Startups do not build themselves. The Builders Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is where founders, operators, and investors get real about what it actually takes to turn an idea into a functioning business. This stage is dedicated to tactics and the nitty-gritty details of building a company.
The event takes place from October 27 to 29 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. We have already announced influential speakers like Elad Gil, Dick Costolo, and Ryan Petersen. Now, the lineup is expanding with new speakers such as Discord’s Jason Citron and new sessions featuring live demos of the latest robots.
Attendees can expect fresh insights on a wide range of topics, from closing your first term sheet and scaling your go-to-market engine to finding where AI truly fits in your business. The stage will host candid conversations, hard-won lessons, and live Q&A with the people who have built and backed category-defining companies.
If your goal is to scale smarter, the Builders Stage is the place to be. Register now to save up to $668 on your ticket before rates increase later this month.
Discover the full lineup for the Builders Stage at Disrupt 2025.
Raising Smart: A Conversation with Investor Extraordinaire Elad Gil
Elad Gil, CEO of Gil & Co., is a renowned investor. Before most of the world experienced ChatGPT, he had already written seed checks to startups like Perplexity, Character.AI, and Harvey. His early investments also include companies like Airbnb, Airtable, Anduril, Brex, Checkr, Coinbase, Deel, Figma, Flexport, GitLab, Gusto, Instacart, Notion, Opendoor, Pinterest, Rippling, Square, and Stripe.
Gil, who founded companies like Mixerlabs and Color Health, has a track record of identifying what is next. He is already working on the future of AI and investing.
Building What’s Next with the Minds Behind Twitter and Meta
Join Adam Bain and Dick Costolo, co-founders and managing partners, and David Fischer, partner, at 01 Advisors for an insider fireside chat. They will discuss what it really takes to build, scale, and fund early-stage startups today. You will get candid advice and fresh perspectives on product, growth, and fundraising from these industry veterans.
How to Pitch When You’re at the Inception Stage
Raising pre-seed and seed-stage capital often means pitching with just a vision and a founder story, without a product, users, or traction. In this panel, Navin Chaddha of Mayfield and Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures will share what they look for in the earliest-stage founders and how to stand out. Learn how to build trust, tell a compelling story, and avoid common mistakes when trying to land that critical first check.
Seed Money Secrets Every Founder Should Know
Raising your first round is challenging but far from impossible. This panel brings together experienced investors Gabby Cazeau of Harlem Capital, Marlon Nichols of MaC Venture Capital, and Maria Palma of Freestyle Capital. They will break down what it really takes to close a seed round, from crafting the right pitch to choosing the right partners.
How to Raise a Series A in 2026
In this unfiltered panel, top VCs Thomas Krane of Insight Partners, Katie Stanton of Moxxie Ventures, and Sangeen Zeb of GV will reveal what really gets them to offer a term sheet. Learn about the metrics that matter and the pitch mistakes that kill deals. This session will show you how to position your company for its first priced, institutional investment.
What VCs Really Want to Hear in Your Pitch
Investors hear hundreds of pitches, but only a few stand out. Hear directly from VCs Medha Agarwal of defy.vc, Jyoti Bansal of Harness, and Jennifer Neundorfer of January Ventures. They will share what they love, what makes them cringe, and the subtle signals founders often miss. Get insider tips to craft a pitch that grabs attention, builds trust, and wins checks.
Rethinking Startup Capital Without VCs
VCs are not the only source of funding. This session explores alternative fundraising paths with Erik Allebest, co-founder and CEO of Chess.com, Kay Makishi of Lupoff/Stevens Family Office, and Gale Wilkinson of VITALIZE Venture Capital. 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.
Preparing Now for Your Later Stage Raise
Raising later-stage rounds is about strategy from day one. Join Lila Preston of Generation Investment Management, Andrea Thomaz of Diligent Robotics, and Zeya Yang of IVP 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.
Where VCs Are Placing Their Bets in 2026
Curious where the smart money is heading next? This panel brings together top VCs Nina Achadjian of Index Ventures, Jerry Chen of Greylock, and Viviana Faga of Felicis to share their 2026 investment priorities. Get a rare glimpse into the emerging sectors and innovations that could shape your business in the year ahead.
Scaling Smart: Building in a Time of Uncertainty
Uncertainty is the new normal, but it is 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’s shipping technology sits at the intersection of international business and policy. Petersen has been vocal about everything from tariff policy to AI and has experienced personal volatility, leaving his CEO role and returning less than a year later. Learn how to build when the rules keep changing.
Creating Communities and Companies That Last
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. They will explore product design, lessons in scaling amid competition, and how founders can balance vision with adaptability.
How to Nail Product-Market Fit
Building a product that customers want, that is priced right, and that delivers on its promises is hard. This panel features Rajat Bhageria of Chef Robotics, Ann Bordetsky of NEA, and Murali Joshi of ICONIQ. They will break down how to test smarter and iterate with intention so you can stop guessing and start growing.
How Much Salary and Equity Should You Really Offer Early Employees?
Early hires shape your startup’s future. This panel with Randi Jakubowitz of 645 Ventures, Rebecca Lee Whiting of Epigram Legal, and Yin Wu of Pulley will dive into building equity and benefits packages that compete with Big Tech without breaking your burn rate. Learn real-world strategies to align incentives, boost retention, and build a team that scales.
With Vibe Coding, Do Early-Stage Startups Still Need to Hire 10x Engineers?
Vibe-coding products have changed the speed, cost, and technical skill needed to build products. This panel with David Cramer of Sentry, Lauri Moore of Bessemer Venture Partners, and Zach Lloyd of Warp will dive into how the developer tool world is changing and what it means for hiring at early-stage startups.
The Pros and Cons of Hiring AI Agents as Early Employees
Many startups are using AI to build products and automate tasks. This panel with Jaspar Carmichael-Jack of Artisan, Sarah Franklin of Lattice, and Caleb Peffer of Firecrawl will explore whether you should embed AI agents at the root operations of your business. Learn how to pick the right use cases and build smarter workflows with limited resources.
Do Startups Still Need Silicon Valley?
While Silicon Valley is still a startup hub, how important is access to it anymore? This panel debates whether founders must plant roots in the Valley to succeed. Hear perspectives from Anh-Tho Chuong of Lago, Tawni Cranz of SignalFire, and David Hall of Revolution’s Rise of the Rest seed fund on building, scaling, and funding a company in today’s decentralized tech world.
Building a GTM Engine That Actually Works
A killer product needs a killer go-to-market strategy. This panel with Max Altschuler of GTMfund, Marc Manara of OpenAI, and Alison Wagonfeld of Google Cloud will explore best practices in building a GTM function. Learn how early-stage startups can harness AI to drive growth, win customers, and scale efficiently.
Live Demo of Moxi the Humanoid Robot
Hospitals are complex, high-pressure workplaces where robotics and AI can manage routine tasks. Humanoid robots like Moxi, built by Diligent Robotics, are already deployed in hospitals to manage deliveries and ease workloads. In this live demo, you will 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.
From Scaling Tactics to Startup Strategy — It’s All at Disrupt 2025
You will gain invaluable insights from these tech giants live on the Builders Stage. You will also learn from other top voices across five industry stages, breakouts, and sessions at Disrupt 2025 alongside over 10,000 startup, tech, and VC leaders this October. Register today to save up to $668 on your pass before rates increase at the end of this month.