Startups don’t construct themselves. The Builders Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, happening October 27–29 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, is the place traders, operators, and founders come to speak ways — the nitty-gritty of getting one thing off the bottom and making it work. This yr, we’re bringing a few of the sharpest minds within the sport to the stage, together with legendary investor Elad Gil, former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, and Flexport founder Ryan Petersen. In the event you’re searching for real-world insights from individuals who’ve truly constructed and backed category-defining corporations, that is the place it occurs.
Whether or not you’re wrestling together with your first time period sheet, constructing a GTM engine that truly converts, or questioning if AI needs to be your subsequent rent, the Builders Stage has solutions. Count on candid conversations, recent methods, and no-fluff recommendation from the oldsters who’ve been by way of the hearth — plus viewers Q&A throughout each session, so you will get your hardest questions answered, reside.
Scale smarter with actionable insights from the leaders sitting entrance and heart on the Builders Stage. Register now and save as much as $675 in your ticket.
A primary have a look at the Builders Stage agenda
See what’s locked in thus far beneath and keep tuned. The Disrupt 2025 agenda is simply getting larger, with extra prime names and daring conversations on the way in which.
Elevating Sensible
A Dialog with Investor Extraordinaire Elad Gil
Earlier than many of the world had skilled ChatGPT, Elad Gil had already written seed checks to startups like Perplexity, Character.AI, and Harvey. That’s on prime of early bets on corporations like Airbnb, Airtable, Anduril, Brex, Checkr, Coinbase, Deel, Figma, Flexport, GitLab, Gusto, Instacart, Notion, Opendoor, Pinterest, Rippling, Sq., Stripe… you get the concept.
Gil, who has additionally based a number of corporations like Mixerlabs (purchased by Twitter) and Coloration Well being, at all times appears to know what’s subsequent. And he’s already engaged on the subsequent issues coming for AI and investing.
Constructing What’s Subsequent with the Minds Behind Twitter and Meta
Adam Bain and Dick Costolo, co-founders and managing companions, and David Fischer, companion, at 01 Advisors
Be part of these three powerhouse traders from 01 Advisors for an insider fireplace chat on what it actually takes to construct, scale, and fund early-stage startups in the present day. From product to progress to fundraising, you’ll get candid recommendation and recent views from business veterans shaping the subsequent wave of tech success.
Seed Cash Secrets and techniques Each Founder Ought to Know
Gabby Cazeau, companion, Harlem Capital, Marlon Nichols, co-Founder and managing common companion, MaC Enterprise Capital, and Maria Palma, companion, Freestyle Capital
Elevating your first spherical is hard, however removed from not possible. This panel brings collectively skilled traders to interrupt down what it actually takes to shut a seed spherical. From crafting the correct pitch to making sure you’re greenlighting the correct companions, get actionable recommendation to show investor curiosity into capital.
The best way to Increase a Collection A in 2026
Sangeen Zeb, common companion, GV, and extra audio system to be introduced
On this unfiltered panel, prime VCs reveal what actually will get them to supply a time period sheet with a wholesome valuation — from metrics that matter to the pitch errors that kill offers. Learn to place your organization for its first priced, institutional funding.
What VCs Actually Need to Hear in Your Pitch
Medha Agarwal, common companion, defy.vc, Jyoti Bansal, CEO and co-founder, Harness, and Jennifer Neundorfer, common companion, January Ventures
Buyers hear a whole bunch of pitches, however just a few stand out. Hear straight from VCs on what they love, what makes them cringe, and the delicate indicators founders usually miss. This panel reveals insider ideas that can assist you craft a pitch that grabs consideration, builds belief, and wins the correct checks.
Rethinking Startup Capital With out VCs
Erik Allebest, co-founder and CEO, Chess.com, Kay Makishi, Lupoff/Stevens Household Workplace, and Gale Wilkinson, managing companion, VITALIZE Enterprise Capital
VCs aren’t the one sport on the town. Be part of us as we discover various fundraising paths with an angel investor, a household workplace vp, and a founder who bootstrapped to success. Learn to faucet into capital that aligns together with your imaginative and prescient, retains you in management, and will get you to the subsequent stage in your phrases.
Making ready Now for Your Later Stage Increase
Lila Preston, head of progress fairness, Era Funding Administration, Andrea Thomaz, CEO and co-founder, Diligent Robotics, and Zeya Yang, companion, IVP
Elevating later-stage rounds takes greater than luck — it’s about technique from day one. Be part of these three distinctive VCs as they share construct metrics, storytelling, and relationships that place your startup for future funding success. Study the important thing strikes that set you as much as shut larger rounds with confidence.
The place VCs Are Inserting Their Bets in 2026
Nina Achadjian, companion, Index Ventures, Jerry Chen, common companion, Greylock, and Viviana Faga, common companion, Felicis
Curious the place the sensible cash is heading subsequent? This panel brings collectively prime VCs to share their 2026 funding priorities, rising sectors, and what improvements are catching their eye. Early-stage founders, this one is for you! Get a uncommon glimpse into the tendencies and applied sciences that would form your corporation within the yr forward.
Scaling Sensible
Constructing in a Time of Uncertainty
Ryan Petersen, founder and CEO, Flexport
Uncertainty is the brand new regular, nevertheless it’s additionally a chance. On this fireplace chat, Ryan Petersen, CEO of world logistics unicorn Flexport, shares his hard-won insights. With $2.3B raised, Flexport’s transport know-how intersects worldwide enterprise and coverage, giving Petersen virtually prescient financial insights. He’s been vocal about all the pieces from tariff coverage to AI. He’s additionally skilled private volatility, famously leaving his CEO function after which returning lower than a yr later. Founders, take notes: that is the way you construct when the principles preserve altering.
The best way to Nail Product Market Match
Rajat Bhageria, founder and CEO, Chef Robotics, Ann Bordetsky, companion, NEA, and Murali Joshi, companion, ICONIQ
Constructing a product is difficult. Constructing one which prospects are chomping on the bit to get, that’s priced proper, and delivers on its guarantees is even tougher, and it’s at all times messy. However when you hit the holy grail of product-market match, your startup is on a quick monitor to progress, funding, and traction. Hear from a founder who’s lived it and two traders who’ve helped many others get there. This panel breaks down take a look at smarter and iterate with intention so you’ll be able to cease guessing and begin rising.
How A lot Wage and Fairness Ought to You Actually Provide Early Staff?
Randi Jakubowitz, head of operations and expertise, 645 Ventures, Rebecca Lee Whiting, fractional common counsel for early-stage startups, Epigram Authorized P.C., and Yin Wu, CEO and founder, Pulley
Early hires form your startup’s future, however provided that you’ll be able to entice and preserve them. This panel dives into constructing fairness and advantages packages that compete with massive tech with out breaking your burn charge. Hear real-world methods to align incentives, increase retention, and construct a staff that scales.
With Vibe Coding, Do Early Stage Startups Nonetheless Must Rent 10x Engineers?
David Cramer, co-founder and CPO, Sentry, Lauri Moore, companion, Bessemer Enterprise Companions, and a speaker to be introduced
Vibe coding merchandise have fully modified the velocity, value, and technical talent wanted to construct merchandise, from prototypes to transport. That is very true for early stage startups. Some makers of those merchandise have even declared that nobody must study to code anymore. In that case, which means startups don’t have to fill their early rosters with the famed 10x coders. However how a lot of that’s hype and the way a lot is actuality? Our panelists will dive into how the developer device world is altering and what comes subsequent.
Ought to You Rent AI as Early Staff?
Caleb Peffer, co-founder and CEO, Firecrawl, and extra audio system to be introduced
Most startups in the present day are utilizing AI in some capacities: vibe coding prototypes or new options, deep analysis by way of their favourite chat earlier than gross sales calls. Many are additionally constructing AI merchandise, or no less than together with AI choices and options. So, must you embed AI on the root operations of your companies, like hiring AI brokers as a substitute of people for gross sales? For buyer assist? To automate your billing? Learn to choose the correct use circumstances, construct smarter workflows, and get the largest impression with restricted sources.
Do Startups Nonetheless Want Silicon Valley?
Anh-Tho Chuong, CEO and co-founder, Lago, Heather Doshay, companion, head of expertise, SignalFire, and David Corridor, managing companion, rise of the remainder seed fund, Revolution
Whereas Silicon Valley continues to be the startup capital, how necessary is entry to it anymore? This panel debates whether or not founders should plant roots within the Valley to succeed or if alternative is so robust elsewhere that they don’t want it. Hear views from traders and founders redefining what it means to construct, scale, and fund an organization in in the present day’s decentralized tech world.
Constructing a GTM Engine that Truly Works
Max Altschuler, founder and common companion, GTMfund, and extra audio system to be introduced
A killer product wants a killer go-to-market technique. This panel breaks down how early-stage startups can construct a GTM perform that drives progress, wins prospects, and scales effectively. Hear from founders and GTM consultants on hiring, messaging, gross sales ways, and the important thing metrics that show your strategy is working.
Need to see extra?
Not solely will you acquire invaluable insights from these tech giants reside at Disrupt 2025 alongside 10,000+ startup, tech, and VC leaders this October, however it’s also possible to save as much as $675 in your cross in the present day. Register right here to lock in your financial savings.
