ElevenLabs exec says he plans to double his team size — and warns candidates about the 'huge amount of hours'
An ElevenLabs VP of sales warns potential hires about the demanding work environment, despite plans to double the sales team this year.Summary
Carles Reina, VP of sales at AI voice cloning startup ElevenLabs, openly warns potential sales hires about the company’s intense work expectations. He explains on the “20VC” podcast that he proactively filters candidates by being upfront about the “huge amount of hours” and “full commitment” required, leading to lower employee churn. Reina also revealed a strict quota system – a $2 million quota for a $100,000 salary – and a “ruthless” approach to underperformance. Despite these demands, ElevenLabs is expanding rapidly, nearly doubling its sales team by adding 120 employees this year, following a $500 million funding round in February that valued the company at $11 billion. Reina expresses concern that rapid growth could dilute the company culture if expectations aren’t clearly communicated upfront, echoing similar talent-filtering strategies employed by other European startups like Legora, which prioritize finding 'missionaries' over 'mercenaries'.
(Source：Business Insider)