内容来源：https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/02/the-builders-stage-brings-practical-strategies-for-scaling-startups-to-techcrunch-disrupt-2026/

内容总结：

科技创投盛会回归：TechCrunch Disrupt 2026聚焦创业实战

“构建者舞台”重磅回归，行业领袖齐聚旧金山

备受瞩目的TechCrunch Disrupt 2026大会将于今年10月13日至15日在旧金山莫斯科尼中心举行。作为大会六大行业聚焦舞台之一，“构建者舞台”（Builders Stage）将汇聚创始人、创业公司运营者和投资人，围绕创业实战展开深度对话。

据悉，本次大会预计吸引超过10,000名创始人、投资者、创业公司运营者及科技领袖参与。目前已确认出席的嘉宾包括AI演示工具公司Gamma CEO兼联合创始人Grant Lee、风投机构Precedent.vc创始人兼普通合伙人Leah Solivan、谷歌产品副总裁Robby Stein等重量级人物。

议题覆盖创业全周期 聚焦后AI时代挑战

本届“构建者舞台”的议程设置紧密围绕创始人在不同发展阶段面临的核心挑战，涵盖融资策略、人才招募、市场推广、AI竞争应对等多个维度。值得关注的是，多场专题讨论将直击当前创业环境中的痛点问题。

在“非AI创业如何制胜”议题中，行业专家将探讨在AI投资热潮下，非AI赛道创业者如何通过高效增长、用户留存和精细化运营构建可持续的商业模式。而在“当OpenAI捷足先登”的讨论中，与会者将深入分析AI创业公司如何应对来自科技巨头的竞争压力。

此外，大会还设置了包括“如何在没有产品的情况下赢得种子轮融资”、“从MVP到十亿用户的跨越”、“AI作为联合创始人时代的招聘策略”等重量级议题，全方位覆盖创业公司从0到1、从1到100的成长路径。

特色环节：揭示未来AI颠覆者榜单

值得期待的是，Greenfield Partners合伙人Shay Grinfield将在大会上主持一场特别对话，并揭晓“2026 AI颠覆者60强”榜单。该榜单由Greenfield Partners与TechCrunch联合评选，旨在表彰将AI推向新领域的创新企业。

创业心态建设与并购策略成为新焦点

本次大会还特别关注创始人的心理健康问题，专门设置了题为“创业者的艰辛：一场真诚对话”的环节，由哈佛医学院副教授David H. Rosmarin等专家探讨高压创业环境下的心理调适与应对策略。

同时，“并购成为早期战略”专题将探讨在退出路径多元化和资本收紧的背景下，创始人如何从创业之初就将并购可能性纳入战略规划，通过产品策略和合作伙伴关系为未来创造更多选择空间。

门票优惠进行中

据主办方介绍，提前注册可享受最高330美元的票价优惠。更多演讲嘉宾和议程细节将在活动临近时陆续公布。

中文翻译：

“构建者舞台”（The Builders Stage）将重返 2026 年 TechCrunch Disrupt 大会，汇聚创始人、创业公司运营者和投资人，围绕如何打造并规模化成功企业这一主题展开务实对话。

届时，多位塑造科技生态的创业与风险投资领袖将登台分享，包括 Gamma 联合创始人兼首席执行官 Grant Lee、Precedent.vc 创始人兼普通合伙人 Leah Solivan、谷歌产品副总裁 Robby Stein 等。通过坦诚对话和真实案例研究，演讲者将就融资、招聘、市场进入策略、人工智能以及推动创业增长的关键运营决策，分享切实可行的洞见。

10 月 13 日至 15 日，欢迎加入旧金山 Moscone Center 超过 10,000 名创始人、投资人、创业运营者和科技领袖的行列。立即注册，在下一轮票价上调前享受优惠。

为准备规模化扩张的创始人而设

创办一家初创公司是一回事，打造一家能够规模化发展的企业则完全是另一重挑战。“构建者舞台”是 Disrupt 2026 大会上六个行业聚焦舞台之一，致力于帮助创始人应对增长过程中的种种挑战——从筹集资金、招募顶尖人才，到构建市场进入引擎，以及为从种子轮迈向 A 轮做好准备。

每场会议都会带来可立即付诸实践的实用策略，并提供在直播问答环节与演讲者直接互动的机会。立即锁定你的 Disrupt 2026 通行证，在票价上涨前最高可节省 330 美元。

话不多说，以下是“构建者舞台”议程的首次预览，随着大会临近，更多演讲者和场次将持续公布。

构建者舞台议程

当你不是在打造 AI 时，如何取胜

演讲者：Baillie Gifford 投资经理 Shan Shan；General Catalyst 董事总经理 Yuri Sagalov

AI 或许主导着风险投资领域，但许多基业长青的公司并不会是那些销售 AI 模型或智能体的企业。本场会议面向在狂热追逐 AI 的市场中争夺关注的创始人。嘉宾们将剖析当下真正重要的事情：高效增长、留存率、收入质量和纪律性执行，以及为什么基本面而非炒作，仍然能够打造出突破性的企业。

当 OpenAI 发布了你的路线图，该怎么办

演讲者：Airbyte 联合创始人兼首席执行官 Michel Tricot；Radical Ventures 合伙人 Rob Toews；Webflow 首席执行官 Linda Tong

如今几乎所有的 AI 创始人都怀有同样的担忧：如果 OpenAI 或 Anthropic 推出了一款与自己的产品竞争的产品怎么办？即便是强势产品也可能沦为大型玩家的附属功能。本场会议将探讨防御性究竟存在于何处，以及创始人在真正面临来自快速演进的 AI 巨头的竞争时能做什么。

打造下一代 AI 巨头

演讲者：Blackstone N1 全球负责人 Jas Khaira

AI 初创公司的扩张速度比以往任何一代都快，对资本的需求也更大。Blackstone N1 全球负责人 Jas Khaira 将分享：什么因素区分了基业长青的公司与仅有初期势头的公司，创始人如何在扩张过程中思考资本问题，以及 Blackstone 在支持下一代品类定义型企业时会关注什么。

争夺 AI 人才：薪酬、股权与留任

演讲者：Wylder.co 创始人 Matt Birnbaum；Runware 的 Ioana Hreninciuc；Redpoint Ventures 人才网络副总裁 Atli Thorkelsson

AI 初创公司的崛起使得所有科技公司的招聘和留人变得更加困难。从争夺 AI 人才到应对二级市场售股，创始人正在重新思考其初创公司的人才基础设施。随着激励措施和员工期待快速演变，本场会议探讨企业如何调整薪酬、文化和团队建设策略，在一个根本性变化的市场中吸引并留住顶尖人才。

没有产品如何赢得种子前轮融资

演讲者：True Ventures 管理合伙人 Puneet Agarwal；Slauson and Co 管理合伙人 Austin Clements；Axiom Partners 创始人兼管理合伙人 Sandhya Venkatachalam

创始人越来越被要求在甚至没有产品之前就去竞争资本。在种子前阶段，投资人押注的是故事、信念和创始人-市场匹配度。本场会议解析如何在尚无收入的情况下建立可信度，让投资人愿意开出第一张支票。

从 MVP 到数十亿用户：规模化时代产品决策如何改变

演讲者：谷歌产品副总裁 Robby Stein

在打造第一个最小可行产品时奏效的直觉，可能在数十亿用户规模上毁掉你。在这场炉边对话中，Robby Stein 将分享：当每一次更新都影响到数十亿用户时，产品决策方式会发生怎样的变化。听他讲述全球最大的产品组织之一如何平衡速度与信任、创新与可靠性。

当 AI 成为联合创始人时的招聘之道

演讲者：Gusto 联合创始人兼首席执行官 Josh Reeves；更多演讲者待公布

早期公司不再仅仅是与 AI 共同建设——它们正在“招聘”AI。随着 AI 智能体承担工程、支持和运营工作，早期团队的定义正在被改写。本场会议探讨创始人如何决定哪些工作由人类掌控、哪些交给 AI，以及高增长初创公司如何在构建混合团队的同时不失去速度、责任感和文化。

为 AI 时代重塑消费产品

演讲者：Reddit 首席产品官 Maria Angelidou-Smith

AI 不仅仅是在增加功能，它在迫使产品团队重新思考人们搜索、发现、沟通、旅行和做决策的方式。来自 Reddit、Square 和 Uber 的领导者将讨论他们如何重新设计数以百万计用户使用的产品、用户真正希望从 AI 中获得什么，以及产品领导者应在哪些环节抵制“什么都自动化”的诱惑。

并购已成为早期战略

演讲者：M13 管理合伙人 Karl Alomar；Mignano Law Group 创始人 Lindsey Mignano

如今最聪明的创始人不仅为 IPO 而建设，也从第一天起就为潜在的并购机会做布局。随着退出路径转变和资本收紧，尽早理解并购已成为一种竞争优势。本场会议解析创始人如何通过产品策略和合作伙伴关系为这种可能性创造条件，深入探讨大额创业退出究竟如何发生——即使对小型公司而言也是如此。

2027 年的 A 轮融资

演讲者：Index Ventures 合伙人 Jahanvi Sardana；Peak XV 董事总经理 Shailendra Singh；Bessemer Venture Partners 合伙人 Janelle Teng Wade

A 轮融资正变得越来越困难，风投的要求日益严苛。对于计划在未来一到两年内融资的创始人，本场会议将解析“值得投资”在 2027 年究竟意味着什么。听听顶级投资人是如何重新定义当下重要的指标、团队和牵引力，哪些过时的融资打法已经失效，以及公司如何在下一轮融资周期中脱颖而出。

90 天市场进入：为什么 0 到 1000 万美元 ARR 是新的基准线（以及如何真正达到）

演讲者：Lovable 首席营收官 Ryan Meadows；Theory Ventures 普通合伙人兼创始人 Tomasz Tunguz；Polsia 创始人 Ben Broca

“牵引力”的定义已经改变。曾经需要数年才能实现的目标，如今被期望在数月内达成，从 0 到 1000 万美元的年经常性收入（ARR）日益成为新的早期基准。本场会议解析 AI 驱动的执行力、更快的分发速度以及投资人心态的转变如何压缩市场进入时间线，以及创始人需要在最初 90 天内使用哪些战术杠杆来加速营收并快速脱颖而出。

真正的多模型策略：顶尖 AI 公司如何驾驭多模型世界

演讲者：Capital G 合伙人 Mo Jomaa；Pathway 联合创始人兼首席执行官 Zuzanna Stamirowska；更多演讲者待公布

前沿技术的演进速度超过了任何单一模型所能跟上的步伐，打造最成功 AI 产品的团队正在越来越多地跨多个模型进行编排，而非押注于某一个。本场圆桌汇聚了这一转变核心的创始人和运营者，讨论他们如何评估新模型、如何在规模化过程中管理成本和可靠性，以及如何架构出能随着底层技术快速演进的产品。

揭秘 AI Disruptors 60：AI 下一步能做什么？

演讲者：Greenfield Partners 的 Shay Grinfield

关于 AI 的讨论正在从“模型能说什么”转向“模型能真正做什么”。智能体正在自主浏览开放的互联网并完成工作，AI 系统正在承担日益宏大的研究任务，智能机器开始超越屏幕的界限在物理世界运作，一个新的基础设施层正在崛起，使这一切能够在规模上成为可能。

Greenfield Partners 的 Shay Grinfeld 将与在这些新兴领域创业的创始人对话，厘清今日的现实与明日的趋势，探索最大的新机遇正在哪些领域成形。这场对话的高潮将是 Greenfield Partners 2026 年度 AI Disruptors 60 名单的揭晓，聚焦 Greenfield 和 TechCrunch 认为正在将 AI 推向新疆域的公司。

产品市场契合度的危险信号：如何判断你是否真的拥有它

演讲者：Sapphire Ventures 董事总经理 Rajeev Dham；Superhuman Mail 创始人兼负责人 Rahul Vohra；更多演讲者待公布

在 AI 炒作周期中，产品市场契合度的信号更容易被伪造，也更难以信赖。创始人正在将早期的兴奋、使用量激增和试点成功误认为持久的牵引力。本场会议解析虚假 PMF 的真实面貌，投资人和运营者如何区分真正的留存与炒作驱动的采用，以及哪些信号能表明一家公司拥有真正的吸引力，而非仅仅是一时的势头。

从 0 到 1000 客户的实战手册：没有营销预算如何获得首批 1000 名客户

演讲者：Gamma 联合创始人兼首席执行官 Grant Lee；Precedent.vc 创始人兼普通合伙人 Leah Solivan；Engine 创始人兼首席执行官 Elia Wallen

早期客户获取不在于营销投入，而在于创始人主导的分发和不懈的执行。大多数处于从零到一阶段的初创公司没有预算、品牌或规模，只有紧迫感和创造力。本场会议解析创始人如何通过社群建设、产品驱动增长、创始人主导销售、战略性主动外联和口碑传播来赢得第一批客户。

是的，做创始人很难：一场坦诚的对话

演讲者：Revenge Capital 联合创始人兼管理合伙人 Nell Daly；哈佛医学院副教授 David H. Rosmarin；Airspeeder 联合创始人兼首席商务官 Jack Withinshaw

创办公司既是一项战略挑战，也是一项心理考验，而大多数创始人的叙事都低估了这一现实。在这场坦诚对话中，创始人和心理表现专家将剖析高增长环境中的隐性成本——从职业倦怠和决策疲劳到持续压力下的身份焦虑——并分享帮助领导者坚持下来并保持高水平表现的体系、习惯和思维框架。

你已有一款爆款产品，公司如何再次复制成功？

演讲者：Verkada 联合创始人兼首席执行官 Filip Kaliszan；New Enterprise Associates 合伙人 Aaron Jacobson；Daring Ventures 普通合伙人 Maddi Holman

大多数初创公司停滞不前，是因为它们打造了一款出色的产品，却未能建立起可复制的多产品引擎。加入一位风险投资人和两位创始人，他们将揭示资本配置、内部创新系统化，以及在核心产品增长曲线趋平之前打造复合增长“第二幕”的精确运营手册。

史上竞争最激烈市场中的招聘、薪酬与企业文化

演讲者：Wylder.co 创始人 Matt Birnbaum；Redpoint Ventures 人才网络副总裁 Atli Thorkelsson；更多演讲者待公布

毫无疑问，AI 初创公司的崛起使得所有科技公司的招聘和留人都变得更加困难。从争夺 AI 人才到应对二级售股，创始人正在重新思考其初创公司的人才基础设施。随着招聘、激励和员工期待快速演变，本场会议探讨企业如何调整薪酬、文化和团队建设策略，在一个根本性变化的创业环境中吸引并留住顶尖人才。

如何创造病毒式增长并加以利用

演讲者：Cal AI 创始人 Zach Yadegari

初创公司可以一夜之间从零走向病毒式传播，但维持这种势头则完全是另一重挑战。在这场炉边对话中，Zach Yadegari 分享 Cal AI 如何驾驭爆发式增长、产品压力，以及在一个由分发驱动的市场中创业的现实。听他讲述如何将爆发性的关注转化为持久的留存和长期的企业建设。

高信念过滤器：我们从战场上汲取的教训

演讲者：Inspired Capital 的 Alexa von Tobel；Goodwater Capital 联合创始人兼管理合伙人 Chi-Hua Chien；更多演讲者待公布

在 2026 年 TechCrunch Disrupt 大会上，什么将突破性公司与其余公司区分开来？在这场坦诚的复盘对话中，Startup Battlefield 的评委们将实时解析脱颖而出的趋势和创始人特质——从投资人心态的转变到今年最能引起共鸣的叙事。对话还将探讨创业故事叙述如何演变，以及聚光灯之后会发生什么，包括在重大发布、融资轮或 Startup Battlefield 亮相之后关键的 12 个月中维持势头并生存下来的现实。

直接问投资人

演讲者：Cherryrock Capital 创始人兼管理合伙人 Stacy Brown-Philpot；Goodwater Capital 联合创始人兼管理合伙人 Chi-Hua Chien；Construct Capital 的 Dayna Grayson；M13 联合创始人兼管理合伙人 Carter Reum；Inspired Capital 的 Alexa Von Tobel

投资人为什么会说“是”？在这场由观众主导的问答环节中，Startup Battlefield 决赛评委将回答你最棘手的问题：团队、牵引力、市场机会、路演表现、危险信号等——什么让一家初创公司从众多竞争者中脱颖而出成为可投资项目。准备好你的问题，直接从做决策的投资人那里获得坦诚的答案。

加入 Disrupt 的对话与连接

如果你已准备好更聪明地建设、更快地扩张，并向塑造创业未来的人学习，今天就锁定你的 2026 年 TechCrunch Disrupt 大会通行证吧。

英文来源：

The Builders Stage is returning to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, bringing together founders, startup operators, and investors for practical conversations on what it takes to build and scale successful companies.
Hear from startup and venture leaders shaping the tech ecosystem, including Grant Lee, CEO and co-founder of Gamma; Leah Solivan, founder and general partner at Precedent.vc; Robby Stein, VP of Product at Google; and more. Through candid conversations and real-world case studies, speakers will share actionable insights on fundraising, hiring, go-to-market strategy, AI, and the operational decisions that fuel startup growth.
Join more than 10,000 founders, investors, startup operators, and technology leaders at Moscone Center in San Francisco on October 13-15. Register today and save before our next ticket price increase.
Built for founders who are ready to scale
Building a startup is one thing. Building a company that can scale is another challenge entirely. The Builders Stage is one of six industry-focused stages at Disrupt 2026, dedicated to helping founders navigate the challenges of growth, from raising capital and hiring top talent to building go-to-market engines and preparing for the jump from seed to Series A.
Every session delivers practical strategies you can put to work immediately, plus opportunities to engage directly with speakers during live Q&A. Secure your pass to Disrupt 2026 today and save up to $330 before rates increase.
Without further ado, here’s your first look at the Builders Stage agenda, with more speakers and sessions to be announced as we get closer to the event.
Builders Stage agenda
How to Win When You’re Not Building AI
With Shan Shan, Investment Manager, Baillie Gifford; and Yuri Sagalov, Managing Director at General Catalyst
AI may dominate the world of venture, but many enduring companies won’t be those that sell AI models or agents. This session is for founders competing for attention in an AI-obsessed market. Panelists break down what actually matters now: efficient growth, retention, revenue quality, and disciplined execution, and why fundamentals, not hype, still build breakout businesses.
What Happens When OpenAI Ships Your Roadmap
With Michel Tricot, CEO and Co-founder, Airbyte; Rob Toews, Partner, Radical Ventures; and Linda Tong, CEO, Webflow
Nearly all AI founders have the same worry these days: What if OpenAI or Anthropic launches a product that competes with mine? Even strong products are at risk of becoming features of the larger players. This session explores where defensibility exists and what founders can do if they do face competition from rapidly evolving AI giants.
Building the Next Generation of AI Giants
With Jas Khaira, Global Head, Blackstone N1
AI startups are scaling faster, and demanding more capital, than any generation before them. Jas Khaira, Global Head of Blackstone N1, shares what separates enduring companies from early momentum, how founders should think about capital as they scale, and what Blackstone looks for when backing the next generation of category-defining businesses.
Competing for AI Talent: Pay, Equity, and Retention
With Matt Birnbaum, Founder, Wylder.co, Ioana Hreninciuc, Runware, Atli Thorkelsson, VP, Talent Network, Redpoint Ventures
The growth of AI startups has made hiring and retention more difficult for every tech company. From competing for AI talent to navigating secondary sales, founders are rethinking the human infrastructure of their startups. As incentives and employee expectations rapidly evolve, this session explores how companies are adapting compensation, culture, and team-building strategies to attract and retain top talent in a fundamentally changed market.
Winning Pre-Seed Without a Product
With Puneet Agarwal, Managing Partner, True Ventures; Austin Clements, Managing Partner, Slauson and Co; and Sandhya Venkatachalam, Founder and Managing Partner, Axiom Partners
Founders are increasingly expected to compete for capital before they even have a product. At the pre-seed stage, investors are betting on story, conviction, and founder-market fit. This session breaks down how to build credibility before revenue exists so investors will cut that first check.
From MVP to Billions of Users: How Product Decisions Must Change at Scale
With Robby Stein, VP, Product, Google
The instincts that win when building your first minimum viable product can break you at a billion-user scale. In this fireside, Robby Stein shares how product decision-making changes when every update impacts billions of users. Hear how teams balance speed with trust and innovation with reliability at one of the world’s largest product organizations.
Hiring When AI Is a Co-Founder
With Josh Reeves, CEO and Co-founder, Gusto; more speakers to be announced
Early-stage companies are no longer just building with AI; they’re hiring it. As AI agents take on engineering, support, and operations, the definition of an early team is being rewritten. This session explores how founders decide what humans should own versus what gets delegated to AI, and how high-growth startups are building hybrid teams without losing speed, accountability, or culture.
Rebuilding Consumer Products for the AI Era
With Maria Angelidou-Smith, CPO, Reddit
AI isn’t just adding features, it’s forcing product teams to rethink how people search, discover, communicate, travel, and make decisions. Leaders from Reddit, Square and Uber discuss how they’re redesigning products used by millions, what users actually want from AI, and where product leaders should resist the temptation to automate everything.
M&A Is Now an Early-Stage Strategy
With Karl Alomar, Managing Partner, M13 and Lindsey Mignano, Founder, Mignano Law Group
The smartest founders today aren’t just building for IPOs; they’re also building with possible acquisitions in mind from day one. As exits shift and capital tightens, understanding M&A early has become a competitive advantage. This session breaks down how founders can create the possibility of such an option through product strategy and partnerships. It delves into how big-dollar startup outcomes actually happen, even for small companies.
The Series A in 2027
Jahanvi Sardana, Partner, Index Ventures; Shailendra Singh, Managing Director, Peak XV; and Janelle Teng Wade, Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners
Series A is getting harder, with VCs growing more demanding. For founders planning to raise in the next one to two years, this session breaks down what “fundable” will actually mean in 2027. Hear how top investors are redefining the metrics, teams, and traction that matter now, what outdated fundraising playbooks no longer work, and how companies can separate from the pack in the next funding cycle.
The 90-Day GTM: Why $0–$10M ARR Is the New Baseline (and How to Actually Get There)
With Ryan Meadows, Chief Revenue Officer, Lovable; and Tomasz Tunguz, General Partner and Founder, Theory Ventures; Ben Broca, Founder, Polsia
The definition of traction has changed. What once took years is now expected in months, and $0 to $10 million ARR is increasingly becoming the new early-stage baseline. This session breaks down how AI-enabled execution, faster distribution, and shifting investor expectations are compressing GTM timelines, and the tactical levers founders need in the first 90 days to accelerate revenue and stand out fast.
The Real Tokenmaxxing: How the Best AI Companies Navigate a Multi-Model World
With Mo Jomaa, Partner, Capital G; and Zuzanna Stamirowska, CEO and Co-founder, Pathway; more speakers to be announced
The frontier is moving faster than any single model can keep up with, and the teams building the most successful AI products are increasingly orchestrating across many models rather than betting on just one. This panel brings together founders and operators at the center of that shift to discuss how they evaluate new models, manage cost and reliability at scale, and architect products that can evolve as quickly as the underlying technology.
Revealing AI Disruptors 60: What Can AI Do Next?
With Shay Grinfield, Greenfield Partners
The AI conversation is shifting from what models can say to what they can actually do. Agents are navigating the open web and completing work, AI systems are taking on increasingly ambitious research, intelligent machines are beginning to operate beyond the screen, and a new infrastructure layer is emerging to make all of this possible at scale.
Greenfield Partners’ Shay Grinfeld sits down with founders building across these emerging areas to separate what’s real today from what’s coming next, and explore where the biggest new opportunities are taking shape. The conversation will culminate in the reveal of Greenfield Partners’ 2026 AI Disruptors 60, spotlighting the companies Greenfield and TechCrunch believe are pushing AI into new territory.
PMF Red Flags: How to Tell If You Really Have It
With Rajeev Dham, Managing Director, Sapphire Ventures; and Rahul Vohra, Founder and Head of Superhuman Mail; more speakers to be announced
In an AI hype cycle, product-market fit signals are easier to fake and harder to trust. Founders are mistaking early excitement, usage spikes, and pilot wins for durable traction. This session breaks down what false PMF actually looks like, how investors and operators separate real retention from hype-driven adoption, and the signals that indicate whether a company has true pull or just temporary momentum.
The Zero-to-1K Playbook: How to Get Your First 1,000 Customers Without a Marketing Budget
With Grant Lee, CEO and Co-founder, Gamma; Leah Solivan, Founder and General Partner, Precedent.vc; and Elia Wallen, Founder and CEO, Engine
Early customer acquisition is not about marketing spend; it’s about founder-led distribution and relentless execution. Most startups at zero to one do not have budget, brand, or scale, only urgency and creativity. This session breaks down how founders are landing their first customers through community building, product-led growth, founder-led sales, strategic outbound, and word-of-mouth momentum.
Yes, It’s Hard to Be a Founder: An Honest Conversation
With Nell Daly, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Revenge Capital; David H. Rosmarin, Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School; and Jack Withinshaw, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Airspeeder
Company building is as psychologically demanding as it is strategic, and most founder narratives understate that reality. In this candid conversation, founders and mental performance experts unpack the hidden costs of high-growth environments, from burnout and decision fatigue to the identity strain of sustained pressure, and share the systems, habits, and mental frameworks that help leaders endure and perform at a high level.
So You’ve Got a Hit Product. How Does Your Company Do It Again?
With Filip Kaliszan, CEO and Co-founder, Verkada; and Aaron Jacobson, Partner, New Enterprise Associates; Maddi Holman, General Partner, Daring Ventures
Most startups stall out because they build a single great product instead of a repeatable multi-product engine. Join a venture capitalist and two founders as they reveal the precise operational playbook for capital allocation, systemizing internal innovation, and engineering a compounding “Second Act” before the core product’s growth curve flattens.
Hiring, Compensation and Culture in the Most Competitive Market Ever
With Matt Birnbaum, Founder, Wylder.co; and Atli Thorkelsson, VP, Talent Network, Redpoint Ventures; more speakers to be announced
No question about it, the growth of AI startups has made hiring and retention for all tech companies more difficult. From competing for AI talent to secondary sales, founders are rethinking the human infrastructure of their startups. As hiring, incentives, and employee expectations rapidly evolve, this session explores how companies are adapting compensation, culture, and team-building strategies to attract and retain top talent in a fundamentally changed startup environment.
How to Create Viral Growth and Capitalize on It
With Zach Yadegari, Founder, Cal AI
Startups can go from zero to viral overnight, but sustaining that momentum is a completely different challenge. In this fireside, Zach Yadegari shares how Cal AI navigated rapid growth, product pressure, and the realities of building in a distribution-driven market. Hear the lessons behind turning breakout attention into durable retention and long-term company building.
The High-Conviction Filter: What We Learned From the Battlefield
With Alexa von Tobel, Inspired Capital; and Chi-Hua Chien, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Goodwater Capital; more speakers to be announced
What separates the breakout companies from the rest at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026? In this candid debrief, Startup Battlefield judges unpack the trends and founder qualities that stood out in real time, from shifting investor expectations to the narratives that resonated most this year. The conversation will also explore how startup storytelling is evolving and what happens after the spotlight, including the realities of maintaining momentum and surviving the critical 12 months after a major launch, funding round, or Startup Battlefield appearance.
Ask the Investors
With Stacy Brown-Philpot, Founder & Managing Partner at Cherryrock Capital; Chi-Hua Chien, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Goodwater Capital; Dayna Grayson, Construct Capital; Carter Reum, Co-founder and Managing Partner, M13; Alexa Von Tobel, Inspired Capital
What makes an investor say yes? In this audience-led Q&A, the Startup Battlefield finals judges take your toughest questions on what separates a fundable startup from the rest: team, traction, market opportunity, pitch delivery, red flags, and more. Come ready to ask and get candid answers straight from the investors making the decisions.
Join the conversations and make the connections at Disrupt
If you’re ready to build smarter, scale faster, and learn from the leaders shaping the future of startups, secure your pass to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 today.