ElevenLabs is best known for pushing the boundaries of voice AI — but what’s just as interesting is how the team turns powerful technology into consumer products that actually scale.
In this episode of Sub Club, host David Barnard sits down with Tanmay Jain (Mobile Growth Lead, ElevenLabs) and Jack McDermott (Mobile Growth Lead, ElevenReader) to unpack how ElevenLabs approaches mobile growth, pricing, launches, and team structure in one of the fastest-moving categories in tech.
What emerges isn’t a story about AI models or technical breakthroughs. It’s a story about clarity, speed, and systems — and the decisions that make those possible.
Below are the most relevant lessons from the conversation.
Pricing should match how users think — not how AI works
One of the biggest wins Tanmay and Jack share came from simplifying pricing.
For ElevenReader, the team moved away from tokens and credits — concepts that make sense internally, but confuse consumers — and instead sold listening time. The result was clearer value communication and materially better conversion.
The lesson is simple but often missed: Abstracting away AI complexity isn’t “dumbing things down.” It’s good product sense.
If users have to learn a new mental model just to understand pricing, friction is already too high.
Small, autonomous pods turn speed into a moat
ElevenLabs doesn’t operate as one large, centralized org. Instead, it functions more like 10–12 small startups inside a single company.
These small, autonomous pods have full ownership — from product decisions to experiments, pricing, and paywalls. That structure allows teams to ship quickly, iterate relentlessly, and stay accountable to real outcomes rather than internal process.
In fast-moving AI markets, this isn’t just an org preference — it’s a competitive advantage.
Earned media compounds — and makes paid growth work better
Jack breaks down how ElevenLabs thinks about launches as compounding assets, not one-off moments.
Each successful launch generates earned media, which increases branded search, improves trust, and lowers the cost of paid acquisition. Over time, this creates a flywheel where narrative, brand, and performance marketing reinforce each other.
Growth isn’t paid versus organic.
It’s the interaction between the two that matters.
Start launches with the tweet thread, not the feature
Before building launch assets, landing pages, or ad creative, ElevenLabs starts with a single test:
Can the value of this feature be explained clearly in a tweet thread?
If the answer is no, that’s a red flag. Writing the narrative first forces clarity and keeps teams focused on user value instead of shipping features that look impressive but don’t resonate.
In practice, the tweet thread becomes the first product spec.
Consumer apps are a strategic advantage for platform companies
ElevenLabs doesn’t see its consumer apps as competing with its platform or API business. They’re a force multiplier.
By being their own best customer, the team uncovers UX friction, performance constraints, and emotional use cases that are hard to see from dashboards or API logs alone. Those insights flow back into the core product, making the platform stronger for everyone.
Mobile isn’t just a distribution channel — it’s a learning surface.
Conclusion: Clarity, Speed, and systems matter more than hype
The core lesson from this episode isn’t about AI at all.
It’s about building systems — pricing, teams, launches, and feedback loops — that let great products move fast without breaking trust or usability.
For founders, growth leads, and product teams working in fast-moving categories, ElevenLabs offers a clear example of how to scale thoughtfully without slowing down.
🎧 Listen to the full episode of Sub Club to hear Tanmay Jain and Jack McDermott break down the experiments, decisions, and trade-offs behind ElevenLabs’ consumer growth strategy.