Podcast Summary: How I AI - "The Exact AI Playbook That Saved ElevenLabs $100k+ and Helps Them Ship Daily" featuring Luke Harries

Podcast Information:

• Title: How I AI
• Host: Claire Vo
• Guest: Luke Harries, Head of Growth at ElevenLabs
• Episode Title: The exact AI playbook (using MCPs, custom GPTs, Granola) that saved ElevenLabs $100k+ and helps them ship daily
• Release Date: June 2, 2025

Introduction

In this insightful episode of How I AI, host Claire Vo engages in a deep conversation with Luke Harries, the Head of Growth at ElevenLabs. Luke shares a comprehensive AI playbook that not only saved ElevenLabs over $100,000 in agency costs but also streamlined their daily operations. The discussion delves into practical applications of AI tools like MCPs, custom GPTs, and Granola, providing listeners with actionable strategies to enhance their workflows and marketing efforts.

1. Cost Savings Through AI-Driven Translation and Localization

Key Discussion Points:

• Challenge of Localization: ElevenLabs operated in multiple countries, necessitating the localization of their content into various languages such as Hindi, Spanish, German, Polish, and Japanese.
• Initial Approach: The traditional method involved expensive localization tools costing around $40,000 annually, supplemented by agency fees exceeding $100,000.
• AI Solution: Luke implemented an in-house AI translation system using ChatGPT, integrated with their CMS and codebase. This system replaced the costly tools and agencies, providing instant translations with high quality.
• Outcome: The switch resulted in immediate cost savings of over $140,000 annually and significantly reduced the time required for translations.

Notable Quotes:

• [00:21] "This saved us $40,000 a year for the tool, so immediately canceled it over $100,000 in agency costs."
• [19:51] "We ripped out this entire tool. All of the agencies wrote a very small server where all it does is take the string, has a prompt per language explaining what the tone of voice is for that language."

2. Automated Case Study and Content Generation

Key Discussion Points:

• Case Study Workflow: Luke demonstrated how ElevenLabs uses Granola, a transcription and note-taking tool, in conjunction with a custom ChatGPT to generate case studies and social media content effortlessly.
• Process Breakdown:
  1. Interview Recording: Conduct an interview using Granola to transcribe conversations.
  2. Custom GPT Usage: Feed the transcript into a custom GPT configured with ElevenLabs' tone of voice guidelines.
  3. Content Creation: Automatically generate polished case studies, blog posts, and tweets from the summarized data.
• Efficiency Gains: This automated process reduces the time spent on content creation from hours to mere minutes, ensuring a steady flow of marketing assets without relying on manual interventions.

Notable Quotes:

• [04:43] "With case studies, you sign a great customer and you now want to be able to tell the story about how they actually use your product."
• [15:15] "A common theme I think we touch on is like when you're editing as much as possible, try and edit the underlying prompt rather than the actual output."

3. Custom GPTs and Copy Editing

Key Discussion Points:

• Custom GPT Configuration: Luke elaborated on how ElevenLabs developed a custom GPT to act as a copy editor. This GPT is tailored with specific instructions and examples to maintain the company's communication style.
• Prompt Engineering: The GPT is fed with a detailed prompt that includes the brand's tone of voice, spelling preferences, and examples of successful blog posts and tweets.
• Iterative Refinement: By tweaking the underlying prompts based on the output quality, the team continuously improves the GPT's performance, ensuring consistency and high-quality content generation.

Notable Quotes:

• [09:41] "I fed in our tone of voice guide. And so I've said how you're an expert editor, you're writing assistant specializing the 11 Labs communication style."
• [15:40] "When you're editing as much as possible, try and edit the underlying prompt rather than the actual output."

4. MCPs (Model Context Protocols) and WhatsApp Integration

Key Discussion Points:

• Understanding MCPs: MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, a framework developed by Anthropic to allow AI agents to interact with external tools and APIs.
• WhatsApp MCP Implementation: Luke created a WhatsApp MCP to integrate WhatsApp with ElevenLabs' AI systems. This integration enables the AI to access and summarize WhatsApp messages, facilitating better communication management.
• Technical Setup:
  • Bridge Creation: Uses WhatsApp Web and the whatsmeow library to download messages into a local SQLite database.
  • AI Interaction: The AI, such as Claude, can query this database to provide summaries, send messages, and perform other tasks.
• Use Cases: This setup allows users to generate summaries of WhatsApp conversations, automate responses, and integrate these functionalities into broader AI-driven workflows.

Notable Quotes:

• [30:04] "What an MCP is? It's a model context protocol and so it's a protocol written by Anthropic which enables anyone to expose tools to AI agents."
• [35:08] "It will pull all the recent messages between the last time it ran and now and then whilst it's running, it will also receive any new messages."

5. Future of AI in Marketing and Product Launches

Key Discussion Points:

• AI as a CMO: Luke envisions the role of an AI Chief Marketing Officer that can autonomously handle the entire product launch process, from generating marketing assets to optimizing advertising campaigns.
• End-to-End Automation: Future AI systems will be capable of executing complex workflows, including:
  • Value Proposition Development: Identifying and articulating the core benefits of new features.
  • Content Creation: Generating blog posts, social media updates, and promotional materials.
  • Advertising Optimization: Managing Google Ads and optimizing landing pages based on performance data.
• Enhanced Workflow Systems: Combining custom GPTs, MCPs, and tools like Granola will enable more dynamic and responsive marketing strategies, reducing the need for manual oversight and increasing efficiency.

Notable Quotes:

• [03:02] "At 11 Labs we have this launch process. So basically every new feature we do, every new model, we run it through this massive checklist."
• [41:40] "These new experiences for customers which just wouldn't have otherwise been possible."

Insights and Conclusions

• Build vs. Buy: Luke’s success in replacing expensive localization tools with an in-house AI solution underscores the potential cost savings and quality improvements achievable by developing custom AI tools tailored to specific business needs.

• Automation Enhances Efficiency: By automating content creation and localization processes, ElevenLabs significantly reduced operational costs and freed up valuable time for their team to focus on strategic initiatives.

• Custom GPTs are Powerful: Tailoring GPTs with specific prompts and brand guidelines ensures consistency and high-quality outputs, making them invaluable for maintaining brand voice across various content types.

• MCPs Expand AI Capabilities: Integrating MCPs like the WhatsApp MCP allows AI systems to interact seamlessly with external platforms, enabling more comprehensive and context-aware AI functionalities.

• Future of Marketing with AI: The concept of an AI CMO highlights a future where AI can manage complex marketing tasks autonomously, leading to more efficient and scalable marketing operations.

Final Takeaways:

1. Reevaluate Build vs. Buy: Consider developing in-house AI solutions, especially when existing tools are either too costly or fail to meet quality standards.
2. Leverage AI for Consistent Content: Utilize custom GPTs to maintain brand voice and streamline content creation across multiple platforms.
3. Integrate AI Seamlessly: Use MCPs and other integrations to expand AI functionalities and create more interconnected and efficient workflows.

Additional Resources:

• Luke Harries' Website: Harry’s Co
• Luke’s Blog Posts:
  • How to Launch Your Products: Detailed checklist for product launches.
  • How to Hire Your First Growth Marketer: Strategies for building a growth team.
• Follow Luke on Twitter: @LukeHarries

Conclusion

This episode of How I AI provides a comprehensive look into how ElevenLabs harnessed the power of AI to revolutionize their operations, leading to substantial cost savings and enhanced efficiency. Luke Harries offers valuable insights into the practical applications of AI tools, making this episode a must-listen for professionals aiming to leverage AI to optimize their business processes.