TechCrunch Disrupt, the flagship startup event held annually in San Francisco, returns October 28-30 — and you can expect a buzzing crowd of thousands of startup enthusiasts.
Exciting news! We’re excited to reveal the almost complete agenda for Builders Stage, the culmination of months of hard work. This is just one of six stages featured at this year’s event, with many more announcements on the horizon.
PS Early bird ticket sales end May 31st. Book your pass today to save up to $800!
About Builders Stage
The Builders Stage serves as a hub for dozens of panels and interviews dedicated to the fundamentals of creating and funding tech startups. This year, we’re doubling down on our commitment to deliver top-tier programming with innovation at all stages of a startup’s journey. Expect deep dives into business, talent acquisition, fundraising and other critical topics tailored to the new wave of startup pioneers. Plus, don’t miss sessions like “How to Find and Keep, Product Market Fit,” “What You Need to Raise a Series A Today,” and “When to Cash Out, When to Keep Fighting.”
First look at the Builders Stage agenda
How the Chainsmokers bring value beyond their celebrity status
While many celebrities invest in startups, the Chainsmokers are different. Instead of angel investing, Drew Taggart and Alex Pall created an official fund, Mantis Venture Capital. they invest from an official closed-end fund; and they back companies in industries their celebrity prowess can’t always help, like security startups and analytics platforms. In this session, Taggart and Pall will be joined by Dan Lorenc, founder of Chainguard, to talk about how they are an asset to their B2B startups.
- Alex Pall, General Partner, Mantis VC
- Drew Taggart, General Partner, Mantis VC
- Dan Lorenc, Co-Founder and CEO, Chainguard
How to find and maintain product-market fit
Every startup knows they have to find product-market fit. But once they’ve found true resonance between what they offer and what’s in demand, how should a startup ensure it doesn’t lose the product-market fit it’s acquired? Finding PMF is one thing. maintaining it is another.
- Spenser Skates, Co-Founder and CEO, Amplitude
- Tamar Yehoshua, President of Product and Technology, Glean
How to build a company while protecting your mental health
Everyone knows that building a company is stressful. And it is equally well known that endless years of work can lead to burnout. So why aren’t we talking more about the mental health of founders? Now that our culture is more comfortable discussing mental health in general, it’s time to bring the topic to Disrupt for a thorough interrogation.
- Andy Dunn, Co-Founder, Bonobos; CEO, Pie
What you need to raise a Series A today
Unless you’re building the next fundamental AI company model, raising a Series A today is probably harder than it’s been in a while. So, to help founders prepare for their first round of letters, investors explain what they—and their companies—are looking for in their next Series A offerings.
- Renata Quintini, Co-Founder and CEO, Renegade Partners
- Elizabeth Yin, General Partner, Hustle Fund
When to Cash Out, When to Keep Fighting
Startup founders often have the opportunity to sell their companies before they reach full maturity. In today’s world with IPOs often lagging past historical standards, it can be tempting for founders to look for a parent company for their startups. But when does selling make sense, and when should a founder continue to forge their own path?
- Naveen Rao, Vice President of Generative AI, Databricks
How startups can save the world
Startups and venture capital investments are usually judged in light of their financial results. The bigger a startup gets, the more it’s worth. But some pioneering tech companies are also working to make the world a better place while making money. So we want to know how far “doing good” can go without abandoning the critical “making money” side of building tech companies.
- Rebecca Hu, Co-Founder, Glacier
- Allison Wolff, CEO, Vibrant Planet
Don’t Be a Lemming: The Anti-hype Panel
What is the difference between a real deal and hype? The right answer to this question is the difference between success and failure in the technology industry. And it’s a much more difficult question than it seems. When everyone is convinced that a certain technology is the future, founders—even VCs—tend to pursue that technology en masse. But as anyone who’s been through a boom-and-bust valley knows, collective excitement — the hype — isn’t the best indicator.
- Matt Rogers, Co-Founder, Nest; Co-Founder and CEO, Mill
- Natalie Sportelli, Director, Bullish
- Hoolie Tejwani, Director, Corporate Development and Ventures, Coinbase Ventures
The Next Multi-Billion Tech Companies
You might think that when ex-Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, ex-Twitter COO Adam Bain and ex-Facebook chief revenue officer David Fischer joined forces for a venture capital firm, they’d be focused on a next-generation internet . Or fixing social media. But you’d be wrong. They look for companies ready for a Series B round and help them hyperscale, without taking board seats.
- Adam Bain, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, 01 Advisors
- Dick Costolo, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, 01 Advisors
- David Fischer, 01 Consultants
Family offices want a startup for a startup, but what are they looking for?
Family offices have become increasingly active in investing in startups both directly and through their VC investors. But what are they looking for? While no two family offices are the same, this session will examine family office investment trends and where they spend time in the startup ecosystem. We’ll also look at what kind of risk these investors want to take and what makes a startup suitable for this class of backers.
Can startups reignite American manufacturing?
Not every startup is building simple software. A large number today also manufacture hardware, raising the question of where their equipment will be designed and manufactured. Some choose to invest in domestic manufacturing capacity, often under the term “American Dynamism.” This panel will explore how far—and how fast—the reindustrialization of the United States can go, and how we will accomplish it.
- Rebecca Gevalt, Managing Partner, Dcode Capital
- Topher Haddad, Co-Founder and CEO, Albedo
- Kai Kloepfer, Founder & CEO, Biofire
Free but not cheap, the open source dilemma
Open source software is everywhere and in everything. Many startups are explicitly pursuing open source business models. But every company out there that makes software has at least some reliance on open source. Recent security issues, however, have made it clear that open source software is a target for government-level hackers. So, how can we continue to build and use code that has been shared, but without the risk of backdoors and other security holes?
- Aeva Black, Open Source Security Officer, Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
- Luis VIlla, Co-Founder and General Counsel of Tidelift
How to hire in 2025
Gone are the days when recruits seemed more plentiful than leaves in the wind. As such, workers in almost every startup face a more conservative job market. How can founders take advantage of their increased labor purchasing power while still treating their staff with respect and retaining key talent? Founders, take note, this is for you.
- Heather Doshay, Partner, People & Talent, SignalFire
- Lauren Illovsky, Talent Partner, Capital G
- Roger Lee, CEO, Comprehensive.io
How to raise in 2025 if you have taken a flat, down or expansion round
Old ideas like yours need $100 million to go public and $1 million in annual recurring revenue to get a Series A are so old they’re practically on top of Abe Lincoln’s head. In today’s market, what a startup needs to raise depends on its industry, its founder profile and, yes, its momentum. So, what do you need to raise that Series A?
- Nikhil Basu Trivedi, Co-Founder and General Partner, Footwork
- Dayna Grayson, Co-Founder and General Partner of Construct Capital;
- Elliott Robinson, Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners
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