\n<\/p>\n
Startups don\u2019t build themselves, and the Builders Stage<\/strong> at TechCrunch Disrupt <\/strong>2025<\/strong><\/span> \u2014 taking place October 27\u201329 at San Francisco\u2019s Moscone West \u2014 is where founders, operators, and investors get real about what it actually takes. This stage is all tactics, the nitty-gritty of turning an idea into a business that works.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve already announced heavy hitters like Elad Gil, Dick Costolo, and Ryan Petersen \u2014 and now the lineup is getting even bigger. New speakers, including Discord\u2019s Jason Citron, and new sessions, like live demos of the latest robots, are joining the agenda. Expect fresh insights on everything from closing your first term sheet to scaling your go-to-market engine to finding where AI truly fits in your business.<\/p>\n Expect candid conversations, hard-won lessons, and live Q&A with the people who\u2019ve built and backed category-defining companies. If you want to scale smarter, the Builders Stage is where it happens. Register now and save up to $668 on your ticket before rates go up later this month.<\/strong><\/p>\n Elad Gil, CEO, Gil & Co.<\/strong><\/p>\n Before most of the world had experienced ChatGPT, Elad Gil had already written seed checks to startups like Perplexity, Character.AI, and Harvey. That\u2019s on top of early bets on companies like Airbnb, Airtable, Anduril, Brex, Checkr, Coinbase, Deel, Figma, Flexport, GitLab, Gusto, Instacart, Notion, Opendoor, Pinterest, Rippling, Square, Stripe\u00a0\u2026 you get the idea.<\/p>\n Gil, who has also founded multiple companies like Mixerlabs (bought by Twitter) and Color Health, always seems to know what\u2019s next. And he\u2019s already working on the next things coming for AI and investing.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong>Slava Blazer \/ TechCrunch<\/span><\/p>\n Adam Bain and Dick Costolo, co-founders and managing partners, and David Fischer, partner, at 01 Advisors<\/strong><\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco<\/span> Join these three powerhouse investors from 01 Advisors for an insider fireside chat about what it really takes to build, scale, and fund early-stage startups today. From product to growth to fundraising, you\u2019ll get candid advice and fresh perspectives from industry veterans shaping the next wave of tech success.<\/p>\n Navin Chaddha, managing partner, Mayfield; and Charles Hudson, managing partner, Precursor Ventures<\/strong><\/p>\n Raising pre-seed and seed-stage capital at the inception stage means pitching without a product, users, or traction \u2014 just a vision and a founder story. In this panel, Navin Chaddha of Mayfield and Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures share what they look for in the earliest-stage founders and how to stand out when you have little more than an idea. Learn how to build trust, tell a compelling story, and avoid the most common mistakes founders make when trying to land that critical first check.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong>Kimberly White \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n Gabby Cazeau, partner, Harlem Capital; Marlon Nichols, co-founder and managing general partner, MaC Venture Capital; and Maria Palma, partner, Freestyle Capital<\/strong><\/p>\n Raising your first round is tough, but far from impossible. This panel brings together experienced investors to break down what it really takes to close a seed round. From crafting the right pitch to ensuring you are greenlighting the right partners, get actionable advice to turn investor interest into capital.<\/p>\n Thomas Krane, managing director, Insight Partners; Katie Stanton, founder and general partner, Moxxie Ventures; and Sangeen Zeb, general partner, GV<\/strong><\/p>\n In this unfiltered panel, top VCs reveal what really gets them to offer a term sheet with a healthy valuation \u2014 from metrics that matter to the pitch mistakes that kill deals. Learn how to position your company for its first priced, institutional investment.<\/p>\n Medha Agarwal, general partner, defy.vc; Jyoti Bansal, CEO and co-founder, Harness; and Jennifer Neundorfer, general partner, January Ventures<\/strong><\/p>\n Investors hear hundreds of pitches, but only a few stand out. Hear directly from VCs on what they love, what makes them cringe, and the subtle signals founders often miss. This panel reveals insider tips to help you craft a pitch that grabs attention, builds trust, and wins the right checks.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong>Kimberly White \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n Erik Allebest, co-founder and CEO, Chess.com; Kay Makishi, Lupoff\/Stevens Family Office; and Gale Wilkinson, managing partner, VITALIZE Venture Capital<\/strong><\/p>\n VCs aren\u2019t the only game in town. Join us as we explore alternative fundraising paths with an angel investor, a family office vice president, and a founder who bootstrapped to success. Learn how to tap into capital that aligns with your vision, keeps you in control, and gets you to the next stage on your terms.<\/p>\n Lila Preston, head of growth equity, Generation Investment Management; Andrea Thomaz, CEO and co-founder, Diligent Robotics; and Zeya Yang, partner, IVP<\/strong><\/p>\n Raising later-stage rounds takes more than luck \u2014 it\u2019s about strategy from day one. Join these three exceptional VCs and an experienced founder as they share how to build metrics, storytelling, and relationships that position your startup for future funding success. Learn the key moves that set you up to close bigger rounds with confidence.<\/p>\n Nina Achadjian, partner, Index Ventures; Jerry Chen, general partner, Greylock; and Viviana Faga, general partner, Felicis\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Curious where the smart money is heading next? This panel brings together top VCs to share their 2026 investment priorities, emerging sectors, and what innovations are catching their eye. Early-stage founders, this one is for you! Get a rare glimpse into the trends and technologies that could shape your business in the year ahead.<\/p>\n Ryan Petersen, founder and CEO, Flexport<\/strong><\/p>\n Uncertainty is the new normal, but it\u2019s also an opportunity. In this fireside chat, Ryan Petersen, CEO of global logistics unicorn Flexport, shares his hard-won insights. With $2.3 billion raised, Flexport\u2019s shipping technology sits at the intersection of international business and policy, giving Petersen almost prescient economic insights. He\u2019s been vocal about everything from tariff policy to AI. He\u2019s also experienced personal volatility, famously leaving his CEO role and then returning less than a year later. Founders, take note: This is how you build when the rules keep changing.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong>Slava Blazer \/ TechCrunch<\/span><\/p>\n Jason Citron, founder and former CEO, Discord; and Tade Oyerinde, founder and chancellor, Campus<\/strong><\/p>\n What happens when you design around people, not institutions? Jason Citron, founder and former CEO of Discord, and Tade Oyerinde, founder and chancellor of Campus, will discuss how they built companies that tapped into community to break through the noise. From Discord\u2019s rise as a global hub for millions to Campus\u2019 ambitious mission to reinvent college, they\u2019ll explore product design, lessons in scaling amid competition, and how founders can balance vision with adaptability.<\/p>\n Rajat Bhageria, founder and CEO, Chef Robotics; Ann Bordetsky, partner, NEA; and Murali Joshi, partner, ICONIQ<\/strong><\/p>\n Building a product is hard. Building one that customers are chomping at the bit to get, that\u2019s priced right, and that delivers on its promises is even harder, and it\u2019s always messy. But once you hit the holy grail of product-market fit, your startup is on a fast track to growth, funding, and traction. Hear from a founder who\u2019s lived it and two investors who\u2019ve helped many others get there. This panel breaks down how to test smarter and iterate with intention so you can stop guessing and start growing.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong>Haje Kamps \/ TechCrunch<\/span><\/p>\n Randi Jakubowitz, head of operations and talent, 645 Ventures; Rebecca Lee Whiting, fractional general counsel for early-stage startups, Epigram Legal P.C.; and Yin Wu, founder and CEO, Pulley<\/strong><\/p>\n Early hires shape your startup\u2019s future, but only if you can attract and keep them. This panel dives into building equity and benefits packages that compete with Big Tech without breaking your burn rate. Hear real-world strategies to align incentives, boost retention, and build a team that scales.<\/p>\n David Cramer, co-founder and CPO, Sentry; Lauri Moore, partner, Bessemer Venture Partners; and Zach Lloyd, founder and CEO, Warp<\/strong><\/p>\n Vibe-coding products have completely changed the speed, cost, and technical skill needed to build products, from prototypes to shipping. This is especially true for early-stage startups. Some makers of these products have even declared that no one needs to learn to code anymore. If so, that means startups don\u2019t need to fill their early rosters with the famed 10x coders. But how much of that is hype and how much is reality? Our panelists will dive into how the developer tool world is changing and what comes next.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, co-founder and CEO, Artisan; Sarah Franklin, CEO, Lattice; and Caleb Peffer, co-founder and CEO, Firecrawl<\/strong><\/p>\n Most startups today are using AI in some capacities: vibe-coding prototypes or new features, deep research via their favorite chat before sales calls. Many are also building AI products, or at least including AI options and features. So, should you embed AI at the root operations of your businesses, like hiring AI agents instead of humans for sales? For customer support? To automate your billing? Learn how to pick the right use cases, build smarter workflows, and get the biggest impact with limited resources.<\/p>\n Anh-Tho Chuong, co-founder and CEO, Lago; Tawni Cranz, operating partner, SignalFire; and David Hall, managing partner, Rise of the Rest seed fund, Revolution\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n While Silicon Valley is still the startup capital, how important is access to it anymore? This panel debates whether founders must plant roots in the Valley to succeed or if opportunity is so strong elsewhere that they don\u2019t need it. Hear perspectives from investors and founders redefining what it means to build, scale, and fund a company in today\u2019s decentralized tech world.<\/p>\n Max Altschuler, founder and general partner, GTMfund; Marc Manara, head of startups, OpenAI; and Alison Wagonfeld, VP marketing and chief marketing officer, Google Cloud<\/strong><\/p>\n A killer product needs a killer go-to-market strategy. This panel explores best traditional practices in building a GTM function, as well as how early-stage startups can harness AI to build a GTM function that drives growth, wins customers, and scales efficiently. Hear from founders and GTM experts on hiring, messaging, sales tactics, and the key metrics that prove your approach is working.<\/p>\n Hospitals are complex, high-pressure workplaces, and robotics and AI are being developed to take on routine tasks that free up staff for patient care. Humanoid robots like Moxi, built by Diligent Robotics, are already deployed in hospitals to manage deliveries and ease daily workloads. In this live demo, you\u2019ll see how Moxi navigates hallways, avoids obstacles, and interacts with people in real time. The session will explore the opportunities and challenges of bringing socially intelligent robots into healthcare and where the technology is headed next.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong>Diligent Robotics<\/span><\/p>\n You will gain invaluable insights from these tech giants live on the Builders Stage, and you\u2019ll learn from other top voices across five industry stages, breakouts, and sessions at Disrupt 2025 \u2014 all alongside 10,000+ startup, tech, and VC leaders this October. Register today and save up to $668 on your pass before rates increase at the end of this month.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Startups don\u2019t build themselves, and the Builders Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 \u2014 taking place October 27\u201329 at San Francisco\u2019s Moscone West \u2014 is where founders, operators, and investors get real about what it actually takes. This stage is all tactics, the nitty-gritty of turning an idea into a business that works. We\u2019ve already announced<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18879,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[233,231,230,11542,4887,232,1168,11543],"class_list":{"0":"post-18878","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-agenda","9":"tag-builders","10":"tag-disrupt","11":"tag-finalizes","12":"tag-scaling","13":"tag-stage","14":"tag-top","15":"tag-voices"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18878"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18878\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Discover the full lineup for the Builders Stage at Disrupt 2025<\/h2>\n
Raising smart<\/h3>\n
Building What\u2019s Next with the Minds Behind Twitter and Meta<\/h4>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t|<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 27-29, 2025<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\nHow to Pitch When You\u2019re at the Inception Stage<\/h4>\n
Seed Money Secrets Every Founder Should Know<\/h4>\n
How to Raise a Series A in 2026<\/h4>\n
What VCs Really Want to Hear in Your Pitch<\/h4>\n
Rethinking Startup Capital Without VCs<\/h4>\n
Preparing Now for Your Later Stage Raise<\/h4>\n
Where VCs Are Placing Their Bets in 2026<\/h4>\n
Scaling smart<\/h3>\n
Building in a Time of Uncertainty<\/h4>\n
Creating Communities and Companies That Last<\/h4>\n
How to Nail Product-Market Fit<\/h4>\n
How Much Salary and Equity Should You Really Offer Early Employees?<\/h4>\n
With Vibe Coding, Do Early-Stage Startups Still Need to Hire 10x Engineers?<\/h4>\n
The Pros and Cons of Hiring AI Agents as Early Employees<\/h4>\n
Do Startups Still Need Silicon Valley?<\/h4>\n
Building a GTM Engine That Actually Works<\/h4>\n
Live Demo of Moxi the Humanoid Robot<\/h4>\n
From scaling tactics to startup strategy \u2014 it\u2019s all at Disrupt 2025<\/h2>\n