A TechCrunch Disrupt Survival Guide

I have switched venues four times. Ouch. But after much fuss, I finally secured a great place, with excellent food that is around the corner from the Moscone Center, where TechCrunch Disrupt is taking place this week.

Yes, it was a bit of a nightmare with all the venue changes, but Jensen says that I need bad things to happen to me to build resilience. So I am glad that it happened, and I found a great space. Plus, I have a backup space.

This event is the must-attend gathering at TC Disrupt of AI-first founders and forward-thinking VCs, reshaping the future of software. It will take place on October 28, in San Francisco, from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM.

This is where the future of SaaS gets built, funded, and scaled.

Turn up the nostalgia and let the ghosts dance! From Thriller to Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me,” this playlist brings the golden-age Halloween vibes to your modern haunt. Perfect for parties, pumpkin carving, or just keeping the spirit alive at your desk while you’re vibing out.

10,000 people are about to spend three days convincing each other they’re “locked-in, building.” Spoiler: most will be heads up, scanning name badges, and getting coffee. (Coffee? We’ll let that slide.)

Having been to my fair share (ok, way too many) trade shows and conferences over the years, here’s my expert guide on how to actually make Disrupt worth it.

Pick your sessions wisely.
You won’t out-schedule anyone. Two sessions that move your company forward are worth more than twenty that sounded cool. Everything else is background noise.

Lead with leverage.
Know your value before you walk in. Investors, partners, hires, they’re all filtering for momentum. Have a crisp answer for “why now” and “why you.”

Have a target list.
Five names. That’s it. Know where they’ll be speaking, sponsoring, or drinking. Accidental meetings are for amateurs. Strategic collisions are planned.

Ask better questions.
Great founders don’t pitch at Disrupt. They gather intel. Ask what metrics investors are funding, which channels have low CAC, and where budgets are moving.

Follow up like a professional.
Within 24 hours, send a two-line follow-up: remind them of your conversation, and propose a next step. Connect on LinkedIn. The founders who follow up win.

Don’t chase the main stage.
Panels are optics, not insight. Unless your target is on it, skip it. The best conversations happen three floors down or two blocks away.

Don’t collect contacts, build context.
You don’t need 200 new contacts. You need five that matter. Skip “Let’s connect!” small talk. Depth compounds. Volume doesn’t.

Don’t talk about your product.
Nobody cares about features in a crowd of founders. Talk about outcomes, traction, or pain you’re solving. Lead with results, not vision statements.

Don’t stay until last call.
Signal collapses after 9 PM. Leave before everyone forgets why they’re there. If you want to be memorable, be the one who leaves to execute.

Don’t confuse motion for progress.
Running around Moscone is not momentum. If an event, meeting, or convo doesn’t move the needle on capital, customers, or clarity, just cut it.

My days are packed.
My schedule is booked solid with meetings with friends, clients, founders, and an old cycling buddy who happens to be the OG of SaaS sales.

I will spend time at Blue Bottle a lot.
You’ll find me at Blue Bottle more than on the show floor. I’ve been hooked since the days they poured cappuccinos out of that Hayes Valley warehouse popup.

This is the one event I RSVP’d for.
Founder Friends SF #Disrupt2025, hosted by Hustle Fund at the AWS Builder Loft. Because the Hustle Fund is totally awesome.

I will get ramen here.
No afterparties or alcohol for me. But I do plan to have Ramen in Japantown. This place, Marufuku Ramen, is an old-time favorite.

Running my blowout event on Tuesday!
And yes, I’m hosting the most exclusive gathering at Disrupt of AI-first founders and forward-thinking VCs reshaping the future of software.

I’ll be at Blue Bottle, not the main stage. I’ll trade panels for ramen and afterparties for execution because the only disruption that matters is when the badge comes off and you’re back at your work station, shipping.

This week, the duo dives into the great AWS outage, OpenAI’s new browser (and its censorship controversy), and Chamath’s “distribution is king” post. Plus: Reddit vs. Perplexity, 100 ex-bankers training AI, the real cause of the hiring slowdown, and the pain of throwing a San Francisco event during TechCrunch week.

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