Elena Verna

Growth, Dropbox

You can find more about me here: https://elenaverna.lovable.app/

Interim, Head of Growth

Lovable is turning 1🥳 and we just crossed $200m ARR 🤯. It’s wild. And not because the number is big, but because of how it happened. No giant sales org. Not a huge team (we are still under 100 peeps total). Not based in the heart of Silicon Valley. No endless paid marketing campaigns burning cash. Just product doing the heavy lifting like it always should.

Turns out when you focus on shipping fast, surprising people, and making software feel human again, the market pulls you forward. Builders talk, show/share what they make, and spread the word. The only other things that reliably worked for us were influencer marketing and giving the product away through freemium and every hackathon running on Lovable. It’s messy, nonlinear, and way more fun than the old playbook.

What I’m most proud of: this isn’t a growth theater. This is actual usage compounding. Real people building real things and telling their friends because they wanted to.

If you’re still treating growth like a channel optimization problem, you’re already behind. The most reliable engine is product that creates stories worth retelling. That’s what got us to 200m. And honestly, it feels like we’re just getting started.

#growth #lovable

Annual planning be like:
1. december: we start acting like psychics who specialize in ARR
2. we are given a number to hit
3. we build the plan
4. we rebuild the plan. and again. and again. and again. and again.
5. pre-reads, meetings, alignment about alignment. daily standups. 
6. we lose track of which version is “the plan”
(Its mid-Jan already) 
7. 40 slides. 6 pillars. 12 bets.
8. v27_final_final_FINAL.pptx becomes scripture
9. internal comms enters, now we need a comms plan for the plan
10. board hears the plan, no turning back
11. targets assigned like a chore wheel
12. Q1: always foundational work. Q2/Q3: the big stuff is coming. growth!
(last year? deleted from memory)
13. Q1 is running behind. 
14. big bets pushed to q3/q4 (q2 = still “foundations”)
15. we feverishly watch for “green shoots”
16. tech debt appears, migrations “almost done”
17. “need more time”
18. hockey stick expected to begin in Q4
19. “we can still hit the budget!”
20. there’s no way we can hit the budget. 
21. some executive exits
22. we promise to be realistic next year
23. someone proposes a new planning framework to fix everything
24. it’s December again. we become ARR psychics. 
#planning

I’m about six months into Lovable, but it honestly feels like six years. In a good way. I haven’t felt a learning curve like this since I was still climbing early-career rungs.

(I joined when we were just under $45m in ARR. We just announced hitting $200M - just 4 months after hitting $100M 😅)

My previous growth playbook carried me through roles where most of my job was tuning funnels and scaling established loops. Not here. Maybe 30-40% of what I knew still applies. The rest I’ve had to unlearn.  

Here’s what I’m seeing:

- Growth is now about launching new “features” and product surfaces, not just fine-tuning what exists.  

- Traditional marketing is still useful, but it’s no longer the main lever - product, virality, creator economies and community matter more.  

- The growth surface has collapsed: fewer knobs on the UI, more focus on model quality, embedded growth in product itself.  

- We’re racing on a moving treadmill: product-market fit isn’t a one-time milestone, it’s a continuous state in this AI era.  

- Roles are blending; structures are messy; you *must* author your role and navigate the ambiguity.  

Bottom-line: The current environment rewards people who can create clarity instead of waiting for it. 

⚡️Want to learn more about landing a job in AI company? Join a FREE webinar Sidebar is hosting with me this upcoming Monday!  Details on my blog post. 

Read more on my blog: https://lnkd.in/eXYVn5j3

Webinar sign-up: https://luma.com/l4575cls

#growth

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SheBuilds on Lovable buildathon applications are open again!!! A buildathon created for women, by women. Will you be there!!?

SheBuilds on Lovable is for every woman who’s had a product idea strike while feeding the kids, between meetings, on a run, during school pickup, and thought, “if only I had the skills, time, or help.”

Good news: The time is *now*. And no coding skills are required!

You will join hundreds of other women, get 48 hours, build your idea, and we give you unlimited credits to make it happen. Together. We will support you. We will lift you up. YOU. WILL. SHIP!

I want women shipping apps that solve real problems they care about. Tools that help your community, your household, your kids, your parents, you business (and yea, make money). 

🔥 Because when women build, world gets better. 

Ladies, let's go build something nobody saw coming 💃 

Important deets:
1. 48 hour buildathon is Dec 15-17
2. applications close in 48 hours, on Nov 26th.

3. APPLY HERE: ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gpzsUR-R ⬅️ 
(if you've applied before, apply again!) 
-> you must have a Lovable account to apply

4. we’re selecting ~200 participants across 3 categories: business app, consumer app, and social impact 

5.  prizes: 5K lovable credits, mentorship from me, memories to last a lifetime, and a community that will absolutely change your trajectory

Season 1 was a blast. Season 2 is going to be even better. Don’t miss it!

P.S. Who runs the world???

#lovable #womenintech

Introducing… Lovable Missions - the easiest way to learn how to vibe code an app from scratch! Because if you’ve ever opened Lovable, saw the prompt box, and immediately wondered where the adult supervision went… this is your moment.

-> https://lnkd.in/eVinJDdS

We basically turned app building into GPS for builders: copy prompt, turn left, add a feature, arrive at app greatness.

Just pick your route: 
-> Landing page to catch that sweet sweet traffic before it runs away
-> Kanban board for the type A folks who color code their color coding
-> Lead capture for harvesting them MQLs 
-> AI chat bot that won’t gaslight you
aaaand more!

How it works: Grab an example app, follow the step by step prompts or watch the video, tweak it however you want, and prepare to shock yourself.

Warning: vibe coding is dangerously addicting. Side effects may include zero sleep, unsolicited app demos to friends, and the sudden belief that you possess superpowers.

Go build something. Now. 

P.S. This app is 100% vibe coded on Lovable. #EverythingIsPossible
#lovableway

behold… your 2026 annual planning bingo card.
I'm sorry to say, but... our business problems aren’t unique. neither are the solutions we keep pitching every december (just more AI this year than ever before). 
how many bingos can you hit? 
#corporatelife #tech

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Our clients tell us the same story: "I was spending all my time IN my newsletter business instead of working ON it." Sound familiar?

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Cagri Sarigoz

We're hiring! 🚀

Looking for someone who can write better than ChatGPT but isn't afraid to use it: Junior Content Marketer at HeyNews

Here's the deal: We're building AI-powered newsletter automation, which means we need a human who actually understands great content. (Ironic? Maybe. Smart? Definitely.)

What you'll do:
Curate newsletters, play with AI tools, explore affiliate strategies, and help us reach 300K+ subscribers—all while learning from founders who've been in the game for 15+ years.

What we need:
✍️ English skills that make grammarians weep with joy (C1+)
🧠 A growth mindset bigger than your coffee consumption
⏰ Organizational skills that would impress Marie Kondo

What you get:
🌍 Fully remote (pants optional, webcam on optional-er)
⏳ Flexible hours
📈 Startup growth = your growth
👥 Direct mentorship, not middle management mazes

Perfect for: Recent graduates, or anyone ready to pivot into digital marketing and actually enjoy Mondays.

Think you're the one? Link to apply in comments 👇

Not for you? Share with someone who'd be a great fit.

Helping creators build profitable newsletters without the time drain. Waitlist open—50% off for early birds 👇

Everyone shared their beehiiv Rewind. I'm just now getting to mine.

In my defense, I was busy... writing newsletters. The irony isn't lost on me.

Anyway, here's what happened when one of our many newsletters at HeyNews, went from 0 to 764 subscribers in 2025:

→ 32 newsletters shipped
→ 29.1K words written (that's a short novel, apparently)
→ 43.6% open rate
→ 14.3% CTR

We're either doing something right or our subscribers really like clicking things.

The highlight nobody asked for:
beehiiv said we're "big enough to populate an entire Martha's Vineyard Ferry."

I've never been to Martha's Vineyard, but I'm emotionally attached to this ferry now.

Top 3 posts that hit:
🥇 "Everybody is starting to publish newsletters"
🥈 "Turn social followers into subscribers"
🥉 "The Creator OS Era"

82% of readers are from the US. To the 6.8% in the UK reading at questionable hours—respect.

See you in 2026. I'll try to post my Rewind on time next year. No promises.

Sales Navigator

li_at

beehiiv

HeyNews

I keep coming back to this question: what actually makes a newsletter worth reading?

It’s not the fancy design or the clever automation. I’ve seen beautiful emails that feel empty, and plain ones that stick with me for days.

Sometimes I think it’s just honesty. The sense that a real person sat down and wrote something they actually care about. Not just another list of tips or trends.

But then I look at the numbers, and the most “honest” issues don’t always perform the best. The click rates are lower, the replies are quieter. 

It’s confusing. 

I want to believe that authenticity wins in the end, but the data doesn’t always agree. 

When this happens, I trust the data more than my gut. What about you?

Fun Fact: People often mispronounce and misspell my name, both in my home country, Türkiye, and elsewhere.

Correct spelling in Turkish:
Çağrı Sarıgöz

How people in Türkiye often pronounce and write my first name:
Çağlar
Çağdaş
Çağatay

For my last name:
Sarıgöl
Sarıgül
Karagöz

Outside Türkiye, I use Cagri, and people often write:
Cargi
Cargri
Gagri (this is a new one)

There’s a part of me that still gets nervous every time I hit send on a newsletter. 

You’d think after years of doing this, the anxiety would fade. But it doesn’t. 

I worry about typos, about boring people, about sending something that just lands with a thud. 

But the funny thing is, the issues I’m most unsure about are often the ones that get the best response. 

It’s like people can sense when you’re being real, even if you’re not sure it’s good enough. 

I don’t know if that ever goes away. Maybe it shouldn’t. Maybe a little bit of fear is what keeps the work honest. 

Or maybe I just need more coffee. 

Either way, I’m learning to live with the nerves. They’re a sign I still care.

Doesn’t matter if you’re a creator, founder, or solo builder—if you don’t have an email list, you’re missing out.

Get started: 
Use beehiiv for free 👉 https://lnkd.in/dPCDjBKs

All you need: 
A name, a simple logo, and a verified account.

You’ve got a newsletter.

beehiiv.com

beehiiv — The newsletter platform built for growth

Newsletter creators: How do you land your first brand deal?

Justin Moore's framework helped creators close $5M+ in sponsorships.

Here's the breakdown:

Step 1: Define your audience + one clear brand use-case (10 min)
Step 2: Build 3 modular pitch templates with one KPI-driven value claim (15–20 min)
Step 3: Add a one-slide mockup to show the idea
Step 4: Outreach cadence: Day 0 email, Day 3 follow-up, Day 7 final nudge

The secret? Start with a small paid pilot to prove ROI before pitching bigger packages.

Results: 2–3× reply rate, first $5k–$10k sponsor in 30–90 days.

What's your biggest challenge when pitching to brands?💰

Sponsorship Coach - I help you attract, price, and execute your dream brand partnerships.

Ever feel like meetings are just modern rituals—more about tradition than productivity? 

We spend hours in rooms or on calls, often leaving drained and with little to show for it. Yet, face-to-face interactions still matter—building connection, trust, a sense of belonging. 

The truth? Video fatigue is real, and reducing unnecessary meetings can skyrocket your team's efficiency. Think stand-ups, quick voice notes, or async updates—they’re simple, effective ways to stay connected without sacrificing time. 

And here’s a twist: while meetings may seem inefficient, they serve a deeper purpose—fostering community. Finding the right balance is key. 

Ready to rethink your meeting game? Sometimes, less is more.

For the full deep dive and actionable tips on turning meetings into actual rituals, read the latest issue of Culture Decoded here:

culturedecoded.org

🌀 Meetings as Modern Rituals

I used to think the hardest part of running a newsletter was coming up with fresh content every week.

Turns out, it’s not. It’s deciding what to leave out.

There’s always more you could add. More links, more insights, more clever little tricks. But at some point, it just becomes noise. I’ve caught myself cramming in one last section, thinking it’ll make the issue feel more valuable, only to realize it just makes it heavier.

People don’t want more. They want something that lands. Something that feels like it was written for them, not for some imaginary audience in a marketing deck.

Funny how subtraction can feel like progress.

Your email list is 6x more powerful than your follower count.

"Books make for great friends, because the best thinkers of the last few thousand years tell you their nuggets of wisdom."

— Naval Ravikand

Finally solved my Cloudflare access problem by using Surfshark to connect to the internet through a dedicated IP in the US.

I decided to renew my membership with their Black Friday discount. You can do the same here:

surfshark.com

An award-winning VPN deal

Surfshark

Love how Fiverr sends the contents of the messages I missed. Most platforms hide the messages, comments, etc. to bring you back to the platform.

taplio

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Elena Verna

Cagri Sarigoz

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taplio

The Battle

Elena Verna

Cagri Sarigoz

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Elena Verna's LinkedIn Performance

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