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Build Mode: Daily Summaries Delivered
by TechCrunch
On Build Mode, TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield Editor Isabelle Johannessen cuts through the startup mythology to uncover how founders survive the brutal early days, navigate impossible funding landscapes, and somehow keep their companies — and sanity— intact. Each season, Isabelle is joined by founders, investors, and operators to dig into specific aspects of the startup journey, from creative go to market strategies to founder mental health. The interviews are full of candid startup wisdom—think cap table drama, co-founder breakups, and pivot panic. So, if you’re starting a company or or even just thinking about it, this is your survival guide.
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- 2 days ago33 min
VC’s Gender Gap is Closing (But Not Fast Enough) with Paige Hendrix Buckner
Women and non-binary investors have doubled their share of partner seats at U.S. venture firms in less than a decade. But a title doesn't always come with power. In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Paige Hendrix Buckner, CEO of All Raise, a national nonprofit helping women and non-binary venture capitalists grow their power and influence. Paige shares how the share of women and non-binary people in partner-plus roles at U.S. VC firms grew from 9% to 18.8%, and why All Raise is now focused on a new measurement. She explains why a partner title doesn't guarantee check-writing authority, board seats, carry, or credit for deals, and how the attribution gap makes it harder for investors to build the track record they need to raise their own funds. They get into: What All Raise does and its strategy of community, data, and "lore" The attribution gap and why credit for deals matters Why sponsorship can make or break an investor's career Why more women are leaving to start their own funds How diverse VC firms change which founders get funded What the $124 trillion wealth transfer could mean for women LPs What good firm building looks like, from LP relationships to brand How AI is helping emerging managers run lean firms The different paths into a venture career Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And watch the full videos on YouTube. New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.
- 4 weeks ago56 min
Build Mode Bonus: Inside the VC Decision-Making Process with True Ventures' Puneet Agarwal
Venture capital is more concentrated than ever, making it increasingly difficult for early-stage founders to land their first check. So what does it actually take to stand out to investors? In this special bonus episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Puneet Agarwal, managing partner at True Ventures, to discuss what VCs are really looking for in 2026. True Ventures has backed companies including Fitbit, Peloton, and Duo Security, and evaluates thousands of startups each year while writing roughly 20 checks. Puneet breaks down what makes founders stand out, how to get in front of investors without an established Silicon Valley network, and the biggest mistakes founders make during fundraising. Recorded as part of TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield masterclass series, the conversation also covers due diligence, term sheets, valuations, and why raising more money isn't always better.
- Oct 1, 202635 min
The Case for Crowdfunding Before Raising Venture Capital with Everette Taylor, Kickstarter
For years, crowdfunding had a reputation as the place founders went when they couldn’t raise venture capital. Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor thinks founders should look at it very differently. In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Everett to talk about crowdfunding as an alternative and sometimes a precursor to traditional venture funding. Everette’s own path into entrepreneurship was unconventional. Growing up in Richmond, Virginia, far from Silicon Valley, he says he didn’t know what venture capital, SaaS, or ARR were when he started his first company. Instead, he threw parties to make enough money to fund the software he was building. He eventually sold that company at 21, an experience that taught him some hard lessons about understanding the value of what you’ve built. Today, as CEO of Kickstarter, Everette is making the case that founders don’t necessarily have to choose between crowdfunding and venture capital. A successful Kickstarter campaign can help founders raise non-dilutive capital, find their first customers, test demand, and establish product-market fit—all before giving up a piece of their company. And for founders who eventually do want VC backing, Everett argues that traction can give them considerably more leverage at the negotiating table. He also explains why Kickstarter is increasingly attracting established companies and creators, what makes hardware particularly well suited to crowdfunding, how AI is changing who can become an entrepreneur, and what founders need to have in place before launching a campaign. They get into: How Everette funded his first startup by throwing parties What selling his first company taught him about understanding your value The differences between donation, equity, and reward-based crowdfunding Why Kickstarter can work particularly well for hardware startups What crowdfunding can give founders that venture capital can’t How Kickstarter can help founders find early adopters and test product-market fit Why crowdfunding can give founders more leverage when they eventually raise VC What founders need before launching a Kickstarter campaign Why Everette says the stigma around crowdfunding is disappearing How AI is pushing more people toward entrepreneurship Why AI-powered hardware is growing on Kickstarter Whether founders actually need venture capital after a successful campaign The three things Everette thinks every Kickstarter campaign needs How founders can build trust with backers Why major brands are increasingly launching products on Kickstarter What Oculus, Peloton, and Oura did differently Why Everett believes ownership and creative independence matter for founders Chapters: 00:00 — Why founders should consider crowdfunding 01:36 — Everette Taylor’s unconventional path to entrepreneurship 03:25 — Learning the value of what you’ve built 05:08 — How Everette became CEO of Kickstarter 07:11 — The different types of crowdfunding 10:32 — Equity crowdfunding vs. Kickstarter 13:01 — Can B2B startups use Kickstarter? 14:34 — What crowdfunding can offer that VC can’t 16:29 — What founders need before launching a campaign 17:36 — Is there still a stigma around crowdfunding? 18:56 — How AI is changing entrepreneurship 20:46 — Using Kickstarter as a path to venture capital 22:56 — Three tips for launching a Kickstarter campaign 25:19 — How early is too early for Kickstarter? 26:39 — Why big brands are coming to Kickstarter28:33 — Everette’s favorite projects to back 29:21 — What Oculus, Peloton, and Oura got right 31:15 — The case for ownership over venture capital Join us at TechCrunch Disrupt October 13-15 in San Francisco. Use promo code: buildmode25 for 25% off your ticket. Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And watch the full videos on YouTube. New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.
- Sep 24, 202643 min
How a first-time founder bootstrapped her way to a $47.5 Million Exit with Ashley Tyrner-Dolce, FarboxRx
Ashley Tyrner-Dolce spent more than a decade building FarmboxRx without taking a single dollar of venture capital and ultimately exited the company while still owning the majority of it. In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Ashley to talk about what bootstrapping actually looks like when you don’t have money from a previous exit or a wealthy network to fall back on. Ashley started the company after experiencing food insecurity herself. Years earlier, while pregnant with her daughter, she relied on food stamps and lived in a rural food desert where getting fresh food could mean a 30-minute drive. She eventually launched Farmbox Direct as a direct-to-consumer produce delivery company before pivoting the business into healthcare and building what became FarmboxRx. Along the way, Ashley tried to raise venture capital, but investors pushed her to turn the company into a meal-kit business, a direction she believed would take it away from the customers she wanted to serve. Instead, she kept bootstrapping. That meant cutting expenses, reinvesting money into the company, negotiating longer payment terms with vendors, using credit card points for travel, and at times stopping her own salary to make payroll. Now an investor herself at HLM Investments, Ashley explains what bootstrapping signals to a VC, why founders should think carefully about when they raise outside capital, and why she believes traction can put founders in a much stronger position before they take a check. They get into: How Ashley started FarmboxRx without venture funding Why early VCs wanted her to turn the company into a meal kit What bootstrapping looks like when you don’t have a financial safety net How she stretched cash flow and negotiated vendor payment terms Why she sometimes stopped paying herself to make payroll How cold calling helped land FarmboxRx’s first healthcare customers Why founders should stay involved in sales What bootstrapping signals to Ashley now that she’s a VC Why she walked away from term sheets and acquisition offers The financial upside of maintaining ownership through an exit Why she wouldn’t raise a seed round if she started another company today When founders should consider taking venture capital Why bootstrapping after a previous exit is a very different experience How founders can build investor relationships even when they aren’t raising Chapters: 00:00 — The case for bootstrapping01:42 — How Ashley started FarmboxRx03:50 — Bootstrapping without a financial safety net07:16 — Why VCs struggled to understand the business10:21 — Proving the investors wrong12:34 — Building a network without VC backing15:24 — Getting advice from VCs without taking their money17:36 — Why Ashley refused to change her vision20:14 — Walking away from term sheets and acquisition offers22:32 — What bootstrapping signals to a VC25:08 — Getting creative with cash flow27:09 — The upside of bootstrapping28:54 — What Ashley would tell a founder starting with $50K30:26 — How to land your first customers34:44 — Would Ashley take VC money today?35:55 — Why founders should wait longer to raise36:55 — Not all bootstrapping is the same39:30 — The difference between bootstrapping with and without money Join us at TechCrunch Disrupt October 13-15 in San Francisco. Use promo code: buildmode25 for 25% off your ticket. Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And watch the full videos on YouTube. New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.
- Sep 17, 202639 min
Archer Went Public Just 3 Years After Launching and It Paid Off with Adam Goldstein
Building flying taxis takes billions of dollars. So instead of relying on traditional venture rounds, Archer Aviation went public just a few years after it was founded. In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer Aviation, to talk about the unconventional fundraising strategy behind building one of the most capital-intensive startups around. Archer is building electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, designed to turn trips that can take 90 minutes by car into flights of 10 or 15 minutes. The company is developing the technology for both commercial air taxis and defense applications and has been selected as the exclusive air taxi provider for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. But developing and certifying an entirely new category of aircraft requires enormous amounts of capital. Adam explains why he realized early on that raising $50 million or $100 million at a time wouldn’t be enough and why he decided to take Archer public when the company had fewer than 100 employees. Since then, Archer has raised nearly $4 billion. Adam breaks down how he prepared Archer to take advantage of the public markets, why timing matters so much when pursuing an IPO, and how retail investors and online communities have changed the equation for companies building ambitious hardware. He also explains why he thinks the window for earlier-stage companies to access public markets may be opening again. They get into: Why Archer is building electric air taxis How eVTOLs could change airport-to-city transportation Archer’s plans for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics Why hardware startups need dramatically more capital than software companies Why Adam decided to take Archer public so early How Archer raised nearly $4 billion Why founders need to prepare for an IPO long before they actually pursue one How retail investors have changed the public markets Why liquidity became an important part of Archer’s fundraising strategy What founders need before considering an early public-market debut Why strategic partners can help validate an early-stage company The risks of going public too soon How capital helped Archer catch up with more established competitors Why founders should choose a problem they’re willing to spend decades solving Join us at TechCrunch Disrupt October 13-15 in San Francisco. Use promo code: buildmode25 for 25% off your ticket. Chapters: 00:00 — Why Archer went public so early 01:36 — What Archer Aviation is building 02:21 — Air taxis, defense and the future of eVTOLs 04:05 — Adam’s journey from finance to founder0 6:25 — Why electric aviation became possible 09:29 — Will people actually ride in flying taxis? 11:27 — Archer’s plans for the 2028 LA Olympics 13:50 — Why building hardware requires billions 16:54 — Was going public the right decision? 17:40 — How retail investors changed the public markets 21:46 — How Archer prepared to go public early 24:50 — Is the early IPO window opening again?26:42 — What a startup needs before going public 28:09 — Why Archer chose a SPAC 29:57 — Should first-time founders consider going public? 30:55 — How Archer attracted talent before it had the money 32:48 — Why capital became Archer’s competitive advantage 33:39 — What comes after the exit? 35:25 — Adam’s advice for founders building capital-intensive startups Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And watch the full videos on YouTube. New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.
- Sep 10, 202633 min
How Mbodi Is Solving Robotics’ Scaling Problem with Xavier Chi
Robotics is having an AI boom, but don’t expect it to have a ChatGPT moment. In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Xavier Chi, co-founder of Mbodi, a startup building AI software that lets people teach industrial robots new skills using natural language. Xavier first joined Isabelle on the Startup Battlefield stage, where Mbodi became a crowd favorite with a live robot demo. Now, he’s back to talk about what happened after Battlefield and why he believes this generation of AI could finally help robotics companies overcome some of the problems that have historically made them so difficult to scale. Xavier breaks down why traditional industrial automation still requires so much programming and customization, how Mbodi is working with ABB Robotics to bring its software into factories and warehouses, and why deploying robotics in the physical world creates a very different set of challenges from building traditional software. He also explains why robotics startups have struggled to build scalable software businesses and how generative AI could begin to change that. They also get into what VCs are looking for in robotics startups, how founders can de-risk an investment before fundraising, whether the excitement around humanoid robots is justified, and why Xavier believes robotics won’t experience a single ChatGPT-like breakthrough. Plus, he explains why reliability is so critical on the factory floor — and how Mbodi recently achieved a 99.6% success rate during an eight-hour test. They get into: Why industrial automation is still surprisingly manual How Mbodi lets people teach robots using natural language Why labor shortages are driving demand for automation How winning an ABB Robotics competition led to a major partnership What Mbodi gained from Startup Battlefield Why robotics software companies have historically struggled to scale How generative AI could reduce the need for custom robotics integrations What VCs want to see before investing in a robotics startup Why robots don’t necessarily need to look human Why software could capture more of the value in robotics as hardware gets cheaper Why robotics won’t have a ChatGPT moment Why reliability is so important when robots enter production How Mbodi achieved a 99.6% success rate in an eight-hour test Chapters: 00:00 — Mbodi’s unforgettable Startup Battlefield demo01:32 — Why industrial automation is still so difficult03:55 — What companies are actually using robots for06:33 — How Mbodi landed its partnership with ABB Robotics08:30 — Are startup competitions worth a founder’s time?10:00 — Why Xavier wanted to compete in Startup Battlefield11:18 — The hardest question Mbodi faced at Battlefield13:04 — Why robotics software has struggled to scale16:35 — Raising venture capital for a robotics startup18:02 — Convincing VCs you’re the right team19:12 — Do robots really need to look human?21:42 — What needs to improve across the robotics stack25:08 — What VCs want from robotics startups28:00 — How to de-risk a robotics investment30:06 — What’s next for Mbodi31:30 — When will robots enter our homes?35:35 — Why robots can’t afford to fail36:01 — Mbodi’s 99.6% reliability test Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And watch the full videos on YouTube. New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.
- Sep 3, 202656 min
Mistakes That Make Investors Nervous, According to a PhD in Pitching
There is no such thing as the perfect pitch. But you can get close by implementing a few research-backed methods to your delivery, deck, and message. In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Dr. Eike Gerhardt, who has aPhD in pitching and spent nearly a decade studying the science of startup pitching before starting Autopoiesis Sciences. And he’s joined by Demetri Maxim, co-founder and CEO of Nephrogen, who came in second at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2025. Together, they break down Demetri’s actual Startup Battlefield pitch to unpack what worked, what could be improved, and what research tells us about how investors respond to founders. Eike explains why credibility signals matter, how technical founders can simplify without oversimplifying, and why Q&A should be treated as a second pitch. Demetri shares how he learned to explain complex biotech to generalist investors, how redesigning his deck changed his confidence onstage, and what he would do differently today. They also explore how body language and authenticity affect a pitch, how investor questions can reveal bias, and how founders can use AI to prepare for difficult Q&A. They get into: What Demetri got right and in his Startup Battlefield pitch How to explain complicated technology without oversimplifying it The credibility signals investors look for in a pitch Why some technical language can actually make founders more credible How to decide what belongs in your pitch versus the Q&A Why technical details can sometimes make your startup sound riskier How body language and authenticity influence investors Why Q&A should be treated as a second pitch What research reveals about bias in investor questions How to use AI to rehearse difficult investor Q&A Why there is no single “perfect” startup pitch The biggest pitching mistakes technical founders make Here are the studies mentioned in the episode: Kanze, D., Huang, L., Conley, M. A., & Higgins, E. T. (2018). “We Ask Men to Win and Women Not to Lose: Closing the Gender Gap in Startup Funding.” Academy of Management Journal https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2016.1215 Figge, P., Graf-Vlachy, L., König, A., Demann, F., & Diessner, M. (2025). “Shades of Grey or Black and White? How Entrepreneurs’ Use of Cognitively Complex Language Affects Investor Funding.” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587251347042 Clarke, J. S., Cornelissen, J. P., & Healey, M. P. (2019). “Actions Speak Louder than Words: How Figurative Language and Gesturing in Entrepreneurial Pitches Influences Investment Judgments.” Academy of Management Journal https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2016.1008 Jiang, L., Yin, D., & Liu, D. (2019). “Can Joy Buy You Money? The Impact of the Strength, Duration, and Phases of an Entrepreneur’s Peak Displayed Joy on Funding Performance.” Academy of Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2017.1423 Chen, X.-P., Yao, X., & Kotha, S. (2009). “Entrepreneur Passion and Preparedness in Business Plan Presentations: A Persuasion Analysis of Venture Capitalists’ Funding Decisions.” Academy of Management Journal https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2009.36462018 Zhu, L. Y., Young, M. J., & Bauman, C. W. (2024). “Linking Anxiety to Passion: Emotion Regulation and Entrepreneurs’ Pitch Performance.” Journal of Business Venturing https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2024.106421Allison, T. H., Davis, B. C., Webb, J. W., & Short, J. C. (2017). “Persuasion in Crowdfunding: An Elaboration Likelihood Model of Crowdfunding Performance.” Journal of Business Venturing https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2017.09.002Clark, C. (2008). “The Impact of Entrepreneurs’ Oral ‘Pitch’ Presentation Skills on Business Angels’ Initial Screening Investment Decisions.” Venture Capital https://doi.org/10.1080/13691060802151945 Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And watch the full videos on YouTube. New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.
- Aug 27, 202659 min
How a Crisis Turned Julia Hartz Into the CEO Eventbrite Needed
Eventbrite has survived nearly every kind of challenge a startup can face: launching into a financial crisis, raising venture capital after 27 rejections, going public, watching its core business disappear during COVID, and eventually leaving the public markets after nearly two decades of building. In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Julia Hartz, co-founder and former CEO of Eventbrite, to unpack the decisions that helped the company weather those highs and lows. When Eventbrite went public in 2018, Julia became just the 21st woman founder-CEO to lead her company through an IPO and the second-youngest woman to do so (milestones she remembers as both an achievement and a stark reminder of how few women had reached that point). But getting to the IPO, and navigating what came afterward, was anything but straightforward. Julia explains what it was like to take over as CEO from her husband and co-founder Kevin Hartz, why she initially questioned whether she was ready for the job, and how leading through the pandemic forced her to find her own leadership style. She also looks back on Eventbrite’s unusual fundraising journey, from bootstrapping the company for its first two-and-a-half years to the success during the 2008 financial crisis that ultimately landed them Sequoia as a lead investor. Julia reflects on the realities of running a public company, balancing investor expectations against the needs of customers, the mistakes that took years to repair, and the painful decision to take Eventbrite private following its acquisition by Bending Spoons. Through it all, she shares what nearly 20 years of building Eventbrite taught her about resilience, leadership, reinvention, and making hard decisions when there is no obvious playbook. They get into: How Julia Hartz and Kevin Hartz built Eventbrite from a bootstrapped startup into a global ticketing platform Why 27 venture firms rejected Eventbrite during the 2008 financial crisis How strong execution helped Eventbrite turn those rejections into a Sequoia-backed round What it was like for Julia to take over as CEO from her husband and co-founder Why becoming CEO felt “terrifying” and how Julia eventually found her own leadership style How Eventbrite responded when COVID caused the company to process more refunds than revenue The crisis-management exercise that helped Julia’s team rethink the business from scratch What Julia learned as one of the youngest women and few woman founder-CEOs to take a company public Why the realities of running a public company can differ from founders’ expectations How CEOs should balance investor pressure with what is best for their customers Why Eventbrite ultimately decided to leave the public markets The mistakes Julia made while scaling Eventbrite and why talking directly to customers remains one of her most important lessons What 20 years of building taught Julia about resilience, leadership, reinvention, and knowing when to let go Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And watch the full videos on YouTube. New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Chapters: 00:00 – Julia Hartz on Leading Eventbrite Through the Hardest Moments01:27 – From MTV and Jackass to Founding Eventbrite03:27 – How Julia and Kevin Hartz Started Eventbrite08:49 – Why Live Events Survived Every Technology Shift11:03 – Taking Over as CEO From Her Husband13:38 – Leading Eventbrite Through the COVID Crisis17:19 – Eventbrite’s Fundraising Journey17:57 – 27 VC Rejections During the 2008 Financial Crisis22:16 – How to Re-Pitch an Investor After They Say No24:42 – Building a Company With Your Spouse26:58 – Taking Eventbrite Public27:11 – Making History as a Woman Founder-CEO31:17 – What No One Tells You About Running a Public Company32:40 – From a $1.67B IPO to Going Private36:08 – Why Eventbrite Left the Public Markets38:48 – Customers vs. Shareholders: Who Should a CEO Listen To?41:11 – How Founders Should Think About Competition45:07 – Julia Hartz’s Biggest Marketplace and Leadership Mistakes49:30 – The Leadership Lesson Julia Learned in Her Final Months as CEO53:13 – What Comes After 20 Years of Building Eventbrite Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.
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About Build Mode
On Build Mode, TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield Editor Isabelle Johannessen cuts through the startup mythology to uncover how founders survive the brutal early days, navigate impossible funding landscapes, and somehow keep their companies — and sanity— intact. Each season, Isabelle is joined by founders, investors, and operators to dig into specific aspects of the startup journey, from creative go to market strategies to founder mental health. The interviews are full of candid startup wisdom—think cap table drama, co-founder breakups, and pivot panic. So, if you’re starting a company or or even just thinking about it, this is your survival guide.
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