Case Study: Growth Tactics for InterviewCoder – $170k MRR in 50 Days

1. Product Overview – What is InterviewCoder.co?

InterviewCoder.co is a niche micro-SaaS product designed to help software engineers cheat technical coding interviews using AI – without getting caught. In Roy Lee's own words, it's an "invisible, real-time AI assistant for technical interviews" that feeds candidates solutions to coding problems during live interviews (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). The tool runs as an undetectable desktop app overlay: it captures the coding question (e.g. from a shared screen or coding platform), uses AI to generate an answer, and displays the solution in real-time – all while hiding any on-screen clues from the interviewer (Big Tech Blacklists Roy Lee For Using The Same AI They Promote). The value proposition is clear: help candidates pass dreaded LeetCode-style interviews with ease, by outsourcing the problem solving to AI.

(Big Tech Blacklists Roy Lee For Using The Same AI They Promote) Interview Coder's bold landing page. The homepage leads with the tagline "F*ck Leetcode," reflecting the product's rebellious stance against traditional coding tests (Big Tech Blacklists Roy Lee For Using The Same AI They Promote). Interview Coder targets software engineering job-seekers frustrated with algorithmic interviews, offering them "invisible" AI support as they code. By remaining hidden from screen-sharing and recording tools (Zoom, HackerRank, etc.), it promises users they can ace interviews at top tech companies (Amazon, Meta, TikTok, etc.) without detection (How this 21-year-old is helping techies 'crack' online job interviews - The Times of India) (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews). In short, InterviewCoder serves computer science students and software engineers prepping for jobs, and its value proposition is "ace your coding interview and land your dream job – even if you haven't memorized 100 LeetCode problems."

The product's features underscore this value. It boasts "undetectable" operation – e.g. it locks the mouse cursor and mimics normal behavior to avoid raising suspicion (Big Tech Blacklists Roy Lee For Using The Same AI They Promote). It can monitor the webcam and ensure the answer window stays out of the interviewer's view (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews). Users trigger it by screenshotting the question (with a hotkey) and letting the AI generate a solution with an explanation (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews) (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews). Essentially, InterviewCoder leverages large language models (OpenAI's GPT-based code generation) to do in seconds what candidates might struggle with for 30 minutes under pressure. Roy Lee built it to prove a point: with AI readily available, the current FAANG interview format (timed algorithm puzzles) is outdated and can be gamed (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok) (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok).

2. Development Timeline & Launch Strategy

Ideation & Build: Roy conceived InterviewCoder out of personal frustration. As a Columbia University computer science sophomore, he had spent 600+ hours grinding LeetCode problems to prepare for internships, only to feel it was a "waste of time" that didn't reflect real programming (Big Tech Blacklists Roy Lee For Using The Same AI They Promote). This led him to "automate the entire process" with AI (Big Tech Blacklists Roy Lee For Using The Same AI They Promote). Along with a fellow student (co-founder Neel Shanmugam), Roy rapidly prototyped the app in just 4 days using familiar tools – Electron and React for the desktop app, plus cloud functions on Vercel and the OpenAI API for the AI brain (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). The initial build was "really simple," and Roy himself was the only beta user at first, dogfooding it in actual interviews to refine it (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). Over the next few weeks (~a month), they tweaked the UX, added authentication and a paywall, and solved technical hurdles (for example, deep-linking in Electron proved tricky) (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). By late February 2025, the product was ready for public use.

Pre-Launch Testing: Roy strategically tested InterviewCoder in real interviews during the winter 2025 internship recruiting season. He applied to companies like Amazon, Meta, Capital One, and TikTok and used his AI tool covertly during their online coding tests (Big Tech Blacklists Roy Lee For Using The Same AI They Promote). This not only validated that the app worked under pressure, but also set the stage for a great story. After successfully securing internship offers from all these companies using the tool, Roy had the ultimate "proof of concept" to share (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok). In late February, he uploaded a YouTube video showing him taking a live Amazon interview and letting InterviewCoder solve the challenges in real-time (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok). This was a high-risk stunt – essentially recording himself cheating a FAANG interview – but it provided undeniable social proof once he published it. As Roy later noted, "nothing is as risky as it seems" when it comes to pursuing success (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers), and this bold move was calculated to generate buzz.

Launch via Viral Stunts: Instead of a traditional product launch on forums or Product Hunt, Roy's launch strategy was to "go viral" by publicly messing with Big Tech's hiring process. He first tried sharing his experience on LinkedIn and Reddit, but those platforms banned his posts about InterviewCoder (viewing it as inappropriate cheating content) (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). Undeterred, Roy turned to Twitter (X) – which proved to be the perfect stage for his story. On Feb 27, 2025, he began tweeting about the saga: he posted a redacted screenshot of an Amazon internal complaint email that had been sent to Columbia University, in which an Amazon exec expressed "deep concerns" about Roy using an "invisible cheating tool" in their interview process (Columbia student creates AI tool to easily land offers from Amazon, Meta, TikTok and more | Trending - Hindustan Times) (Nicolas Casey | The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee – The Pennsylvania Post). The tweet, accompanied by Roy's gleeful caption essentially mocking Amazon ("amazon execs r so mad LOLLL maybe stop asking dumb interview questions and people wouldn't build shit like this") went mega-viral, racking up over 7 million views within days (Nicolas Casey | The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee – The Pennsylvania Post). Roy cleverly included the link to InterviewCoder.co in that viral tweet, funneling curious readers directly into his product's landing page (The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee). This "stunt" marked the true launch of InterviewCoder to the world – the product was now in front of millions of eyeballs, many of them likely job-seekers eager for an edge.

Viral Momentum (Day 0 to Day 50): Once the spark was lit, Roy poured fuel on the fire with a series of live updates on Twitter through late February and March 2025. He shared that Amazon had not only complained to his school but rescinded his internship offer, as did Meta and Capital One – to which Roy responded by posting the companies' actual rejection emails with tongue-in-cheek captions like "oops" and "oops again" (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok). Each update kept the controversy trending on tech Twitter. By March 1, he joked that people thinking InterviewCoder was only effective against Amazon were wrong: "LOL. no one is safe," he quipped, signaling that he could cheat any company's interview (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok) (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok). This only fueled the virality (the saga was picked up by mainstream media and even became a global news story featured by NDTV, Hindustan Times, Times of India, CNBC, etc. (Nicolas Casey | The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee – The Pennsylvania Post) (How this 21-year-old is helping techies 'crack' online job interviews - The Times of India)). In the first ~36 days from launch, InterviewCoder's user base and revenue exploded – Roy went from effectively $0 to $1M ARR (about $110K MRR) by mid-March (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers) (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). At that point the product was growing ~20% week-over-week in revenue (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers) (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). Just two weeks later (approximately 50 days in), growth had compounded to an estimated $170K in monthly recurring revenue, as Roy publicly celebrated crossing $2.2M annual run-rate in 50 days on Twitter (an astonishing trajectory for a brand-new SaaS). The viral launch strategy had paid off in spades – InterviewCoder catapulted from a hacky student project to a six-figure MRR business in under two months, entirely on the back of Twitter buzz and the "LeetCode cheating" frenzy Roy created.

Launch Takeaway: Roy's launch was unconventional and risk-heavy, but highly effective. Rather than quietly releasing a product and slowly building users, he engineered a viral moment by using himself as a case study (cheating big companies) and sharing it brazenly on social media. This earned him massive free exposure ("50M+ views" across his posts (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers)) that a marketing budget of millions couldn't buy. He deliberately chose a launch strategy that blended product demo with drama, turning the heads of both potential users (who thought "I want this tool!") and onlookers (who thought "I can't believe he did that!"). It's a prime example of using controversy and storytelling as a growth hack.

3. Roy Lee's Twitter Strategy – Content, Frequency, Virality

Once he decided to make Twitter his growth engine, Roy Lee executed a savvy Twitter content strategy that drove InterviewCoder's virality and user growth. He focused on engaging, provocative content and high frequency posting during the critical launch period:

Content Strategy: Bold, Taboo-Breaking Updates

Roy's tweets were anything but ordinary product promotion – they were compelling stories and stunts that grabbed attention. His content strategy can be summarized as "build in public, but make it sensational." He tweeted in real-time about his exploits using InterviewCoder, effectively "live-tweeting" the David-vs-Goliath saga of a student outsmarting Big Tech. For example:

• Sharing his wins: Roy tweeted about getting internship offers from Amazon, Meta, TikTok, Capital One, etc. thanks to his AI tool. He even posted a screenshot of his LinkedIn profile listing all those internships (with notes like "Also incoming Summer 2025! In case I get rescinded from Amazon and Meta!") to flex the tool's success (Columbia student creates AI tool to easily land offers from Amazon, Meta, TikTok and more | Trending - Hindustan Times) (Columbia student creates AI tool to easily land offers from Amazon, Meta, TikTok and more | Trending - Hindustan Times). This braggy content ("look, I cheated and still got offers") was designed to intrigue – and it did. Many tech aspirants saw this and wanted to know how he did it (driving them to learn about InterviewCoder).

• Posting proof & demos: He linked to or embedded the YouTube video of him cheating Amazon's interview in real time (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok), giving followers a jaw-dropping demonstration of the product in action. Later, on March 6, he posted a thread explaining "how InterviewCoder actually works + our suite of undetectability features," including a short demo clip (Roy on X: "[1] Here's how Interview Coder actually works + our suite ...). By mixing sensational news with product demo content, Roy converted skeptics into believers – the proof was right there in the video of him getting a job offer with AI assistance.

• Taunting the establishment: Many of Roy's most viral tweets had a cheeky, defiant tone. He openly mocked big tech's interview process – for instance, when Amazon tried to get him in trouble, he tweeted "amazon execs r so mad LOLLL maybe stop asking dumb interview questions and people wouldn't build shit like this" (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok). This resonated with thousands of engineers who dislike trick-question interviews. By voicing what many were thinking ("LeetCode interviews are dumb") in a viral context, he garnered a wave of support (making him a folk hero of sorts among coding interview skeptics).

• Real-time drama updates: Roy kept the narrative going with quick updates as events unfolded. When Amazon sent a complaint to his university, he tweeted it. When the university disciplinary board reacted, he tweeted ("this good enough?") with a sneak peek screenshot of the hearing recording (Nicolas Casey | The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee – The Pennsylvania Post). When companies rescinded offers, he tweeted "oops" with the screenshots (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok). Even his one-word tweet "LOLOLOL" (laughing off the chaos) on March 4 garnered attention (Nicolas Casey | The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee – The Pennsylvania Post). This play-by-play kept followers hooked like a serial drama.

• Embracing the meme: Roy leaned into the viral fame. He jokingly called himself the leader of a "LeetCode rebellion" (the title of a later interview (Nicolas Casey | The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee – The Pennsylvania Post)) and amplified both praise and criticism from the community. By engaging with the discourse (even tongue-in-cheek), he stayed at the center of conversation. For example, when commentators speculated companies would move to in-person interviews to counter tools like his, he retweeted or responded to highlight the absurd lengths companies might go (indirectly reinforcing the value of his solution).

Overall, his content was taboo-breaking (cheating is usually secret, but he made it public) and had a narrative arc. This was far more compelling than typical startup marketing. As one observer noted, Roy's posts were "controversial, so [they] went pretty viral consistently" (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). It was essentially Reality TV for tech Twitter, starring Roy and his AI sidekick.

Frequency & Engagement Tactics

During the first 1–2 months, Roy posted frequently and interactively on Twitter, taking an aggressive "always on" approach to engagement. Some characteristics of his approach:

• High Tweet Volume: In the span of a few weeks, Roy made dozens of tweets and replies about InterviewCoder. He seized every opportunity to post an update or witty remark as the story developed. This kept his Twitter timeline active and in followers' feeds constantly. The frequency helped sustain momentum – whenever one tweet's buzz died down, another update from Roy would spark again, keeping InterviewCoder trending for days on end.

• Threading & Storytelling: When explaining the product or telling a longer story, he used Twitter threads. For instance, his thread breaking down how the tool works (with multiple tweets and a video clip) allowed him to delve into detail and get additional engagement on each tweet in the chain. Similarly, he might thread replies to his own viral tweet to add context or shout out the InterviewCoder site link again. By structuring content as connected tweets, he maximized the chance that people would click through and read the whole story.

• Calls to Action (CTAs): Roy wasn't shy about converting attention into action. He often included the InterviewCoder.co link directly in viral tweets (as he did in the Amazon "so mad" tweet) (The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee), ensuring that anyone intrigued could immediately click to learn more or subscribe. He also likely put the site link in his bio and pinned one of the promo tweets, to capture profile visitors. His tweets themselves acted as CTAs by describing the tool's efficacy ("I used it to get offers from X, Y, Z") – effectively marketing by example and inviting others to try for similar results.

• Audience Interaction: Despite the chaos, Roy took time to engage with replies and community reactions. He responded to some comments with humor (e.g., teasing he had recordings and will leak them) (Nicolas Casey | The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee – The Pennsylvania Post), and he acknowledged both supporters and detractors in his messaging. This gave him an approachable persona and fanned the flames of discussion (every reply potentially surfaced his tweets to new audiences). He even did an AMA on Reddit after going viral, to answer questions directly from the community (I'm Roy and I built Interview Coder, an AI desktop assistant ... - Reddit), further building rapport with potential users. By being present and responsive, Roy turned followers into fans and customers.

• Leveraging Influencers & Media: Roy's Twitter content got amplified by others – prominent tech personalities and meme accounts retweeted his story, often with commentary. Roy would retweet or respond to these, effectively engaging with influencers to broaden reach. Also, when news outlets wrote articles including his tweets, he shared those articles back on Twitter ("Finally got a break… and interviewed @im_roy_lee for the @TheUPennPost" one tweet notes, referencing a media interview) (Roy Lee - Software Engineer Intern - Meta | LinkedIn). Riding this external validation boosted credibility and kept the cycle going (media drove Twitter conversations, which drove more media, etc.). In short, Roy interacted not just with individual users but with the wider tech commentary ecosystem on Twitter.

Thanks to these tactics, Roy's Twitter following skyrocketed from near-zero to a significant number within weeks (from being an unknown student to gaining tens of thousands of followers). While exact follower counts aren't published, the virality (over 50 million impressions on his content (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers)) speaks to massive reach. His most viral tweets had thousands of retweets and likes – effectively free advertising to a huge audience. By the end of 50 days, Roy had cultivated a personal brand as the "Interview Cheat Code guy," which he can leverage for future marketing. The key was that he treated Twitter not just as a promotional feed but as the main platform for his project's narrative, engaging authentically (if outrageously) with the audience.

Notable Viral Tweets (Examples) and Why They Worked

A few of Roy's tweets stand out as particularly viral and illustrative of his strategy:

• Feb 27: "this good enough?" – Roy shares a redacted disciplinary form from his university, hinting he recorded his hearing (Nicolas Casey | The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee – The Pennsylvania Post). This subtweet of the university/Amazon situation was mysterious and bold; it invited people to follow the saga (7M+ views on the form tweet as noted) (Nicolas Casey | The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee – The Pennsylvania Post).

• Feb 28: "amazon execs r so mad LOLLL maybe stop asking dumb interview questions..." – Roy's most viral tweet, showing Amazon's emailed complaint and poking fun at Amazon (Nicolas Casey | The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee – The Pennsylvania Post) (Nicolas Casey | The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee – The Pennsylvania Post). This had all the ingredients: conflict, humor, a giant company being trolled, plus the InterviewCoder link. It went viral because it triggered a broader conversation about technical interviews being flawed (tapping into a widespread sentiment). People shared it either to cheer Roy on or to debate the ethics, but either way it spread. Notably, Roy attached an image of Amazon's email (content that normally would be private), which made the tweet visually engaging and credible – readers could literally see Amazon threatening that Columbia's partnership with them might be "at risk" unless Roy was punished (Nicolas Casey | The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee – The Pennsylvania Post). It was the tweet that put InterviewCoder on the map.

• Mar 1: "funniest thing... people think @InterviewCoder only works for Amazon. LOL. no one is safe." – This tweet (quoted in NDTV) shows Roy boasting that his tool can beat any company's interview (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok) (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok). It worked well because it broadened the appeal: he wasn't just picking on Amazon; he was claiming to upend the entire industry's hiring. It's a mic-drop statement that got people talking and likely drove even those outside Amazon to consider, "Could I use this for my Google interview?"

• Mar 2: "oops" / "oops again" – Roy tweeted screenshots of Meta and Capital One's offer rescind emails one after the other (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok). These went viral as a pair – followers were eagerly anticipating how each company would react, and Roy delivered the news with ironic humor. By this point, he had an engaged audience that almost treated this like episodic content ("Which big tech will react next?"). The simplicity of saying "oops" with an attached official email screenshot made the point succinctly and shareably. Each "oops" tweet accumulated thousands of likes as people found it both hilarious and remarkable that he didn't care about losing offers.

• Mar 4: "LOLOLOL" – This laughter tweet (with no context except a previous tweet's t.co link) (Nicolas Casey | The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee – The Pennsylvania Post) likely was Roy's reaction to some development (possibly media coverage or a message from the university). It still garnered significant engagement because by then his followers understood the context and shared in the joke. It shows how even a one-word tweet can drive engagement if the audience is invested in your story.

• Mid-Late March: Roy's posts shifted slightly to more business updates, for instance thanking InterviewCoder for hitting milestones ("2.2M ARR in 50 days, thanks @InterviewCoder"). These tweets, while not as broadly viral, served to celebrate wins and reinforce credibility among his followers (turning the narrative to success of the product). By sharing the revenue milestone, he attracted indie hackers and entrepreneurs into the discussion, adding another circle of amplification (many of whom find such hyper-growth stories fascinating and were likely to share it further).

Why they worked: All these tweets succeeded because they were genuine news packaged in a punchy way. Roy's content had novelty (no one had publicly live-tweeted cheating FAANG interviews before), emotion (frustration with the system, triumph over it, schadenfreude at big companies scrambling), and community relatability (every coder who ever hated whiteboard interviews felt invested). He effectively became the spokesperson for a pain point, and his Twitter presence was authentic and unfiltered enough that people latched on. Moreover, by integrating his product naturally into the narrative (instead of hard-selling, he would say "I used my tool and this happened"), he converted virality into sign-ups seamlessly. His Twitter strategy demonstrates the power of personal narrative + controversial subject + interactive engagement in creating a viral loop that not only boosts followers but directly drives business growth.

4. User Acquisition Funnel – From Twitter to Paying Customers

Roy's viral Twitter antics weren't just vanity metrics – he expertly channeled the social media attention into a high-converting user acquisition funnel for InterviewCoder. Here's how the funnel operated:

• Top of Funnel – Twitter Reach: Massive Twitter exposure served as the top-of-funnel driver of traffic. Each viral tweet funneled interested users into the product's ecosystem. Roy embedded the InterviewCoder website link in key tweets (ensuring thousands of readers would click through) (The Leader of the Leetcode Rebellion: An interview with Roy Lee). Additionally, his Twitter profile bio and pinned tweet advertised InterviewCoder.co, capturing anyone who discovered him through retweets or news. The controversy also led many people to search for "InterviewCoder" or find articles that linked to the official site. In effect, Twitter buzz created an organic swarm of traffic. Roy noted that once the product worked, "nothing is more important than a wide top of funnel", and he focused all efforts on maximizing virality and impressions (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). This strategy paid off, as tens of millions of impressions on Twitter translated into a continuous stream of curious developers clicking onto the landing page.

• Landing Page & Website Structure: Upon hitting InterviewCoder.co, users encountered a simple but high-impact landing page. The headline slogan "F*ck Leetcode" immediately conveyed the product's positioning and spoke to the visitors' pain point (frustration with LeetCode-style interviews) (Big Tech Blacklists Roy Lee For Using The Same AI They Promote). The site clearly explained the tool's purpose – "an invisible AI for technical interviews" – and displayed download CTAs ("Download for Mac/Windows") prominently above the fold (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews). This meant users didn't have to hunt for how to start; they could begin the onboarding with one click. Scrolling down, the page provided social proof and credibility: a "Proof" section with a video of Roy getting an Amazon offer using the tool (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews), and a list of logos of platforms it works on (Zoom, HackerRank, CoderPad, etc.) to show compatibility (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews). Then it detailed the "Undetectability" features, using bullet points to preemptively answer skepticism about being caught (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews). Further sections included "How to Use" instructions (screenshots of the key hotkeys and steps) (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews) (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews), and finally a pricing snippet (monthly/annual plans) with a prompt to subscribe (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews) (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews). This one-page design essentially acted as a guided funnel: grab attention (headline), build interest/trust (video proof, features), then convert (subscribe/download buttons).

• Call-to-Action (CTA) Strategies: Roy's funnel minimized friction to conversion. Users intrigued by the tweets arrived likely already "warmed up" – they knew this tool had achieved something remarkable (e.g. helped someone pass Google's interview). The site capitalized on that with clear CTAs to sign up or download. The "Subscribe Today" button and download links were bright and hard to miss (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews) (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews). InterviewCoder interestingly allowed downloading the app directly; once in the app, users would still need to create an account and purchase a subscription to use it fully (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews). This approach meant even those who clicked casually might download and poke around, increasing the chance they'd convert after seeing the interface. On the site, the copy "Ready to land your dream job?" near the pricing section served as a strong CTA motivator (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews) – it reminded visitors of why they came. Additionally, Roy sometimes used social proof as a CTA – e.g. quoting user testimonials or commentary in his tweets (one user replied "You are legendary… I've wanted to destroy [LeetCode interviews] for years" (AI Tool Helps Columbia Student Land Internship Offers From Amazon, Meta And TikTok), which Roy highlighted). Such social proof would nudge fence-sitters to give it a try ("others are loving this, maybe I should get on board"). Finally, the scarcity/novelty factor served as a CTA in itself: this was the first tool of its kind; getting it now could be seen as gaining an advantage before everyone else does.

• Audience Targeting: The beauty of Roy's Twitter strategy is that it organically targeted the exact audience that would convert. The content spread primarily through tech circles – software engineers, CS students, and tech enthusiasts were sharing and discussing it. These are precisely the people who either face coding interviews or know others who do. Thus, the traffic coming in was highly qualified. Roy didn't need to run ads or specify targeting parameters – the nature of the content did the targeting. Frustrated interviewees, competitive programmers, and indie hackers all took notice. Additionally, communities like Reddit (r/csMajors, etc.), TeamBlind (where engineers gossip about jobs), and LinkedIn had his story circulating (Columbia student creates AI tool to easily land offers from Amazon ...) (Columbia Engineer Student Has Amazon Execs Trying To Get Him Expelled For Making AI Tool That Does LeetCode. | Tech Industry - Blind), further hitting clusters of potential users (e.g. students in r/csMajors who have upcoming interviews, or working devs on Blind who might consider using this for job-hopping). By the time a user arrived at the site, they often had self-identified as someone who wants to ace interviews – hence the high conversion to paid subscriptions. This word-of-mouth targeting was extremely cost-effective.

• Conversion to Paid Subscription: While we don't have exact conversion rates, the revenue numbers tell a story: by 50 days in, on the order of ~2,500-3,000 users had become paid subscribers (assuming ~$60/mo each). This implies that a significant chunk of the free site/app visitors went on to pull out their credit cards. Likely contributing factors: urgency (interview timelines – if someone has an interview next week, they're more willing to pay immediately) and value perception (landing a FAANG job can be a six-figure outcome, so a $60 subscription is trivial by comparison). Roy's site likely did not offer a free trial (the FAQ "Is Interview Coder free?" was presumably answered with "No") (Interview Coder - AI Assistant for Technical Interviews), meaning most conversions were direct to paid. His credit system (discussed later) also ensured that even those who tried to just subscribe for one month might stay longer if they needed more usage. In sum, the bottom of the funnel – the purchase – was driven by a combination of compelling ROI and fear-of-missing-out.

• Post-Signup loop: After conversion, users would use the tool in their own interviews. Satisfied users could become evangelists – some might (anonymously) brag on forums about how InterviewCoder helped them land a job, which again feeds the funnel with new users via word-of-mouth. This kind of organic advocacy likely started happening as the first cohort of users got results. Roy's early traction was so fast largely due to his own content, but sustaining growth will also depend on users sharing success stories (which the polarizing publicity actually encourages – it's become "cool" in some circles to say you used the infamous InterviewCoder).

In summary, Twitter was the engine feeding the top of the funnel, and Roy's one-page site with strong messaging efficiently converted that interest into revenue. The funnel was essentially: Viral tweet -> curiosity -> website -> "Wow, this is legit" -> Subscribe. Each step was optimized by Roy's deliberate tactics: the tweets primed the user, the site convinced them, and the pricing/options were straightforward enough to prompt quick purchase. It's a case study in how a viral marketing channel can be tightly integrated with a conversion-optimized landing experience to achieve rapid monetization.

5. Key Takeaways & Lessons Learned

Roy Lee's rapid success with InterviewCoder offers several key lessons for solopreneurs and indie hackers:

• Build a Product That Markets Itself (Virality by Design): Roy firmly believes in choosing ideas with inherent virality. "Don't build a product you don't think is going to go viral," he advises (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). InterviewCoder was essentially "built for virality" because it was taboo and controversial (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers) – its very existence was newsworthy. This meant Roy didn't have to invent a marketing story; the product was the story. The takeaway: if you solve a problem in a novel or extreme way, people will talk about it for you. Founders should consider virality at the ideation stage: what about this idea will get users so excited or shocked that they share it? Roy's success shows the power of word-of-mouth and social sharing when your product taps into a widespread emotion (in this case, disdain for LeetCode interviews).

• Distribution is King: Roy's number one principle was that once the product works, focus almost entirely on distribution (getting it into as many hands as possible) (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). He exemplified this by spending far more effort on his viral marketing stunts than on adding features. Instead of quietly refining the app for months, he went public with it early to grab users. This suggests a lesson: for startup success, great distribution can beat great product (especially if you have at least a good product). InterviewCoder was relatively simple, but Roy's aggressive distribution through Twitter gave it a massive edge over any competitors. He even sacrificed other channels (getting banned on LinkedIn/Reddit) and doubled-down where he saw traction (Twitter) (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). For entrepreneurs, the strategy is clear – once you have an MVP that delivers core value, shift into growth mode and get it in front of your audience by any means necessary. Eyeballs and traffic are the lifeblood of rapid scaling.

• Be Bold and Different in Marketing: Roy's "insane viral stunts" approach (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers) illustrates that unorthodox marketing (even courting controversy) can yield outsized returns. He took risks that many founders would shy away from – openly challenging powerful institutions, admitting to cheating, even risking his college enrollment. It was certainly nerve-wracking for him (facing expulsion when revenue was only $10k MRR was scary) (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). But these bold moves garnered exponential rewards as the virality snowballed to $100k+ MRR. The lesson is not necessarily to break rules, but that dramatic storytelling and courageous marketing can differentiate you in a crowded market. He turned a personal risk into a marketing asset. Most startups would not have the story or the guts, which is why most don't see this level of explosive growth. Roy's success suggests that thinking outside the box in how you promote (even if it ruffles feathers) can be a game-changer – as long as you're willing to handle the fallout. Nothing is as risky as it seems, Roy claims (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers) – meaning the fear of consequences holds many back, but if you are all-in, those risks might be manageable or worth the payoff.

• Leverage Personal Storytelling: Part of what made people root for InterviewCoder was Roy's personal narrative – a scrappy student taking on big tech and his own university. This human element made the marketing more relatable and shareable. The takeaway for founders is to put a face and story to your product. Building in public, sharing your journey (failures and wins), and being authentic can build a loyal following. Roy effectively became the protagonist of his product's story, which created an emotional connection with the audience that a faceless brand could never achieve.

• Pricing and Value Extraction: Roy learned to price on value, not cost. His initial price was too low, but he corrected course quickly, ultimately charging what the market would bear ($60/mo) (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). The lesson is to avoid undervaluing your solution – if it delivers significant value (e.g., helps land a $100K job), don't be afraid to charge a premium. Also, don't be afraid to raise prices as you validate demand; customers who truly need your product will accept it. Roy managed to triple prices in a month – an almost unheard-of move – because he saw that even at $20 or $40, users weren't hesitating. Founders often leave money on the table by pricing too low initially or fearing backlash on price hikes, but Roy's case shows that if the value proposition is strong, users will adapt. He communicated the value (ending the LeetCode grind, achieving career dreams) which justified the cost.

• Rapid Iteration & Execution Speed: Another lesson is the advantage of moving extremely fast. Roy built the MVP in days, launched in weeks, and scaled to a huge business in two months. By beating others to the punch, he achieved a first-mover advantage. Any competitors or clones (and surely some will attempt, given the publicity) are playing catch-up while he already has the user base and mindshare. This underscores a common startup mantra: done is better than perfect. Roy did not wait for permission or polish – he launched while still a student, dealing with school discipline as a side effect, but that didn't stop him from capitalizing on the moment. For indie hackers, the environment today (especially with APIs and no-code tools) enables launching quickly. Roy's success encourages founders to get a functional product out ASAP, test it in the real world, and iterate, rather than over-planning. Had he waited, the opportunity to be "first viral interview cheat tool" might have closed.

• Controversy as a Double-Edged Sword: While controversy brought Roy attention, it also brought scrutiny and challenges – Amazon's ire, university discipline, account bans. A lesson here is to navigate the downsides of virality. Roy had to expend energy dealing with negative fallout (legal/ethical discussions, possibly ensuring he doesn't get sued, etc.). He appears to have handled it by leaning into it (using it as more publicity) and being ready to accept consequences (he indicated he was prepared for expulsion if it happened) (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). Founders employing similar tactics should be aware that hyper-growth from controversy can come with risks to manage: legal issues, platform bans (he lost LinkedIn and Reddit channels early) (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers), or even sustaining the product under sudden load. In Roy's case, the DDoS attack was one such challenge of sudden fame (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). He had to spend money and likely implement better infrastructure quickly. The takeaway is that if you go viral overnight, be ready to scale support and tech and handle criticism. It's a high-class problem, but a problem nonetheless. Roy's experience suggests keeping a cool head and turning every bit of backlash into part of the story ("Amazon tried to stop me, which proves even more why this is needed!").

• Product Viability and Adaptation: A subtle lesson is the question of long-term viability. Some observers wonder how sustainable InterviewCoder's success is – will big tech change their interview processes (in-person interviews, stricter proctoring) making this tool obsolete? (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers) (How this 21-year-old is helping techies 'crack' online job interviews - The Times of India) It's possible the "AI cheat" window will close or competitors will emerge. Roy's stance is to scale aggressively while it lasts and stay agile. He's already thinking of hiring help to manage growth and coding while he focuses on the big picture (From zero to $1M ARR in 36 days by publicly messing with Big Tech - Indie Hackers). For founders, the lesson is to capitalize on market opportunities quickly but also plan for evolution. Roy may need to pivot InterviewCoder if the landscape changes (perhaps into a legitimate interview prep tool, or a broader AI coding assistant). The key is to build a user base and revenue stream that gives you runway to adapt. Even if the original product becomes less viable, the audience, brand, and cash flow can fuel what's next.

In conclusion, Roy Lee's InterviewCoder journey demonstrates that a solo founder with a bold idea and even bolder marketing can achieve remarkable growth in record time. His success wasn't about having the most sophisticated product or the biggest team – it was about identifying a pain point, creating a solution with inherent virality, and then relentlessly focusing on distribution through provocative, authentic storytelling. The $170K MRR milestone in just 50 days stands as a testament to the power of this approach. For indie hackers and founders, the InterviewCoder case offers an inspiring blueprint: build something worth talking about, tell a compelling story around it, and don't be afraid to ruffle some feathers along the way.