Disrupt 2025 is just days away, with tickets still available here! And there’s no better time to announce that alongside our flagship event and annual Startup Battlefield 200 competition, we’re launching a brand new TechCrunch franchise: Build Mode.
Hosted by Startup Battlefield Editor Isabelle Johannessen, Build Mode is a survival guide for early-stage founders navigating the messy, high-stakes chaos of building a company from the ground up. No sugar coating. No hype. Just honest discussions and tactical advice from people who have done it before and have the scars (and term sheets) to prove it.
Starting November 13, Isabelle will meet founders, VCs and operators to uncover the real stories behind the build. Each season and weekly episode will tackle a topic that keeps founders up at night: go-to-market chaos, fundraising pressure, runaway runways, failed hires, and everything in between.
Whether you’re Apple, Spotifyor YouTube person, you can tune into the build mode where podcasts are located. Bonus content and exclusive clips will drop on TechCrunch’s social channels, including Instagram, Xand TikTok. If you haven’t signed up yet, the clock is ticking until we officially launch in a few weeks!
Watch the trailer for Build Mode and the first season here:
Season 1 of Build Mode begins by diving into the good, the bad and the harsh reality of bringing your product to market. From big splashes to epic fails, we unpack what it really takes to go from idea to execution. And we’re thrilled to have it our Season One sponsor, JP Morgan;along for the ride.
But this is only the beginning.
Techcrunch event
San Francisco
|
27-29 October 2025
We want Build Mode to be more than just a podcast. We want it to be a maker community that helps other makers succeed, just like the 1,700+ startups that have come through the Startup Battlefield program. That means we want to hear from you, the founders, operators and curious listeners, about the questions and issues that keep you up at night.
We’ll be incorporating stories, tips and questions from the community into upcoming episodes, so stay tuned for how to get involved!
And if you’ve previously subscribed to our Found podcast — welcome back! You are already a member of the Build Mode community. We’re keeping the Found archive alive so you can revisit founder interviews and information from years past. No gatekeepers, just honest stories and hard-earned lessons, shared freely for anyone brave enough to build a startup.
