TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 has locked in its most tactical programming yet, with the Builders Stage featuring Discord founder Jason Citron, super-investor Elad Gil, and Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen leading sessions on everything from AI hiring to Series A fundraising. The October 27-29 San Francisco conference promises unfiltered advice from founders and VCs who've built billion-dollar companies.
The startup world's most practical conference just got more compelling. TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 has finalized its Builders Stage lineup, and the roster reads like a who's who of founders who've actually built category-defining companies. The three-day San Francisco event at Moscone West promises the kind of tactical advice that makes or breaks early-stage startups.
The star addition is Jason Citron, Discord's founder and former CEO, who will explore community-building strategies alongside Campus founder Tade Oyerinde. Discord's evolution from gaming chat app to global communication platform offers crucial lessons for founders trying to build lasting companies around people, not institutions.
But perhaps the most anticipated session features Elad Gil, the investor who seems to spot unicorns before they're even ideas. Gil wrote seed checks to Perplexity, Character.AI, and Harvey before ChatGPT made AI mainstream. His portfolio reads like the Silicon Valley hall of fame: Airbnb, Coinbase, Figma, Notion, Stripe, and dozens more. According to conference materials, Gil will share insights on what's next for AI investing and startup formation.
Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen brings a different perspective on building in uncertainty. The logistics unicorn raised $2.3 billion and sits at the intersection of global trade and policy, giving Petersen almost prescient economic insights. He famously left his CEO role and returned less than a year later, offering founders a rare glimpse into navigating volatility at scale.
The fundraising track delivers unprecedented access to the minds behind venture capital. A panel featuring former Twitter executives Adam Bain and Dick Costolo, now managing partners at 01 Advisors alongside ex-Meta executive David Fischer, will break down what it really takes to build and fund early-stage startups today.
Navin Chaddha from Mayfield and Charles Hudson from Precursor Ventures will tackle the inception stage challenge – how to pitch when you have nothing but vision and founder story. This resonates as pre-seed and seed rounds become increasingly competitive, with investors demanding more proof points than ever before.
The agenda also addresses modern startup realities like AI integration. A panel titled 'The Pros and Cons of Hiring AI Agents as Early Employees' features executives from Artisan, Lattice, and Firecrawl exploring whether startups should use AI for sales, customer support, and billing automation. Another session questions whether early-stage startups still need 10x engineers in an era of vibe coding, featuring leaders from Sentry, Bessemer, and Warp.
The Silicon Valley question looms large as well. Anh-Tho Chuong from Paris-based Lago, SignalFire's Tawni Cranz, and Revolution's David Hall will debate whether founders must still plant roots in the Valley to succeed. This conversation feels particularly relevant as distributed teams and global startup ecosystems mature.
Series A fundraising gets dedicated treatment from Thomas Krane at Insight Partners, Katie Stanton from Moxxie Ventures, and Sangeen Zeb from GV. They'll reveal what actually gets them to offer term sheets with healthy valuations – crucial intel as Series A rounds face increased scrutiny.
The conference promises live demonstrations too, including a real-time demo of Moxi, the humanoid robot from Diligent Robotics that's already deployed in hospitals for deliveries and routine tasks. These sessions blend tactical advice with emerging technology trends.
What sets the Builders Stage apart is its focus on operations over inspiration. Sessions cover equity compensation for early employees, go-to-market engine construction, and product-market fit strategies. The lineup targets founders who need practical guidance, not motivational speeches.
Early registration offers significant savings, with tickets up to $668 off before rates increase at month's end. The timing couldn't be better as startup funding environments remain challenging and founders seek proven strategies from those who've successfully navigated similar conditions.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025's Builders Stage represents something rare in the conference circuit: genuine operational wisdom from founders who've built at scale. With Discord's community expertise, Elad Gil's investment insights, and Flexport's uncertainty navigation strategies, attendees get access to the tactical knowledge that separates successful startups from the rest. For founders facing today's funding challenges and operational complexities, this lineup offers the kind of practical guidance that can accelerate growth and prevent costly mistakes.
