Lovable's Head of Design treats a portfolio not as a document but as a product. He looks for an immediate "gut reaction" based on fundamental design quality like typography and composition. A portfolio that fails this initial, milliseconds-long test is quickly discarded, regardless of the projects within.
If you lack certain skills (e.g., visual craft), explicitly acknowledging this weakness in your application can be a strength. It demonstrates self-awareness and a growth mindset—key traits of a "high slope" individual. It is better to own your narrative than to let others make assumptions.
During a paid work trial, avoid the mindset of a new employee on a slow onboarding track. Instead, act like a contractor hired for immediate impact. The goal is to create structure, generate momentum, and demonstrate autonomous productivity from the very first minute, just as a freelancer would.
Candidates often fail Lovable's "past work" interview by treating it as a standard portfolio presentation. The company provides specific prep materials outlining discussion points. Ignoring these instructions and showing a generic deck is a major red flag, revealing a lack of preparation and attention to detail.
Lovable evaluates side projects with the same weight as professional work. A fanatical, well-crafted side project can demonstrate a candidate's ceiling for hard skills and intrinsic motivation more effectively than their day job, making them a top candidate regardless of their formal work history.
Instead of detailing every step of your design process, focus on showcasing the final work. Hiring managers often assume a process exists. Over-explaining it can introduce biases (e.g., you only show qualitative research) or provide reasons for disqualification. Let the work be the hero, not the process.
Lovable is moving away from the specialist, cross-functional squad model popularized by companies like Spotify, believing it creates decision-making bottlenecks. Instead, they hire "high slope" generalists with broad skills and good judgment who can own projects from start to finish, using AI to fill gaps.