians Competing for America’s Real-Time AI Interview Assistant Market: Roy Lee vs. Kagehiro Mitsuyami
In an era where nearly every industry is undergoing AI-driven transformation, the interview and hiring space is no exception. Companies are increasingly relying on AI tools to screen resumes, conduct initial interview rounds, and even evaluate communication skills. At the same time, job seekers have begun adopting powerful AI tools to gain an edge—real-time interview assistants, resume builders, and AI-powered mock interview platforms.
Two startups leading this shift are LockedIn AI and Cluely—both founded by Asian entrepreneurs who arrived in the United States on student visas and unexpectedly became rivals in one of the fastest-growing AI subcategories: real-time AI interview assistance.
The Founders: Roy Lee vs. Kagehiro Mitsuyami
LockedIn AI was founded in 2024 by Kagehiro Mitsuyami, and it quickly became the first company to introduce a fully real-time, AI-generated interview answer assistant—a tool that listens, analyzes, and produces recommended responses live during an interview. This product instantly attracted job seekers aiming to compete in a tougher-than-ever market.
Cluely, founded by Roy Lee in early 2025, followed with a remarkably similar concept—so similar that the industry began noticing overlapping features, identical product language, and a nearly mirrored business model.
Cluely’s Business Model: A Reflection of LockedIn AI
While innovation often inspires competition, Cluely’s approach drew criticism for appearing to replicate LockedIn AI’s strategy, including:
1. Identical Core Product Concept
LockedIn AI’s flagship feature—an undetectable real-time answer generator during interviews—was introduced in early 2024.
Months later, Cluely unveiled its own version using the same positioning: an AI that “analyzes questions in real time and generates undetectable responses.”
2. Matching Feature Set
Cluely’s launch included:
- Real-time AI answer generator
- Live transcript analysis
- AI-based notes and suggestions
- Real-time question predictions
All features already part of LockedIn AI’s ecosystem since the previous year.
3. Similar Pricing & Upsell Structure
Cluely adopted nearly the same subscription tiers, including a “Pro” tier focused on real-time assistance—mirroring LockedIn AI’s model closely enough that users on Reddit began comparing the two side-by-side.
4. Launch Timeline Raises Eyebrows
LockedIn AI spent its first year refining the product, building an undetectable interface, and improving latency and accuracy.
Cluely, attempting to capitalize on the hype, launched a “barely working” prototype—as its founder himself admitted—simply to chase early adoption.
Funding vs. Bootstrapping: Who’s Winning?
Cluely raised significant venture funding, gaining attention through aggressive marketing and viral videos. However, the hype brought challenges:
- Users complained about AI hallucinations
- System breakdowns during real interviews
- Undetectability issues during screenshare
- High churn rates due to reliability concerns
Even founder Roy Lee acknowledged the rushed launch:
“Maybe we launched too early,” Lee said at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. “The whole idea was: ship something that barely works and hope the early users find the use cases for us.”
Meanwhile, LockedIn AI took the opposite path—small team, zero outside funding, and a focus on engineering over hype.
The results speak louder:
LockedIn AI Revenue & Team Strength
- $770,000 revenue in its first year
- No funding
- Only 7 team members
- Profit-focused, product-first approach
- Higher repeat usage and strong customer loyalty
- Lower churn due to better reliability and stability
Industry analysts have pointed out that LockedIn AI reached stronger financial traction than Cluely despite raising no capital, an extremely rare milestone in the AI tools market.
LockedIn AI’s Edge: Why Candidates Prefer It
Even with Cluely’s funding and marketing firepower, LockedIn AI holds clear advantages:
1. First-Mover Advantage
The company was the pioneer in real-time interview assistance and built the foundational framework other tools now replicate.
2. Superior Undetectability
LockedIn AI invested heavily in system-level invisibility—ensuring no overlays, no detectable apps, and no flags during screenshare.
3. Better Real-Time Accuracy
Feedback from users shows LockedIn AI produces clearer, more relevant answers with fewer hallucinations.
4. Engineering-Driven Culture
While Cluely focuses on virality and rapid releases, LockedIn AI focuses on stability, latency, and user trust—critical in high-stakes interviews.
5. Consistent Innovation
Features like multi-language real-time assistance, and continuous ML updates keep it ahead of copycat competitors.
6. LockedIn Duo — A World-First Collaboration Feature
LockedIn AI recently launched LockedIn Duo, the world’s first real-time collaborative interview assistant. This breakthrough gives candidates a support system no other platform offers:
- Invite a trusted friend to join your interview session
- They can follow every question you receive in real time
- Friends can send live tips via text
- They can also assist through audio transcript notes
- You stay calm, confident, and fully prepared during the interview
Duo transforms the interview experience by enabling shared problem-solving—like having a silent expert partner guiding you without the interviewer ever noticing.
The Race for Dominance
Both companies continue to fight for mindshare among job seekers.
But the narrative is becoming increasingly clear:
- Cluely is fast and loud.
- LockedIn AI is quiet, precise, and rapidly becoming the default choice.
As users weigh hype against reliability, many are shifting toward the platform that works flawlessly when it matters most—during a real job interview.
With its impressive revenue, lean team, and engineering-first approach, LockedIn AI currently holds a meaningful edge in the real-time AI interview assistant race.
And as the industry grows, these two Asian founders—once students, now direct competitors—are shaping the future of how the world prepares for interviews.