This summer, I was happy to start learning Clay.
I'd heard about it for years - first from friends and colleagues like Michael Saruggia, Federico Costa, and Riccardo Vandra, who were already using it to support companies and clients.
But until recently, I had only been on the sidelines, curious but not fully engaged.
I have worked with Riccardo Vandra a few times with a couple of clients who had a use case for similar automations.
But I had some time this summer, and I enrolled in the Pavilion AI course for modern marketers.
And here's my honest reflection.
The best way I can describe Clay is this: an Excel or Google Sheet on steroids.
At first glance, it feels simple.
But the more you dig in, the more you realise - it's not just spreadsheets.
It's APIs, JSON, integrations, coding basics… in other words, a whole new world.
For someone like me, who isn't trying to sell Clay as a service but simply wants to understand it, this has been both humbling and exciting.
One thing I quickly discovered: Clay can get expensive.
For example, verifying an email through Clay Zerobounce costs two credits - far more than going directly to a service like Zerobounce itself.
And if you want accurate results, you often need to cross-check across multiple tools.
The credits add up fast, and before you know it, you're looking at a €1,000+ monthly bill.
There are endless ways to use Clay, and I have seen only a few so far.
But the most effective use case I have seen is CRM cleaning.
For a big company with a large CRM that needs constant cleaning, deduplication, and enrichment, Clay is a powerful tool.
There is a myriad of companies out there with clogged CRM and poor data management.
Well, in there, Clay can really help! A lot!
For early-stage founders with limited budgets, the return isn't always there when you're still scrappy and figuring things out.
It's a balance between the power it offers and the practicality of its cost.
Also, another thing to consider: Clay requires somebody internally or externally to use it.
So-called Go-To-Market Engineers are on a hype right now and seem to be very expensive!
So, quick calculations and full of mistakes because I'm assuming a use case of enriching 10K records.
--> Let's say you need to enrich 10K records.
--> Clay Cost (entirely made up): 2K?
--> GTME salary: 50K...minimum?
You know what I say? To have this role internally, it has to make sense.
Because out there, there are companies that will clean up your CRM for less.
I have also tested Clay for outbound.
I built a list of people, enriched with email addresses and started building a personalisation line for each of them.
Combined with tools like ChatGPT, the possibilities multiply.
You have to be very good at prompting ChatGPT to build nice emails, but again...lots of work!
I think that tools like Apollo + Instantly + ChatGPT can deliver the same results. (Again, the goal was to personalise a sequence of emails.)
Therefore, if you're hoping Clay will magically solve outbound for your startup, think twice.
Outbound is still a game of discipline, creativity, and human touch.
I wouldn't use Clay for outbound right now, not if you have a limited TAM. (5/10K potential companies in ICP).
So, what did I learn?
Clay isn't a silver bullet.
It's a toolbox - powerful, yes, but also costly and sometimes difficult to use.
Great for cleaning a large number of records and enriching lots of data. (I'm sure there are other use cases I haven't tried yet).
For me personally, it's less about becoming a "Clay power user" and more about being aware.
Knowing what's possible, what's practical, and when it makes sense to bring in partners who live and breathe it every day.
And maybe that's the bigger lesson here.
As founders, leaders, and builders, we don't need to master every tool.
But we do need to understand them enough to ask the right questions, spot the opportunities, and understand the tech stack out there.
I'm glad I waited before writing these thoughts.
Because now, with a bit more distance, I see Clay for what it is.
I'm excited about the technology and about companies like Clay in our world that can help the transition of sales into a more modern, AI-ready landscape.
Thanks for reading this far. See you all next week.
