Inside the mindset that’s redefining speed, ownership, and success in the age of AI.
If you want a glimpse of the future of work, you need to pay attention to what Elena Verna just revealed from inside the lightning-fast, AI-fuelled startup Lovable.
In just seven months, this tiny powerhouse of ~35 people has hit an eye-watering $80 million in ARR. And no—it’s not just because of some magical AI product.
It’s because of the people.
AI-native employees.
They’re not just using AI.
They’re thinking, working, and building through it.
And it’s changing everything.
🤔 Wait, What Is an AI-Native Employee?
Elena thought “AI-native” referred to the product. GPT-powered, agent-based workflows. Smart automation. That kind of thing.
But once she stepped inside Lovable, she saw the truth:
"The product being AI-powered is only half the story. The real shift is how people work."
An AI-native employee doesn’t use AI like a tool in the shed.
They live in it. They solve problems with it.
It’s not Plan B. It’s Plan A. Always.
🧠 The AI-Native Mindset: A Shift in Operating System
Traditional tech teams operate like bureaucracies wrapped in Jira tickets. Want to ship a new idea? Prepare for a parade of planning docs, check-in meetings, budget approvals, and cross-functional coordination headaches.
By the time anything launches, it’s barely recognisable—and six months too late.
But inside Lovable, something else is happening.
Elena describes it as default-to-done.
Someone wants to launch a campaign? They build it.
Need an internal tool? They spin it up.
Marketing, dev, ops—all moving at breakneck speed, powered by AI and unshackled by layers of permission.
No waiting. No asking. Just doing.
💡 How You Can Become AI-Native
You don’t need to work at Lovable to adopt this mindset. You just need to embrace a few key behaviours:
1. Default to Action
Don’t ask if it’s possible—try it.
Use AI to sketch ideas, prototype solutions, write code, create content, automate workflows. Whatever the job is—start it with AI.
2. Own It All the Way
At Lovable, if you build it, you own it.
No passing the baton. No hiding behind process.
This is the future: you = maker, manager, and multiplier.
3. Shrink the Cost of Failure
With AI, iteration is free.
Mistakes don’t cost months.
Test. Learn. Adjust. Fast.
The AI-native employee treats failure as part of the feedback loop.
4. Ditch the Legacy Process
Process has its place—but not up front.
Don’t build for alignment. Build for outcomes.
When something starts working, then systematise.
🧬 What Makes This So Powerful?
AI-native work isn’t just efficient—it’s magnetic.
The velocity creates momentum. The ownership builds trust. The speed becomes a cultural advantage.
As Elena points out, these aren’t just tech whizzes. Many are straight out of school. They haven’t been soaked in corporate politics or paralysed by approval workflows.
They see a problem. They fix it.
They use AI as a co-creator—not an assistant.
And when everyone works this way, your company moves as one organism, not a pile of silos.
🧨 But… What About Jobs?
Elena doesn’t sugar-coat it:
Roles that exist solely to manage chaos or coordinate tasks across teams are disappearing.
Ops roles? Shrinking.
Managers with no domain depth? Fading fast.
This isn’t about losing jobs.
It’s about cutting the organisational fat that slows down innovation.
If you have real skills—sales, product, marketing, engineering—your future is bright if you embrace AI.
But if your job is just to “check in,” approve, and schedule? You’re in trouble.
🔥 Why Legacy Companies Will Struggle
Here’s the harsh truth: you can’t bolt AI onto a broken org chart and expect magic.
You can’t form an “AI taskforce” and hope people suddenly start thinking differently.
The AI-native mindset is caught, not taught.
It spreads through culture, trust, and example.
And if someone dares to work differently in a legacy system? Bureaucracy will bleed them dry with 1,000 cuts:
“Did Legal approve this?”
“Let’s revisit in Q4.”
“Run it through governance.”
Spark: extinguished.
🎯 Final Word from the Frontlines
The future of work won’t be defined by who has the best AI tools.
It will be defined by who has the guts to use them without asking permission.
AI-native employees are the new 10x team.
They move fast.
They think independently.
And they don’t wait to be told.
Elena’s insight is clear:
✅ Companies will shrink.
✅ Middle managers will fade.
✅ Process will become lightweight and optional.
✅ AI-native talent will lead the charge.
The good news? You don’t need to work at Lovable to be one of them.
You just need to start thinking like one today.
📝 Based on the original article by Elena Verna, “The Rise of the AI-Native Employee” published on June 28, 2025.
