Disrupt 2025 Agenda
New sessions are added weekly. Check back in to explore more sessions.
26 October
October 27th
How to Raise a Series A in 2026
In this no-fluff panel, top VCs reveal what really gets them to offer a term sheet with a healthy valuation —from metrics that matter to the pitch mistakes that kill deals. Learn how to position your company for its first priced, institutional investment.
How Much Salary and Equity Should You Really Offer Early Employees?
Early hires shape your startup’s future—but only if you can attract and keep them. This panel dives into building equity and benefits packages that compete with big tech without breaking your burn rate. Hear real-world strategies to align incentives, boost retention, and build a team that scales.
Building in a Time of Uncertainty
Uncertainty is the new normal—but it’s also an opportunity. In this fireside chat, Ryan Petersen, CEO of global logistics unicorn Flexport, shares his hard-won insights. With $2.3B raised, Flexport’s shipping technology sits at the intersection of international business and policy, giving Petersen almost prescient economic insights. He’s been vocal about everything from tariff policy to AI. He’s also experienced personal volatility, famously leaving his CEO role and then returning less than a year later. Founders, take notes: this is how you build when the rules keep changing.
Where VCs Are Placing Their Bets in 2026
Curious where the smart money is heading next? This panel brings together top VCs to share their 2026 investment priorities, emerging sectors, and what innovations are catching their eye. Early-stage founders, this one is for you, get a rare glimpse into the trends and technologies that could shape your business in the year ahead.
How Long Should a Startup Stay Private?
Startups today can grow to huge valuations, cash out their employees, and stay private longer than those of previous eras. But that also means that late-stage startups are facing a whole new set of rules. George unpacks the shifting VC landscape, what the next generation of scaled startups needs to know, and how capital is being deployed in an era of tighter money and higher expectations. From IPO windows to secondary markets to the evolving role of growth investors, this fireside chat goes deep on what it really takes to build enduring companies in today’s market — and what’s coming next.
What VCs Really Want to Hear in Your Pitch
Investors hear hundreds of pitches — but only a few stand out. Hear directly from VCs on what they love, what makes them cringe, and the subtle signals founders often miss. This panel reveals insider tips to help you craft a pitch that grabs attention, builds trust, and wins the right checks.
Everything You Need to Know Before an Exit
Go public, get acquired, or double down and stay private? In today’s unpredictable market, founders need to think about exit strategy earlier — and more strategically — than ever. This panel brings together two top VCs and a seasoned CFO to unpack how to set your company up for every option. We’ll talk timing, metrics that matter, investor expectations, and what it really takes to navigate M&A, IPO prep, or just keep building through the storm. Whether you’re 12 months out or just starting to scale, this conversation is all about making smart moves now for whatever comes next.
Building What Comes Next
Wainwright knows how to spot a wave — and ride it. From pioneering luxury resale at The RealReal to jumping into personalized nutrition with Ahara, she’s made a career out of building ahead of the curve. In this fireside chat, Wainwright opens up about what it takes to start over, scale fast, and stay resilient through market shifts and personal pivots. We’ll dig into the lessons learned from category creation, the risks of reinvention, and why experience might just be the ultimate startup edge.
How AI is Forcing Late-stage Startups to Rewire GTM – or Be Left Behind
October 28th
How to Nail Product Market Fit
Building a product is hard. Building one that has customers chomping at the bit to get it, is priced well and can deliver on its promises is far harder, and always messy. But once you achieve the holy grail of product market/fit, your startup will rocket to growth, funding and success. Hear from a founder who’s lived it and two investors who have helped many others achieve it. This panel breaks down how to test smarter, iterate with intention so you can stop guessing and start growing.
Do Startups Still Need Silicon Valley?
While Silicon Valley is still the startup capital, how important is access to it anymore? This panel debates whether founders must plant roots in the Valley to succeed or if opportunity is so strong elsewhere that they don’t need it. Hear perspectives from investors and founders redefining what it means to build, scale, and fund a company in today’s decentralized tech world. While Silicon Valley is still the startup capital, how important is access to it anymore? This panel debates whether founders must plant roots in the Valley to succeed or if opportunity is so strong elsewhere that they don’t need it. Hear perspectives from investors and founders redefining what it means to build, scale, and fund a company in today’s decentralized tech world.
Building What’s Next with the Minds Behind Twitter and Meta
Join Adam Bain (former COO, Twitter), Dick Costolo (former CEO, Twitter) and David Fischer (former Chief Revenue Officer, Meta) of 01 Advisors for an insider fireside chat on what it really takes to build, scale, and fund early-stage startups today. From product to growth to fundraising, get candid advice and fresh perspectives from three industry veterans shaping the next wave of tech success.
Rethinking Startup Capital Without VCs
VCs aren’t the only game in town. Join us as we explore alternative fundraising paths with an angel investor, a family office vice president, and a founder who bootstrapped to success. 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.
October 29th
Preparing Now for Your Later Stage Raise
Raising later-stage rounds takes more than luck — it’s about strategy from day one. Join these 2 exceptional VCs and an experienced founder 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.
With Vibe Coding, Do Early Stage Startups Still Need to Hire 10x Engineers?
Vibe coding products have completely changed the speed, cost and technical skill needed to build products, from prototypes to shipping. This is especially true for early stage startups. Some makers of these products have even declared that no one needs to learn to code anymore. If so, that means startups don’t need to fill their early rosters with the famed 10x coders. But how much of that is hype and how much is reality? Our panelists will dive into how the developer tool world is changing and what comes next.
Seed Money Secrets Every Founder Should Know
Raising your first round is tough—but far from impossible. This panel brings together experienced investors to break down what it really takes to close a seed round. From crafting the right pitch to ensuring you are greenlighting the right partners, get actionable advice to turn investor interest into capital.