Clerk was founded with the goal of creating developer tools that match the quality of Google's user interfaces, focusing on frontend component SDKs rather than traditional backend REST SDKs. By leveraging React for popular UI components like <SignUp/>, <SignIn/>, <UserProfile/>, and <UserButton/>, Clerk aims to simplify the complexity between traditional APIs and end-user features, much like Stripe's evolution from its original Charge API to its current, more complex Checkout system. Clerk distinguishes itself by managing sessions as-a-service, allowing for unique features such as remote device sign-outs and integrated two-factor authentication, which legacy authentication vendors do not offer. The company emphasizes the value of embeddable components, which are built using React hooks, providing flexibility for developers to create custom UIs without backend involvement, thus saving significant development time and effort compared to traditional methods.