Mati Staniszewski

Co-founder and CEO of ElevenLabs, an AI voice technology company.

Mentions

Appeared in

Discussed in

Key positions and views

AI voice has already surpassed human performance in structured domains like narration and customer support, but has yet to cross the 'uncanny valley' for complex, emotionally nuanced conversations.

The most effective way to compete in the AI space is not by building the largest foundational model, but by creating a superior application layer with deep integrations and a focus on measurable business outcomes.

A decentralized organizational structure with small, autonomous 'micro teams' and a 'no titles' policy is optimal for fostering innovation and speed in a fast-moving industry.

A hybrid business model that serves both a large B2C creator community and high-value B2B enterprise clients is synergistic, with the former acting as a development and marketing funnel for the latter.

While AI will cause a dramatic societal shift within the next decade, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is not an imminent threat or reality within the next 2-3 years.

Podcast consensus on Staniszewski

Points of consensus

▶Both sources highlight Staniszewski's belief in a decentralized, high-velocity organizational structure, referencing the ~20 independent 'micro teams' of 5-10 people that form the company's backbone.Apr 2026

▶Staniszewski consistently frames ElevenLabs' competitive strategy as focusing on the application layer—integrations, business outcomes, and full-stack solutions—rather than competing directly with foundational model companies like OpenAI and Google.Apr 2026

▶Across appearances, Staniszewski emphasizes a dual business model, noting the company's revenue is approaching a 50/50 split between B2C creative tools and B2B enterprise offerings.Apr 2026

▶Staniszewski repeatedly discusses the concept of the 'uncanny valley,' consistently asserting that ElevenLabs' technology has surpassed it for narration and call centers but not yet for more complex, interactive settings like gaming.Apr 2026

Points of debate

▶There is a minor discrepancy in the reported company size, with one source citing 330 employees and another, more recent one, citing 350, suggesting rapid growth or slight rounding between interviews.

▶Staniszewski presents a nuanced view on the company's operational model, describing it as 'remote-first' to attract global talent, while also actively establishing and expanding physical hubs in major cities worldwide, indicating a hybrid approach.Apr 2026

▶A tension exists in his view of AI's timeline; he predicts a dramatic societal shift within 5-10 years, yet also states a belief that AGI will not be achieved in the next 2-3 years, suggesting a distinction between widespread impact and true general intelligence.Apr 2026

▶Staniszewski's stance on AI capability is domain-specific. He claims ElevenLabs' models for text-to-speech and speech-to-text are superior to competitors like OpenAI, while simultaneously admitting the technology is not yet ready for complex conversational use cases in media and gaming.Apr 2026

Key themes

▶Strategic Differentiation in a Crowded AI Market

Staniszewski articulates a clear strategy for competing with larger AI labs by focusing on the application layer rather than foundational models. This involves building a full-stack platform with features like CRM integrations and telephony, and an internal policy that prohibits selling models to competing foundational model companies.

This focus on vertical integration and business outcomes suggests a strategy aimed at creating a defensible moat through customer entrenchment and specialized utility, rather than competing on the commoditizing layer of raw model performance.

▶Building a High-Velocity, Decentralized OrganizationApr 2026

Staniszewski details a unique organizational structure designed for speed and autonomy. The company operates on a remote-first basis with global hubs, has a 'no titles' policy, and is composed of approximately 20 independent 'micro teams' that are given six months to prove a new product's value.

This model prioritizes rapid experimentation and market responsiveness, but it may pose long-term challenges in maintaining strategic cohesion and executing deep, multi-year research initiatives that require larger, more centralized teams.

▶Navigating the 'Uncanny Valley' of Voice AIApr 2026

A core theme is the maturity of AI voice technology. Staniszewski believes the 'uncanny valley' has been crossed for specific applications like audiobooks and call centers, where AI can be indistinguishable from or better than humans. However, he acknowledges this milestone has not been reached for more dynamic, emotionally complex interactions in gaming or immersive media.

Staniszewski's granular assessment of the technology's readiness provides a clear roadmap for investors and analysts to track ElevenLabs' progress, linking specific technical milestones to distinct market opportunities.

▶Balancing the Creator Economy with Enterprise SolutionsApr 2026

ElevenLabs maintains a dual focus on both individual creators and large enterprises, with revenue approaching an even split. The company fosters a creator community through its Voice Marketplace, which has nearly 10,000 voices and has paid out $10 million, while simultaneously building a robust B2B offering for AI voice agents.

The B2C platform serves as a powerful marketing engine and a real-world R&D lab, allowing ElevenLabs to refine its technology with a large user base before packaging it into higher-margin enterprise products.

Source episodes

Sentiment over time

Not enough data for timeline

Changes over time

Pre-2022

The founding idea for ElevenLabs originates from the co-founders' negative experience with single-narrator voice dubbing for foreign films in Poland.

2022

ElevenLabs is founded. Staniszewski believes starting before the major AI hype provided a hiring advantage. Key technological innovations include creating human-like text-to-speech and the ability to encode specific voice characteristics.

Approx. 1 year ago

The company implements a 'no titles' policy to foster a flatter organizational structure.

Recent Past

The company completes an 18-month negotiation process to secure licensing agreements with music labels Merlin and Cobalt. It also facilitates a $100 million secondary-only transaction for employees and early stakeholders.

Present

The company has grown to 330-350 employees, operates with ~20 independent product teams, and sees revenue approaching a 50/50 split between B2C and B2B. It has paid out $10 million to creators via its Voice Marketplace.

Next 12 months

Staniszewski states a plan to more than double the company's headcount to over 500 employees.

Suggested prompts

How does Mati Staniszewski's 'no titles' policy and decentralized team structure impact ElevenLabs' ability to execute long-term, fundamental research versus short-term product iteration? &nearr;What are the primary risks to ElevenLabs' application-layer strategy as foundational models from competitors become more powerful and vertically integrated? &nearr;How does Staniszewski plan to manage the potential channel conflict between the B2C creator marketplace and the B2B enterprise sales motion as the company scales? &nearr;Given Staniszewski's prediction of a major societal shift from AI in 5-10 years, what specific industries does he see as most ripe for disruption by ElevenLabs' voice technology beyond the current use cases? &nearr;

Key concepts

Company Culture & Structure 11 ep Business Model & Revenue 8 ep AI Technology & 'Uncanny Valley' 7 ep Competitive Strategy 4 ep Product Development & Offerings 7 ep Enterprise Use Cases 5 ep Creator Economy & Marketplace 3 ep Future Predictions & AI Timelines 4 ep Hiring & Team Composition 5 ep Partnerships & Licensing 4 ep

Notable quotes

“We paid $10 million back to the people in the community.”

Mati Staniszewski · ElevenLabs CEO: Why Voice is the Next AI Interface

“now it's in the policy so you cannot sell to the foundational model companies so it's clear clear to all the internally”

Mati Staniszewski · ElevenLabs CEO: Why Voice is the Next AI Interface

“we need to create models that are better than open ai gemini models and and i think we can we did it on text to speech then we repeated this on speech to text”

Mati Staniszewski · ElevenLabs’ Vision for Voice Interfaces | CEO Mati Staniszewski

“Mati Staniszewski believes that while ElevenLabs' technology has crossed the "uncanny valley" for call centers, it has not yet done so for complex conversational settings like immersive media or gaming.”

Mati Staniszewski · ElevenLabs’ Vision for Voice Interfaces | CEO Mati Staniszewski

Report last updated: Apr 21, 2026

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