Introducing Build Mode: TechCrunch’s new podcast for founders 

Disrupt 2025 is just days away, with tickets still available here! And there’s no better time to announce that alongside our flagship event and annual Startup Battlefield 200 competition, we’re launching a brand-new TechCrunch franchise: Build Mode. 

Hosted by Startup Battlefield Editor Isabelle Johannessen, Build Mode is a survival guide for early-stage founders navigating the messy, high-stakes chaos of building a company from scratch. No sugarcoating. No hype. Just candid conversations and tactical advice from the people who’ve done it before and have the scars (and term sheets) to prove it. 

Starting November 13, Isabelle will sit down with founders, VCs, and operators to unpack the real stories behind the build. Each season and weekly episodes will tackle a theme that keeps founders up at night: go-to-market chaos, fundraising pressure, runaway runways, hiring misfires, and everything in between.  

Whether you are an Apple, Spotify, or YouTube person, you can tune in to Build Mode wherever podcasts are found. Bonus content and exclusive clips will drop on TechCrunch’s social channels, including Instagram, X, and TikTok. If you’re not subscribed, well, the clock is ticking until we officially launch in a few weeks! 

Check out the trailer for Build Mode, and for Season One, right here: 

Season One of Build Mode kicks off by diving into the good, the bad, and the gritty reality of getting your product into the market. From big splashes to epic fails, we’re unpacking what it really takes to move from idea to execution. And we’re excited to have our Season One sponsor, J.P. Morgan, along with us for the ride.

But that’s just the beginning. 

We want Build Mode to be more than a podcast; we want it to be a community of builders helping other builders succeed, just like the 1,700+ startups that have come through the Startup Battlefield program. That means we want to hear from you, the founders, operators, and curious listeners, about the questions and themes that actually keep you up at night. 

We’ll be weaving community-sourced stories, tips, and questions into upcoming episodes, so stay tuned for how to get involved! 

And if you were previously subscribed to our Found podcast — welcome back! You’re already part of the Build Mode community. We’re keeping the Found archive alive so you can revisit founder interviews and insights from past years. No gatekeeping, just honest stories and hard-earned lessons, shared freely for anyone bold enough to build a startup.