The Builders Stage brings practical strategies for scaling startups to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

The Builders Stage is officially returning to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, serving as the central hub for founders, operators, and venture capitalists looking to master the art of scaling. Taking place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from October 13–15, this year’s program is designed to move beyond the hype, offering a deep dive into the tactical realities of building enduring companies in an increasingly complex tech ecosystem.

With over 10,000 attendees expected, the event will feature insights from industry heavyweights, including Grant Lee (CEO and co-founder of Gamma), Leah Solivan (founder and general partner at Precedent.vc), and Robby Stein (VP of Product at Google). Through a series of candid fireside chats and rigorous case studies, speakers will dissect the essential pillars of growth: fundraising, talent acquisition, go-to-market (GTM) strategy, and the operational rigor required to survive the transition from seed to Series A.

Scaling Beyond the Startup Phase

Founding a company is a feat of imagination; scaling it is a feat of engineering. The Builders Stage, one of six specialized tracks at Disrupt 2026, is curated specifically for founders who have moved past the "idea" phase and are now grappling with the friction of rapid growth.

"Building a startup is one thing. Building a company that can scale is another challenge entirely."

Every session is engineered to provide actionable takeaways, ensuring that attendees walk away with strategies they can implement immediately. Furthermore, the stage will feature live Q&A segments, allowing founders to engage directly with the experts shaping the future of the industry.

The 2026 Builders Stage Agenda: A First Look

The following sessions represent the core of this year’s programming, with additional speakers and topics to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Navigating the AI-Obsessed Market

• How to Win When You’re Not Building AI: With Shan Shan (Baillie Gifford) and Yuri Sagalov (General Catalyst). This session challenges the notion that every successful company must be an AI model builder. Instead, it focuses on the fundamentals: revenue quality, disciplined execution, and efficient growth.
• What Happens When OpenAI Ships Your Roadmap: Featuring Michel Tricot (Airbyte), Rob Toews (Radical Ventures), and Linda Tong (Webflow). A critical look at defensibility in an era where tech giants can turn your core product into a feature overnight.
• Building the Next Generation of AI Giants: Jas Khaira (Blackstone N1) discusses the capital-intensive nature of modern AI startups and what distinguishes a fleeting trend from a category-defining business.

Talent, Culture, and Human Infrastructure

• Competing for AI Talent: Matt Birnbaum (Wylder.co), Ioana Hreninciuc (Runware), and Atli Thorkelsson (Redpoint Ventures) explore how the AI boom has fundamentally altered the labor market, forcing founders to rethink compensation, equity, and retention strategies.
• Hiring When AI Is a Co-Founder: Josh Reeves (Gusto) and other industry leaders discuss the rise of the "hybrid team." As AI agents take over engineering and operational tasks, founders must decide which roles remain human-centric and which can be delegated to machines.
• Yes, It’s Hard to Be a Founder: A candid, human-centric panel with Nell Daly (Revenge Capital), Dr. David H. Rosmarin (Harvard Medical School), and Jack Withinshaw (Airspeeder). This session addresses the psychological toll of high-growth environments, offering frameworks for managing burnout and decision fatigue.

Product, Growth, and Strategy

• Winning Pre-Seed Without a Product: Puneet Agarwal (True Ventures), Austin Clements (Slauson and Co), and Sandhya Venkatachalam (Axiom Partners) break down the art of building investor conviction before a single line of code is written.
• From MVP to Billions of Users: Robby Stein (Google) shares how the product decision-making process must evolve when your user base grows from a few hundred to a few billion.
• The 90-Day GTM: Ryan Meadows (Lovable), Tomasz Tunguz (Theory Ventures), and Ben Broca (Polsia) argue that $0–$10M ARR is the new early-stage baseline, providing a tactical guide for compressing GTM timelines.
• Rebuilding Consumer Products for the AI Era: Maria Angelidou-Smith (Reddit) and other leaders discuss how AI is forcing a total redesign of how users search, discover, and interact with digital platforms.

The Future of Funding and M&A

• The Series A in 2027: Jahanvi Sardana (Index Ventures), Shailendra Singh (Peak XV), and Janelle Teng Wade (Bessemer Venture Partners) offer a roadmap for founders planning to raise in the next two years, detailing the metrics that will define "fundability" in 2027.
• M&A Is Now an Early-Stage Strategy: Karl Alomar (M13) and Lindsey Mignano (Mignano Law Group) explain why successful founders are building with acquisition potential in mind from day one, turning M&A into a competitive advantage.

Identifying Real Traction vs. Hype

In the current climate, distinguishing between genuine product-market fit (PMF) and artificial momentum is more difficult than ever.

• PMF Red Flags: Rajeev Dham (Sapphire Ventures) and Rahul Vohra (Superhuman) provide a masterclass on identifying the signals that indicate a company has true, durable pull versus those experiencing a temporary, hype-driven spike.
• The Zero-to-1K Playbook: Grant Lee (Gamma), Leah Solivan (Precedent.vc), and Elia Wallen (Engine) share how to acquire your first 1,000 customers without a massive marketing budget, emphasizing founder-led sales and community building.

Exclusive Insights and Industry Debriefs

The Builders Stage will also host exclusive industry reveals and retrospectives:

1. Revealing AI Disruptors 60: Shay Grinfield (Greenfield Partners) will sit down with founders to explore the next frontier of AI agents and infrastructure, culminating in the official reveal of the 2026 AI Disruptors 60 list. 2. The High-Conviction Filter: Alexa von Tobel (Inspired Capital) and Chi-Hua Chien (Goodwater Capital) provide a post-mortem on the Startup Battlefield, analyzing the trends and narratives that truly resonated with investors this year. 3. Ask the Investors: A high-stakes, audience-led Q&A featuring Stacy Brown-Philpot (Cherryrock Capital), Dayna Grayson (Construct Capital), and Carter Reum (M13). This is a rare opportunity to get direct, unfiltered answers on what makes an investor commit to a deal.

Join the Conversation at Disrupt 2026

The Builders Stage is more than just a series of talks; it is a collaborative environment designed to help you navigate the most challenging phases of the startup lifecycle. Whether you are struggling to find your first customers, preparing for a Series A, or attempting to build a multi-product engine, the insights shared at Disrupt 2026 will provide the clarity and strategy needed to move forward.

Secure your pass to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 today. Register now to save up to $330 on ticket prices before the next rate increase. Don't miss your chance to learn from the leaders who are actively shaping the future of the global tech ecosystem.

*

Note: When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect our editorial independence.