The Twenty Minute VCElevenLabs: Building an AI Sales Machine & Why We Set a 20x Sales Quota
Episode Details
EPISODE INFO
- Released
- April 11, 2026
- Duration
- 1h 25m
- Channel
- The Twenty Minute VC
- Watch on YouTube
- ▶ Open ↗
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
Carles Reina is VP of Sales at ElevenLabs, where he was the first investor and fourth employee. Carles has scaled the revenue org from Day 1 to over $330M in just 3 years. Carles is also an active investor with investments in ElevenLabs, Revolut, Happy Robot and more. ----------------------------------------------- In this episode: 00:00 Intro 02:05 The new CRO playbook: how go-to-market has fundamentally changed 02:55 Why AI outbound tools don't work — and what ElevenLabs built instead 05:46 Will AI agents shrink sales teams? Carles' 50% productivity goal 06:41 Commission structures: ElevenLabs' 20x quota model explained 11:27 Hunters vs farmers, customer success as a revenue function 14:23 The myth of "one market at a time" & hiring experienced sellers 19:52 What didn't work: failed bets, the India reset & going back to zero 38:24 Does brand reduce enterprise sales cycles? 44:55 Hiring obsessed salespeople: spotting top talent in 20 minutes 59:41 Partner ecosystems: the biggest mistakes and how to do it right 01:09:22 Should operators also be investors? 01:20:06 Quick-Fire Round ----------------------------------------------- Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3j2KMcZTtgTNBKwtZBMHvl?si=85bc9196860e4466 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-twenty-minute-vc-20vc-venture-capital-startup/id958230465 Follow Harry Stebbings on X: https://twitter.com/HarryStebbings Follow Carles Reina on X: https://twitter.com/Carles_Reina Follow 20VC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/20vchq Follow 20VC on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@20vc_tok Visit our Website: https://www.20vc.com Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/contact ----------------------------------------------- Legal Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Any discussion of stocks, public markets, or investment strategies reflects the personal opinions of the speakers and should not be relied upon when making investment decisions. Figures, valuations, and financial data referenced may be estimates or subject to error. Always consult a qualified financial adviser before making any investment decision. The views expressed are those of the individual speakers and do not represent the views of 20VC or its affiliates. ----------------------------------------------- #20vc #harrystebbings #sales #elevenlabs
SPEAKERS
Carles Reina
guestCRO at ElevenLabs focused on scaling sales and revenue operations.
Harry Stebbings
hostFounder and host of The Twenty Minute VC (20VC) and venture capitalist.
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of The Twenty Minute VC, featuring Carles Reina and Harry Stebbings, ElevenLabs: Building an AI Sales Machine & Why We Set a 20x Sales Quota explores elevenLabs CRO on AI-driven sales, comp design, and scaling playbooks Reina argues the CRO role has shifted from closing individual deals to architecting distribution systems that embed AI and enable “more with less.”
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