An ElevenLabs exec says he's planning to double his team size — and he warns candidates about the 'huge amount of hours'

The vice president of sales at ElevenLabs, a leading AI voice cloning startup, is making it clear: joining the team means preparing for a rigorous work environment. In a recent interview on the '20VC' podcast, Carles Reina, who is the fourth employee to join the company, emphasized the demanding nature of the roles available. Reina stated that when he extends job offers, he sets the tone by informing candidates about the challenging expectations at ElevenLabs. "When I make an offer, I tell every single person that ElevenLabs is going to be extremely difficult. We have extremely high expectations," he noted. He candidly mentioned that prospective employees should be ready to commit to a significant number of hours. This upfront approach not only helps filter candidates but has also contributed to a lower turnover rate within the company. During a prior interview, Reina discussed the ambitious sales targets set for employees, saying, "If I pay you $100,000 a year, your quota is $2 million. If you don't achieve your quota, then you're going to be out, right? We're ruthless on that end." In February, ElevenLabs secured $500 million in a Series D funding round, boosting its valuation to an impressive $11 billion. The startup, which originated in London, boasted approximately 350 employees as of November, according to investor Andreessen Horowitz. Reina's team is now on a mission to nearly double its size by hiring 120 additional sales personnel this year. However, Reina expressed concerns that rapid expansion could potentially dilute the company culture. He stressed the importance of transparency regarding expectations, stating, "If you're not upfront about the expectation, you end up diluting because people come with different expectations and behave in ways that are not aligned with the company’s vision." This method of filtering candidates mirrors that of another European startup, Legora, where CEO Max Junestrand also emphasizes a tough interview process to find resilient talent. Junestrand aims to foster a dedicated workforce, stating, "I try to create missionaries, not mercenaries." Both ElevenLabs and Legora are part of a growing wave of European startups reinvigorating the region's venture capital landscape, challenging the perception that they are slower and overly focused on work-life balance compared to their American peers.