The Builders Stage is making a comeback at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, uniting founders, startup professionals, and investors for insightful discussions on the essentials of constructing and expanding successful enterprises.

Listen to startup and venture leaders influencing the tech landscape, such as 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 open dialogues and practical case studies, speakers will provide actionable insights on fundraising, talent acquisition, market strategies, AI, and the key operational choices that drive startup development.

Join over 10,000 founders, investors, startup professionals, and tech leaders at Moscone Center in San Francisco from October 13-15. Register now to save up to $330 before ticket prices rise.

Designed for founders ready to expand

Starting a startup is one challenge; creating a scalable company is another. The Builders Stage is one of six industry-centric stages at Disrupt 2026, focused on aiding founders in tackling growth challenges, from capital raising and recruiting top talent to constructing market strategies and preparing for the transition from seed to Series A.

Each session offers practical tactics you can immediately implement, alongside chances to interact directly with speakers during live Q&A. Get your ticket to Disrupt 2026 today and save up to $330 before prices increase.

Without further delay, here’s your initial preview of the Builders Stage schedule, with more speakers and sessions to be revealed as the event draws nearer.

Builders Stage schedule

Winning Without Building AI

Featuring Shan Shan, Investment Manager, Baillie Gifford; and Yuri Sagalov, Managing Director at General Catalyst

While AI may dominate the venture landscape, many lasting businesses won’t necessarily be those that offer AI models or services. This discussion caters to founders vying for attention in an AI-centric market. Panelists will unpack the crucial aspects: efficient growth, retention, revenue integrity, and methodical execution, explaining why core principles, rather than hype, still foster breakthrough enterprises.

When OpenAI Sends You Your Roadmap

Featuring Michel Tricot, CEO and Co-founder, Airbyte; Rob Toews, Partner, Radical Ventures; and Linda Tong, CEO, Webflow

Many AI founders worry: What happens if OpenAI or Anthropic unveils a competing product? Even strong offerings risk being classified as features of larger companies. This session investigates areas of defensibility and what steps founders can take if confronted with competition from fast-evolving AI giants.

Pre-Seed Success Without a Product

Featuring 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 secure funding before launching a product. At the pre-seed phase, investors often invest based on narrative, conviction, and founder-market fit. This session outlines how to establish credibility prior to revenue generation so that investors are willing to issue that first investment.

Transitioning from MVP to Millions of Users: How Product Choices Change at Scale

Featuring Robby Stein, VP, Product, Google

The instincts necessary for creating your initial minimum viable product can lead to challenges at a billion-user scale. In this conversation, Robby Stein discusses how decision-making around product evolves as every update affects billions of users. Learn how teams balance speed with trust and innovation with dependability at one of the largest product organizations globally.

Recruiting When AI Acts as a Co-Founder

Featuring Josh Reeves, CEO and Co-founder, Gusto; additional speakers forthcoming

Early-stage firms are no longer merely incorporating AI; they are also hiring it. With AI agents taking over engineering, support, and operational roles, the definition of a founding team is undergoing transformation. This session delves into how founders determine which responsibilities should rest with humans versus what can be automated through AI, and how high-growth startups are developing hybrid teams without compromising speed, responsibility, or organizational culture.

M&A as an Early-Stage Strategy

Featuring Karl Alomar, Managing Partner, M13; Aklil Ibssa, Head of Corporate Development and M&A, Coinbase; and Lindsey Mignano, Founder, Mignano Law Group

Savvy founders today aren’t solely building for IPOs; they are also considering potential acquisitions from the outset. As exit strategies change and available capital narrows, understanding M&A early has become an essential competitive edge. This session outlines how founders can set the stage for such possibilities through product strategy and collaborations, detailing how significant startup achievements happen, even for smaller firms.

Series A in 2027

Featuring Jahanvi Sardana, Partner, Index Ventures; Shailendra Singh, Managing Director, Peak XV; and Janelle Teng Wade, Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners

Securing Series A funding is becoming increasingly challenging, as VCs become more discerning. For founders aiming to raise funds in the next one to two years, this session outlines what “fundable” will look like by 2027. Discover how leading investors are redefining the important metrics, teams, and traction, what outdated fundraising strategies are no longer effective, and how companies can differentiate themselves in the upcoming funding cycle.

The 90-Day GTM: Why $0–$10M ARR is the New Standard (and How to Achieve It)

Featuring Ryan Meadows, Chief Revenue Officer, Lovable; and Tomasz Tunguz, General Partner and Founder, Theory Ventures; more speakers to be confirmed

The definition of traction has evolved. What once took years is now anticipated within months, and achieving $0–$10M ARR is becoming the new primary benchmark for early-stage companies. This discussion examines how AI-driven execution, faster distribution channels, and evolving expectations from investors are compressing go-to-market timelines, alongside the tactical approaches founders need to accelerate revenue in the crucial first 90 days and stand out quickly.

The True Tokenmaxxing: How Leading AI Companies Operate in a Multi-Model World

With Mo Jamma, Partner, Capital G; Zuzanna Stamirowska, CEO and Co-founder, Pathway; and additional speakers to be announced

The pace of advancement is faster than any single model can match, and the teams that are developing the most effective AI solutions are increasingly utilizing multiple models instead of relying solely on one. This panel gathers founders and operators central to this transition to discuss their methods for evaluating new models, managing scale-related costs and reliability, and designing products that can adapt as rapidly as the underlying technology changes.

PMF Warning Signs: Identifying Genuine Product-Market Fit

Featuring Rajeev Dham, Partner, Sapphire Ventures; Rahul Vohra, Founder & Head of Superhuman Mail; and upcoming speakers

During an AI hype phase, indicators of product-market fit can be misleading and difficult to evaluate. Founders often confuse early enthusiasm, spikes in usage, and pilot successes for sustainable traction. This session clarifies what illusory PMF looks like, how investors and operators differentiate authentic retention from adoption driven by hype, and the signals that reveal whether a company genuinely attracts customers or merely experiences temporary momentum.

The Zero-to-1K Strategy: Securing Your Initial 1,000 Customers Without a Marketing Budget

Featuring Grant Lee, CEO and Co-founder, Gamma and Leah Solivan, Founder and General Partner, Precedent.vc

Gaining early customers is not about marketing expenditures; it’s rooted in founder-driven distribution and relentless execution. Startups in the initial phase often lack funds, branding, or scale, relying instead on urgency and ingenuity. This session outlines strategies founders utilize to attract their first customers through community engagement, product-led growth, founder-led sales, strategic outbound efforts, and organic word-of-mouth.

Yes, Being a Founder is Difficult: A Candid Discussion

Featuring 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 for Airspeeder

Building a company is as psychologically demanding as it is strategically challenging, and many narratives surrounding founders overlook this reality. In this honest dialogue, founders and mental performance experts reveal the hidden toll of high-growth settings, from burnout and decision fatigue to the personal strain of continuous pressure, while sharing the systems, practices, and mental frameworks that help leaders thrive and maintain high performance.

You Have a Successful Product. How Will Your Company Repeat That Success?

Featuring Filip Kaliszan, CEO and Co-Founder, Verkada; and additional speakers to be announced

Many startups reach an impasse because they produce one excellent product rather than developing a replicable multi-product framework. Join a venture capitalist and two founders as they outline a thorough operational playbook for wise capital distribution, establishing systematic innovation, and crafting a compounding “Second Act” before the primary product’s growth trajectory stabilizes.

Recruitment, Compensation, and Culture in Today’s Highly Competitive Market

Featuring Matt Birnbaum, Founder, Wylder.co; Atli Thorkelsson, VP, Talent Network, Redpoint Ventures; and more speakers to be confirmed

Unquestionably, the rise of AI startups has complicated hiring and retention across the tech industry. From contending for AI expertise to secondary sales, founders are reevaluating the human framework of their businesses. As hiring practices, incentives, and employee expectations evolve rapidly, this session discusses how companies are modifying compensation, organizational culture, and team-building methods to attract and retain top talent in an ever-altering startup climate.

How to Foster Viral Growth and Leverage It

Featuring Zach Yadegari, Founder, Cal AI

Startups can achieve viral success overnight, yet sustaining this momentum presents an entirely different obstacle. During this conversation, Zach Yadegari discusses how Cal AI managed rapid growth, product pressures, and the realities of functioning in a distribution-focused market. Discover the insights behind converting sudden attention into sustainable retention and enduring company development.

The High-Conviction Assessment: Lessons from the Battlefield

Featuring Alexa Von Tobel, Inspired Capital and more speakers to be confirmed

What differentiated breakout companies from others at Disrupt 2026? In this transparent recap, Battlefield judges analyze trends and founder characteristics that stood out in real-time, from evolving investor expectations to the narratives that resonated most this year. Additionally, the discussion will address the evolution of startup storytelling and the realities of sustaining momentum and navigating the pivotal 12 months following a significant launch, funding round, or Battlefield participation.

Engage in the discussions and forge connections at Disrupt

If you are prepared to innovate smarter, accelerate growth, and learn from the key figures shaping the future of startups, secure your ticket to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 now and save up to $330 before the rates rise.