The Product Podcast

Lovable Head of Growth on The New AI-Native Growth Playbook | Elena Verna | E279


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In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Elena Verna, Head of Growth at Lovable—the fastest-growing AI startup to ever surpass $100M in ARR, hitting the milestone in just eight months. With a proven track record leading growth at Miro, Amplitude, Superhuman, and Dropbox, Elena brings unparalleled expertise in driving sustainable, product-led growth across both hyper-growth and turnaround environments.

Elena shares how building in the fast-moving “vibe coding” category requires a radical shift in how we define product-market fit, structure growth teams, and measure success. From product-led monetization loops to redefining brand as a product responsibility, Elena outlines a bold vision for what growth looks like in the age of AI-native products.

What you’ll learn:

  • How Lovable ships at record speed, with daily product updates and a 3-tier launch model.
  • How AI-native products redefine activation, retention, and monetization.
  • Why product teams must now own brand experience—not just features
  • How Elena designs feedback, education, and referral loops that turn users into growth engines.
  • The evolving role of activation, retention, and monetization in AI-native PLG.

Key Takeaways 👇

  • Velocity as a Moat: Why rapid shipping is a survival strategy in AI-first companies.
  • Always-Evolving PMF: How Lovable redefines product-market fit weekly in a category shaped by fast-moving LLMs.
  • Product-Led Brand: Why every product touchpoint must be “lovable”—and how that standard powers word-of-mouth loops.

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Elena Verna 

Social Links:

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  • Find out more about Product School here
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