No Priors Ep. 143 | With ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski

Imagine learning chess from a grand master, or negotiating tactics from an expert FBI hostage negotiator. ElevenLabs’ voice AI technology is making that unlock possible. Sarah Guo sits down with Mati Staniszewski, co-founder of ElevenLabs, to explore how the three-year old company is transforming how humans interact with technology through voice. Mati talks about the technical challenges of building foundational audio models, the strategic thinking between conducting research and deploying products in tandem, and why voice is the ultimate interface for everything from computers to robots to immersive media. They also discuss how the coming revolution of AI personal tutors will shift agentic AI from reactive to proactive support, break down language barriers globally, and even provide the framework for agentic government services. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @elevenlabsio |@matiii Chapters: 00:00 – Mati Staniszewski Introduction 00:46 – 11 Labs: Growth and Scale 02:46 – Voice Technology and Applications 06:52 – Research and Product Development 12:36 – Voice Quality and Customer Preferences 17:54 – Agent Platform and Use Cases 23:21 – Choosing the Right Technology Partner 26:43 – The Role of Foundation Models 29:58 – Open Source Models and Future Trends 32:37 – Research and Development Focus 36:53 – Future of AI Companions and Education 41:37 – Conclusion

Sarah GuohostMati StaniszewskiguestElad Gilhost

Dec 11, 202541mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: December 11, 2025
Duration: 41m
Channel: No Priors
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Imagine learning chess from a grand master, or negotiating tactics from an expert FBI hostage negotiator. ElevenLabs’ voice AI technology is making that unlock possible. Sarah Guo sits down with Mati Staniszewski, co-founder of ElevenLabs, to explore how the three-year old company is transforming how humans interact with technology through voice. Mati talks about the technical challenges of building foundational audio models, the strategic thinking between conducting research and deploying products in tandem, and why voice is the ultimate interface for everything from computers to robots to immersive media. They also discuss how the coming revolution of AI personal tutors will shift agentic AI from reactive to proactive support, break down language barriers globally, and even provide the framework for agentic government services. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @elevenlabsio |@matiii Chapters: 00:00 – Mati Staniszewski Introduction 00:46 – 11 Labs: Growth and Scale 02:46 – Voice Technology and Applications 06:52 – Research and Product Development 12:36 – Voice Quality and Customer Preferences 17:54 – Agent Platform and Use Cases 23:21 – Choosing the Right Technology Partner 26:43 – The Role of Foundation Models 29:58 – Open Source Models and Future Trends 32:37 – Research and Development Focus 36:53 – Future of AI Companions and Education 41:37 – Conclusion

SPEAKERS

Sarah Guo
host
Mati Staniszewski
guest
Elad Gil
host

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of No Priors, featuring Sarah Guo and Mati Staniszewski, No Priors Ep. 143 | With ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski explores elevenLabs Bets Big On Voice As The Future Interface Sara Guo interviews ElevenLabs co‑founder and CEO Mati Staniszewski about building a foundational audio company that powers both creative voice generation and real‑time conversational agents. He explains how ElevenLabs grew to $300M ARR and 350 employees by pairing deep audio research with productized platforms for creators and enterprises. The discussion covers use cases like dubbing, customer support, immersive media, education, and even “agentic government,” as well as how they sequence research, navigate competition from big labs and open source, and think about model commoditization. They close by exploring how voice will reshape interfaces, education, and personal assistants over the next decade.

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