TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is spotlighting startups replacing early hires with AI agents. The event takes place October 27–29 at San Francisco’s Moscone West.
The focus: startups automating outbound sales, billing, and customer support from day one. No humans needed in those first crucial roles.
The panel on the Builders Stage includes technical founders and operators debating the AI-human lineup and limits. 
Caleb Peffer, CEO of Firecrawl, supports over 350,000 developers and companies like Shopify and Zapier with his platform that plugs AI directly into the live web.
Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, CEO of Artisan, made waves with his “Stop Hiring Humans” campaign. His startup raised $35 million to build AI employees, beginning with sales teams.
Sarah Franklin, CEO of Lattice and ex-Salesforce president and CMO, shares insights on scaling teams where AI helps and where it hurts.
This session dives into real issues: ROI, trust, team dynamics, and how to run faster with fewer humans.
TechCrunch promises hundreds of sessions, breakouts, and roundtables at Disrupt 2025. Ticket prices rise mid-September.
Get your pass now for San Francisco, October 27-29.
“Caleb Peffer, founder and CEO of Firecrawl, is helping over 350,000 developers (and companies like Shopify and Zapier) plug AI directly into the live web. His dev-first platform is already reshaping how AI agents interact with the internet and scale with clean data.”
“Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, founder and CEO of Artisan, made waves with his ‘Stop Hiring Humans’ campaign — and he’s serious. His company raised $35 million to build AI employees, starting with sales. Expect bold insights on replacing go-to-market teams with code.”
“Sarah Franklin, CEO of Lattice and former Salesforce president and CMO, brings hard-won wisdom on scaling companies with impact. She’s built and led real teams at the highest level and knows exactly where AI helps — and where it hurts.”
