The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch 20Sales: ElevenLabs: Why We Set a 20x Sales Quota | How to Structure Sales Compensation Plans | Customer Success: 'Total BS' or Growth Engine? | Building an AI Sales Machine: What Tools & Tactics Must CROs Adopt Today with Carles Reina
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Apr 11, 2026 
Carles Reina, VP of Sales at ElevenLabs and an early investor who helped scale it to hundreds of millions in ARR, gets into AI sales machines, 20x quotas, and comp plans that reward real revenue. He also talks customer success as a growth driver, brand as a sales accelerant, global expansion mistakes, and why dinners, events, and partnerships can beat the usual playbook.
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Set Brutal Expectations Before People Join
- Carles Reina improves retention by warning candidates that ElevenLabs is brutally demanding before they join, filtering out people who want a comfortable sales job.
- He thinks hard-driving cultures remain possible only if AI keeps teams smaller and concentrated around top talent.
Public Leaderboards Work Best With Pipeline Context
- Carles Reina uses public leaderboards to create pressure, but he judges reps on pipeline quality and strategic account building, not just closed revenue.
- If a calendar is empty he worries, but he tolerates low current output when the rep is building the right meetings and account motion.
Proof Unlocks Budget Faster Than Planning
- At ElevenLabs, budget is rarely the real constraint; proof is the constraint.
- Carles Reina will fund small tests quickly, but refuses big asks until someone demonstrates traction without demanding a million dollars or six dedicated months.