Startups don’t construct themselves. The Builders Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, going down 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 number of the sharpest minds within the recreation to the stage, together with legendary investor Elad Gil, former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, and Flexport founder Ryan Petersen. In the event you’re in search of real-world insights from individuals who’ve really constructed and backed category-defining corporations, that is the place it occurs.
Whether or not you’re wrestling along with your first time period sheet, constructing a GTM engine that really converts, or questioning if AI ought to be your subsequent rent, the Builders Stage has solutions. Count on candid conversations, contemporary methods, and no-fluff recommendation from the oldsters who’ve been by the fireplace — plus viewers Q&A throughout each session, so you may get your hardest questions answered, stay.
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 take a look at the Builders Stage agenda
See what’s locked in up to now beneath and keep tuned. The Disrupt 2025 agenda is barely getting larger, with extra prime names and daring conversations on the best way.
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 Colour Well being, at all times appears to know what’s subsequent. And he’s already engaged on the following 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 hearth chat on what it actually takes to construct, scale, and fund early-stage startups as we speak. From product to development to fundraising, you’ll get candid recommendation and contemporary views from business veterans shaping the following 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 unimaginable. This panel brings collectively skilled traders to interrupt down what it actually takes to shut a seed spherical. From crafting the best pitch to making sure you’re greenlighting the best companions, get actionable recommendation to show investor curiosity into capital.
How one can Elevate 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 Wish 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 only some stand out. Hear immediately from VCs on what they love, what makes them cringe, and the refined alerts founders usually miss. This panel reveals insider suggestions that will help you craft a pitch that grabs consideration, builds belief, and wins the best 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 recreation on the town. Be part of us as we discover various fundraising paths with an angel investor, a household workplace vice chairman, and a founder who bootstrapped to success. Learn to faucet into capital that aligns along with your imaginative and prescient, retains you in management, and will get you to the following stage in your phrases.
Getting ready Now for Your Later Stage Elevate
Lila Preston, head of development fairness, Technology 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 the best way to construct metrics, storytelling, and relationships that place your startup for future funding success. Be taught 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 good 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 developments and applied sciences that might form your online business within the yr forward.
Scaling Sensible
Constructing in a Time of Uncertainty
Ryan Petersen, founder and CEO, Flexport
Uncertainty is the brand new regular, however it’s additionally a possibility. On this hearth chat, Ryan Petersen, CEO of world logistics unicorn Flexport, shares his hard-won insights. With $2.3B raised, Flexport’s delivery expertise intersects worldwide enterprise and coverage, giving Petersen nearly prescient financial insights. He’s been vocal about every thing from tariff coverage to AI. He’s additionally skilled private volatility, famously leaving his CEO position after which returning lower than a yr later. Founders, take notes: that is the way you construct when the principles maintain altering.
How one can 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 observe to development, 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 the best way to 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 appeal to and maintain them. This panel dives into constructing fairness and advantages packages that compete with large tech with out breaking your burn fee. Hear real-world methods to align incentives, enhance retention, and construct a crew 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 ability wanted to construct merchandise, from prototypes to delivery. That is very true for early stage startups. Some makers of those merchandise have even declared that nobody must be taught 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 software 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 as we speak are utilizing AI in some capacities: vibe coding prototypes or new options, deep analysis through their favourite chat earlier than gross sales calls. Many are additionally constructing AI merchandise, or not 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 an alternative of people for gross sales? For buyer assist? To automate your billing? Learn to decide the best use circumstances, construct smarter workflows, and get the largest affect 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 vital 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 sturdy 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 as we speak’s decentralized tech world.
Constructing a GTM Engine that Really 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 operate that drives development, wins prospects, and scales effectively. Hear from founders and GTM specialists on hiring, messaging, gross sales ways, and the important thing metrics that show your method is working.
Wish to see extra?
Not solely will you acquire invaluable insights from these tech giants stay at Disrupt 2025 alongside 10,000+ startup, tech, and VC leaders this October, however you may as well save as much as $675 in your go as we speak. Register right here to lock in your financial savings.
