Head of Growth at Lovable | Why Growth Playbooks Are Crumbling

Head of Growth at Lovable | The Collapse of Pre-Ai Distribution Moats, and How to Build New Ones

Your biggest growth threat isn’t another competitor—it’s your own customers. ⚠️ Elena Verna, Head of Growth at Lovable, reveals why traditional product distribution channels are collapsing in the AI era—and what it takes to build moats that actually hold. From the death of SEO to the rise of DIY software builders, this talk is a wake-up call for every product leader navigating the next wave of growth. Key Takeaways: - Why old-school growth levers like SEO and paid social are no longer reliable - How AI is democratizing software creation—and turning users into your competitors - The new defensible moats: velocity, brand, data, and ecosystem integrations 📆 Check out upcoming events: https://prdct.school/4fnr4ER 📑 Get the slides: https://prdct.school/45spgWv 💼 Get customized training for your Product team: https://prdct.school/4lY0lRD 🚀 Advance your Product Management career: https://prdct.school/4fokmOJ ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Elena Verna is a growth expert and executive with over a decade of experience scaling B2B SaaS companies. She’s led growth at SurveyMonkey, Miro, Amplitude, and Dropbox - blending data, product, and marketing into high-leverage growth strategies. Today, she runs growth at Lovable. ABOUT US: Product School (https://prdct.school/3DYNwmd) is the global leader in Product Training and Digital Transformation with a community of over two million product professionals. We help top companies drive growth by upskilling teams through expert-led, hands-on training tied to strategic business goals. We also support individual product professionals with live online certifications taught by Silicon Valley product leaders. #ProductCon #ProductSchool #ProductManagementCertification #ProductManagement #ProductTraining #Leadership #ProductLeader #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #ProductGrowth #PLG #Leadership #ProductStrategy #Distribution #GrowthLoops #ProductLeader"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES0N6SKmF40

Head of Growth at Lovable | Why Growth Playbooks Are Crumbling—and What’s Next

Traditional SEO-driven moats are collapsing as AI-powered answer engines reshape discovery. Elena Verna, Head of Growth at Lovable, explains how product leaders can adapt by building Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) strategies that secure visibility in the new ecosystem. Key Takeaways: – Why SEO is failing and how AI-driven discovery works – Frameworks for building defensible AEO strategies – How to structure data and partner with model providers 💼 Make Your Product Team Truly AI-Native with tailored AI training: https://prdct.school/46Lp0n6 🚀 Learn AI skills and become an AI-Native PM: https://prdct.school/3RVzRDv ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Elena Verna is a growth expert and executive with over a decade of experience scaling B2B SaaS companies. She’s led growth at SurveyMonkey, Miro, Amplitude, and Dropbox—blending data, product, and marketing into high-leverage growth strategies. Today, she runs growth at Lovable. ABOUT US: Product School ( https://prdct.school/3IHRjtN) is the leader in AI training for Product teams, trusted by Fortune 500 companies and a community of 2M+ professionals. Our expert-led, live, hands-on programs, run by AI-first product leaders, embed practical AI skills to help organizations innovate faster, experiment at scale, and achieve measurable business outcomes. #ProductCon #ProductSchool #ProductManagement #ProductLeadership #AI #ProductStrategy #Growth #AEO #SEO #ProductGrowth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc6ij1ilhwc

Key Takeaways from “Head of Growth at Lovable | Why Growth Playbooks Are Crumbling—and What’s Next”:

Traditional SEO-driven moats are collapsing: AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT are reshaping product discovery; traffic from search is dropping drastically for many companies.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the new frontier: Product leaders must develop strategies tailored for visibility within AI answer engines, including better structuring of data and partnering with AI model providers.

Distribution is as critical as product quality: Many great products fail due to poor distribution, while some mediocre products succeed with excellent distribution. Product growth must include go-to-market and distribution thinking from day one.

Funnels vs. Loops: Growth is increasingly achieved through loops, not linear funnels. Loops (like Dropbox’s “viral storage” and Lovable’s "word of mouth magic") create compounding, sustainable user acquisition.

Product-led growth lessons: B2B products are moving towards consumer-like product-led growth models, where end users are decision-makers, and everyone in the company wears multiple hats (PM, marketing, analytics).

AI is disrupting distribution channels: Classic growth strategies like SEO and social algorithms are no longer reliable; social platforms prioritize retention over sending traffic, and AI search habits have shifted user behavior.

Rising commoditization risk: Simple, previously defensible functionality (signatures, dashboards, form generators) can now easily be replicated or replaced by users building their own tools on platforms like Lovable. Products must evolve or risk being disrupted by their own users.

Build new distribution moats:

Velocity: Shipping fast can be a unique moat. AI-native teams, empowered with autonomy and blurred roles, can achieve high speed and high frequency releases.
Data as a moat: Proprietary user data enhances retention and defensibility.
Brand as a moat: Brand is now a product function, not just marketing. Product experiences must feel unique, lovable, and human.
Ecosystem & Integration: Strategic partnerships and integrations offer alternative distribution channels, especially as legacy channels fade.
Personal and creator-driven growth: Social presence of founders and employees humanizes brands and creates new organic growth opportunities; influencer and creator collaborations are increasingly relevant for B2B as well as B2C.

Future advice: Pressure to grow must be put on the product itself—distribution is everything. Great product plus defensible, evolving distribution channels build lasting companies.

These insights highlight how growth playbooks need a fundamental rethink in the era of AI-powered discovery and rising commoditization. Product managers must shift from old SEO/social strategies to dynamic, loop-driven models, leveraging speed, data, brand, integrations, and personal networks for durable growth.