At an age when many professionals are still searching for their first break, Daniel Min made a decision that stunned the startup world. The 22-year-old resigned from his role as Chief Marketing Officer at Cluely, walking away from a salary of more than $300,000 a year (around PKR 8.4 crore) after just eight months on the job.
Min joined Cluely in May 2025, stepping into a senior leadership role at a fast-growing AI startup known for its viral marketing and aggressive growth culture. In a video shared on Instagram, Min said the workload quickly became overwhelming, with long hours leaving little room for personal life.
“I thought working all day, grinding 12 hours a day was what you should be doing when you’re at the age of 21,” Min said.
“But I started to quickly miss small freedoms like getting dinner with my friends or surprising my brother for his 12th birthday.”
Min, a graduate of the Wharton School, said he initially enjoyed the pressure and responsibility that came with leading Cluely’s marketing strategy. However, that excitement faded over time.
“As a leader at the company, I wanted to put my all into it, and in the beginning, the work was super fun,” he said.
“But over time, slowly, it started to get a little bit more monotonous.”
The turning point came during a conversation with Cluely’s CEO, Roy Lee, who sensed Min’s growing exhaustion.
“I thought about it for a second, and that’s when I mustered up the courage to tell Roy, I’ve been thinking for a while of leaving, and I proceeded to start crying,” Min recalled.
“There’s probably no one else who has looked out for me more than Roy, but it broke me to realize that being at Cluely … wasn’t the ladder that I wanted to climb.”
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Min’s rise to a C-suite role was unconventional. He has said he lacked technical skills and faced repeated rejections from internships in consulting, finance, and tech. Instead, he built a strong online presence that eventually led to Cluely offering him the role.
His resignation has sparked wide discussion online, with many praising his honesty and others debating the intense demands of startup culture. The story has resonated strongly with young professionals questioning whether high pay justifies constant pressure.
For Min, the decision came down to priorities. Walking away from a prestigious title and a multi-crore-rupee salary, he chose time, balance, and clarity over burnout.
