Day one of TechCrunch Disrupt is in the rearview mirror, and what a great day it was! We hope you’re well rested and well fed, because day two — October 19 — comes fully loaded with action, connection and opportunity.
Latecomers still welcome: Buy a pass right here.
All righty, let’s take a quick look at just some of the sessions, speakers and events you don’t want to miss. You’ll find all the day’s programs, stage locations and times listed in the Disrupt agenda — and in your handy event app.
Expo Hall & Demo Booths
Head to the expo hall each day to check out early-stage Startup Battlefield 200 exhibitors and sponsor booths.
Women of Disrupt Breakfast
Receptions | 8:30 am
TechCrunch and Elpha invite you to network with other women of Disrupt over a delicious breakfast. Arrive early to grab breakfast and a seat, as this is always one of our most popular receptions at Disrupt. Breakfast is first come, first served.
Live on Stage: TechCrunch’s Chain Reaction
TC Plus Stage | 9:05 am
Join Anita Ramaswamy, Jacquelyn Melinek and Lucas Matney for a live podcast recording of Chain Reaction as they unpack and explain the latest crypto news, drama, and trends, breaking it down block by block for the crypto-curious. Come for the news and analysis, stay for the jokes — and breakfast!
After the Boom: What’s Next for the Space Economy
TC Plus Stage | 12:10 pm
An unprecedented decade of growth and investment has carried the space industry to ever greater heights. Today, the changed funding landscape and uncertain global economic outlook pose new challenges for space operators looking to turn their innovative technologies and concepts into sustainable businesses. Join Tess Hatch, Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners, Steve Isakowitz, President and CEO, The Aerospace Corporation, Pete Muend, Director, Commercial Systems Program Office, National Reconnaissance Office, annd Melanie Stricklan
CEO & Co-founder, Slingshot Aerospace as they discuss what lies on the other side of this economic turbulence and the role the government can play as a non-equity investor supporting development of critical technologies in the national interest.
Solving the Supply Chain Crisis with Autonomous Trucks
TC Plus Stage | 2:10 pm
From pandemics to worker shortages to seized-up ports, global disruptions have exposed the fragility of the supply chain. Transforming a centuries-old industry isn’t easy and doesn’t happen overnight but TuSimple is building a new kind of supply chain, called the Autonomous Freight Network (AFN) to help us get the food, medicine, and gadgets we need safely, with a lower carbon footprint, and at a lower cost. Join TuSimple CEO, Xiaodi Hou and learn how your startup can benefit from integrating your technology into the AFN or by using autonomous freight capacity to help mitigate impact to your business against outside forces.
How to Raise First Dollars in a More Difficult Market — The Venture Perspective
TC Plus Stage | 2:45 pm
It is clear by now that the venture market has changed this year. That means that founders looking to raise first capital for their startup can’t follow last year’s playbook and expect results. So what do founders need to know, and how can they best snag investor attention in a market where the rules are changing? Annie Case, partner, Kleiner Perkins; Jomayra Herrera, partner, Reach Capital; and Sheel Mohnot, co-founder and GP, Better Tomorrow Ventures, will share the real nuts and bolts of early fundraising in 2022.
TechCrunch Startup Battlefield presented by Capital Connect by J.P. Morgan
Disrupt Stage | 10:55 am & 2:40 pm
TechCrunch’s iconic startup competition is back, as entrepreneurs from around the world pitch expert judges and vie for the Startup Battlefield Cup and $100,000.
How OnlyFans Changed the Internet’s Oldest Industry
Disrupt Stage | 1:15 pm
Nothing drives tech innovation like sex. But after earning billions in revenue and providing stable income to thousands of adult creators, OnlyFans dropped a bombshell: it would ban porn. After creator backlash, those plans didn’t last long — the founding CEO stepped down and now new CEO Amrapali Gan and chief strategy and operations officer Keily Blair are in charge. Hear from these newly installed execs about what their leadership means for OnlyFans.
Speeding Up Crypto
Disrupt Stage | 1:45 pm
Launched in 2020, Solana gained worldwide renown for being one of the fastest blockchains with a rapidly growing developer ecosystem. It’s arguably the best-known of the “Ethereum Killers” because of its speed and low transaction cost, but its rise has not been without hurdles. Hear from its creator Anatoly Yakovenko about the opportunities and challenges ahead as Solana seeks to take web3 to mobile devices in a push for mass adoption.
Scaling Responsibly: Walking the Talk on ESG and DEI
Roundtable | 11:00 am
Organizations with a real and transparent commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become increasingly attractive to both investors and customers. But with such a wide range of possible approaches and solutions, it can be daunting for organizations to decide where to focus first. We’ll share insights and examples from a few companies who are blazing bold trails in ESG and diversity, and we’re equally keen to hear what you’re implementing, or thinking about trying. Let’s riff off of each other’s experiences and brainstorm ways to better support both people and the planet as we scale. Margaret Glover-Campbell. COO, Virtual Gurus.
Pricing for Competitive Advantage
Roundtable | 11:30 am
Price is a startup’s most important tool for positioning and growth, yet 85% of companies (even the big ones) have sub-optimal pricing strategies. In this session, join Andy Rooks, Founder, Price Theory, to discuss how to approach value-based pricing and answer your questions about how to price a startup for competitive advantage and growth.
Hacking Hiring: How to Build an A-team without a Budget of a Large Corporation
Roundtable | 1:00 pm
Success of your company depends on your ability to hire and retain talent, however, hiring has become an immensely complex and expensive process. How can you as a startup founder build an A-team without a budget of a large corporation? Join Anna Buldakova, Co-founder and CEO, Vektor AI to discuss some of the recent trends, research findings and founder lessons to help you answer that question. – How to create a job description that would stand out amongst thousands of others – How to hire people from top companies – How to balance different seniority levels – What startup founders need to know about hiring Gen Z – What psychological principles to keep in mind to build an A-team.
How Startups Can Survive The Downturn With Financial Planning
Roundtable | 3:00 pm
Whether you’re out looking for your first check or figuring out how to extend your latest funding round, the fundraising landscape has changed dramatically and holistic financial planning is more important than ever. Join Christina Ross, 3x CFO turned Co-founder and CEO of FP&A platform Cube, and Mayfield partner Rajeev Batra for a candid conversation on what startups need to survive today, including the key metrics investors are looking at, finding the balance between growth and operational efficiency, and more.
Tech Driven Biology and Chemistry: Solving Science’s Hardest Problems at Scale
Breakout Session | 10:00 am
Join leaders in the AI-Driven Drug Discovery market for a fireside chat exploring how to build the next-generation of digital biotech. BigHat Biosciences’ Peyton Greenside, Terray Therapeutics’Jacob Berlin, and AWS’ Eric Zimmerman will discuss topics including company building, science fact vs. fiction and the future of medicine. Understand how the intersection of biology and chemistry is enabling new techniques to develop novel therapeutics through the lens of technology. Walk away with insights from startup founders about building and running a startup that are applicable across all industries.
How to Achieve Product Market Fit (PMF)?
Breakout Session | 11:00 am
Nine out of ten startups fail, a significant amount due to a lack of Product Market Fit (PMF). In this session, serial entrepreneur Dheeraj Pandey (former Nutanix CEO and Adobe Board member) and the founding members of the DevRev team will discuss achieving PMF with today’s tools and technology. Every attendee will also get free access to DevRev and resources for attaining PMF with examples and live walkthroughs. Reserve your seat early before space runs out.
Look Beyond the Survey to Capture the True Voice of the Customer
Breakout Session | 1:00 pm
Global companies spend $90B a year on analytics and surveys trying to understand customers’ expectations and decisions. How can companies shift their perspective away from cold, transactional data to the truth behind what’s on customers’ minds now to better understand their purchase decisions? Join Guilherme Cerqueira, the CEO of Worthix, who will detail case studies and give you tips on how you can use AI-powered, Voice of the Customer technology to help streamline your iteration process to better follow what your customers want from your business.