209. Elena Verna, Growth at Lovable - How to Grow When Everyone Can Copy Your Product

In this episode, we’re joined by Elena Verna, growth expert and currently leading growth at Lovable, one of the fastest-growing companies in tech. Elena shares why the old growth playbooks are breaking down, what growth means in an AI-native world, and why companies can no longer rely on features alone as their competitive advantage.

We talk about how growth has shifted from pure funnel optimization to trust, speed, and human connection. Elena breaks down the difference between growth loops and funnels, why Lovable products need to feel alive and constantly evolving, and what companies in crowded categories must do if they want to stay relevant when software is easier than ever to copy or rebuild.

Here are some of the key questions we address:

• What does growth actually mean in an AI-native company like Lovable?
• Why are traditional growth playbooks becoming less effective in today’s market?
• Why can features no longer be your only competitive advantage?
• How should companies think about retention, expansion, and resurrecting users in this new environment?
• What can B2B SaaS companies in crowded categories do to become more lovable and trusted?
• Why does speed to market matter more than perfection right now?
• How do you build teams that can operate in a world where AI changes customer expectations every month?
• What does Elena look for when hiring people into a fast-moving AI company?

🎧 Tune in to hear Elena’s take on modern growth, why trust and humanity matter more than ever, and how companies can rethink distribution, retention, and defensibility in a world where software is no longer hard to build.