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 buyers, operators, and founders come to speak techniques — 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. When you’re in search of real-world insights from individuals who’ve really constructed and backed category-defining firms, 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 parents who’ve been by the fireplace — plus viewers Q&A throughout each session, so you may get your hardest questions answered, dwell.
Scale smarter with actionable insights from the leaders sitting entrance and heart on the Builders Stage. Register now and save up to $675 on your ticket.
A primary take a look at the Builders Stage agenda
See beneath what’s locked in to date, and keep tuned. The Disrupt 2025 agenda is just getting larger, with extra prime names and daring conversations on the way in which.
Elevating Good
A Dialog with Investor Extraordinaire Elad Gil
Earlier than a lot 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 firms like Airbnb, Airtable, Anduril, Brex, Checkr, Coinbase, Deel, Figma, Flexport, GitLab, Gusto, Instacart, Notion, Opendoor, Pinterest, Rippling, Sq., Stripe… you get the thought.
Gil, who has additionally based a number of firms like Mixer Labs (purchased by Twitter) and Coloration 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, associate, at 01 Advisors
Be part of these three powerhouse buyers from 01 Advisors for an insider hearth chat on what it actually takes to construct, scale, and fund early-stage startups at present. From product to progress 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, associate, Harlem Capital, Marlon Nichols, co-founder and managing normal associate, MaC Enterprise Capital, and Maria Palma, associate, Freestyle Capital
Elevating your first spherical is hard, however removed from unimaginable. This panel brings collectively skilled buyers to interrupt down what it actually takes to shut a seed spherical. From crafting the best pitch to making sure you might be greenlighting the best companions, get actionable recommendation to show investor curiosity into capital.
How you can Increase a Collection A in 2026
Sangeen Zeb, normal associate, 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. Discover ways to place your organization for its first priced, institutional funding.
What VCs Actually Need to Hear in Your Pitch
Medha Agarwal, normal associate, defy.vc, Jyoti Bansal, CEO and co-founder, Harness, and Jennifer Neundorfer, normal associate, 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 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 associate, 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. Discover ways 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 Increase
Lila Preston, head of progress fairness, Technology Funding Administration, Andrea Thomaz, CEO and co-founder, Diligent Robotics, and Zeya Yang, associate, IVP
Elevating later-stage rounds takes greater than luck — it’s about technique from day one. Be part of these two distinctive VCs and an skilled founder 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 Putting Their Bets in 2026
Nina Achadjian, associate, Index Ventures, Jerry Chen, normal associate, Greylock, and Viviana Faga, normal associate, 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 online business within the yr forward.
Scaling Good
Constructing in a Time of Uncertainty
Ryan Petersen, founder and CEO, Flexport
Uncertainty is the brand new regular, nevertheless it’s additionally a possibility. On this hearth chat, Ryan Petersen, CEO of world logistics unicorn Flexport, shares his hard-won insights. With $2.3 billion 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 position after which returning lower than a yr later. Founders, take notes: That is the way you construct when the foundations hold altering.
How you can Nail Product-Market Match
Rajat Bhageria, founder and CEO, Chef Robotics, Ann Bordetsky, associate, NEA, and Murali Joshi, associate, ICONIQ
Constructing a product is difficult. Constructing one which clients are champing 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 progress, funding, and traction. Hear from a founder who’s lived it and two buyers who’ve helped many others get there. This panel breaks down take a look at smarter and iterate with intention so you possibly can cease guessing and begin rising.
How A lot Wage and Fairness Ought to You Actually Supply Early Workers?
Randi Jakubowitz, head of operations and expertise, 645 Ventures, Rebecca Lee Whiting, fractional normal 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 possibly can entice and hold them. This panel dives into constructing fairness and advantages packages that compete with large tech with out breaking your burn price. Hear real-world methods to align incentives, increase retention, and construct a group that scales.
With Vibe Coding, Do Early-Stage Startups Nonetheless Have to Rent 10x Engineers?
David Cramer, co-founder and CPO, Sentry, Lauri Moore, associate, Bessemer Enterprise Companions, and a speaker to be introduced
Vibe coding merchandise have fully modified the velocity, price, 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 be taught to code anymore. If that’s the 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 Workers?
Caleb Peffer, co-founder and CEO, Firecrawl, and extra audio system to be introduced
Most startups at present 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 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 help? To automate your billing? Discover ways to decide the best use instances, construct smarter workflows, and get the largest impression with restricted assets.
Do Startups Nonetheless Want Silicon Valley?
Anh-Tho Chuong, CEO and co-founder, Lago, Heather Doshay, associate, head of expertise, SignalFire, and David Hall, managing associate, Rise of the Relaxation seed fund, Revolution
Whereas Silicon Valley remains 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 sturdy elsewhere that they don’t want it. Hear views from buyers and founders redefining what it means to construct, scale, and fund an organization in at present’s decentralized tech world.
Constructing a GTM Engine that Really Works
Max Altschuler, founder and normal associate, 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 clients, and scales effectively. Hear from founders and GTM consultants on hiring, messaging, gross sales techniques, 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 dwell 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 move at present. Register here to lock in your savings.
