TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to explore how AI agents reshape early startup teams
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco this October, leaders from Gusto, Insight Partners, and Leland will discuss how AI agents are taking over tasks once handled by a startup's first hires.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, taking place October 13–15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, will feature a session titled "Hiring When AI Is a Co-Founder," focused on how early-stage companies are building teams where humans and AI agents work side by side.
The panel brings together Josh Reeves, CEO and co-founder of Gusto; Michelle Johnson, senior vice president at Insight Partners; and John Koelliker, CEO and co-founder of Leland. Gusto provides payroll, benefits, and HR services to more than 500,000 companies. Johnson works with CEOs and revenue leaders across North America and Europe on go-to-market strategy and previously helped scale Flock Safety from under $1 million to $90 million in annual recurring revenue. Koelliker leads Leland, a career and talent platform, and previously held product and growth roles at LinkedIn, Curated, and Uber.
A new question before hiring
As AI agents become capable of handling multistep engineering, customer support, and research tasks, founders now face a question before opening any job listing: is a person actually the best way to get this work done? That shift raises new concerns around accountability — who reviews an agent's output, who makes the final call, and what happens when an agent makes a mistake.
The session will also examine which responsibilities — such as understanding customers, challenging flawed strategy, or motivating a team — should remain with humans even as other tasks are handed to machines. More than 10,000 founders, investors, and industry decision-makers are expected to attend the broader conference.
