Announcing the first group of speakers for TC Early Stage • TechCrunch

TechCrunch Early Stage is the place to be for the founder who is just getting started. On April 20, we’re excited to bring our show to Boston, Massachusetts. We’re bringing together experts from the Northeast and Silicon Valley to chat through myriad startup core competencies — from fundraising to operations to marketing — and outline step-by-step guides on how you can set up and grow your business.

If you’re sitting at your desk wondering how you even start a company, we’ve got you covered. Worried about how to raise in this economic climate? We have a session (or several) for you.

The format is unique to most TC events, in that our speakers give presentations around their topics (all attendees will get transcripts and visual assets from those sessions) and then dedicate the majority of their time to audience Q&A. We’ll also have dozens of roundtables focused on fundraising, operations and more, where early founders and investors can chat amongst themselves to resolve some of the biggest challenges facing early-stage startups today.

It’s going to be an incredible event, and we’re more than excited to share the first slice of the agenda with you:

How to Raise Outside of SV in a Down Market

Mark Crane (General Catalyst)

• Silicon Valley’s funding market tends to be more immune to macroeconomic conditions than elsewhere in the world. So how do you raise outside the Valley bubble? General Catalyst’s Mark Crane has ample experience on both the founder and VC side from all over Europe, as well as a firm understanding of the funding landscape in the northeastern U.S., so he’ll give practical advice on how to stay alive and thrive.

How to Raise a Series A with Headwinds Against You

Josh Coyne (Kleiner Perkins)

• The Series A round is a massive milestone in a startup’s life, and it can also be one of the most challenging to put together when overall economic conditions aren’t favorable. Kleiner Perkins’ Josh Coyne knows how a big round comes together, having invested in Figma, UiPath and Rippling, and he’ll share tips on how to make it happen.

How to Turn Your Startup into a Social Star

Rashad Assir and Josh Machiz (Redpoint)

• From building your audience to creating viral content that moves your business forward, Redpoint’s Josh Machiz and Rashad Assir will tell you how to capitalize on the multiplier effects of genuine online community. Rashad has experience building his own following, as well as Redpoint’s own TikTok presence, while Josh has helped Redpoint portfolio companies develop their founder and company brands.

How to Find Product-Market Fit

David Thacker (Greylock)

• Everyone in startup land wants one thing: product-market fit. Greylock’s David Thacker has experience building and scaling some of the most popular products in the world at Google and LinkedIn. David also has extensive experience building in a downturn, so he’s the perfect person to help you find product-market fit now when you need it most.

How to Tell Your TAM

Dayna Grayson (Construct Capital)

• Dayna Grayson from Construct Capital has invested in a lot of different fields, including automation and manufacturing. She also now focuses on consumer brands, giving her a wide range of experience for understanding exactly how founders should discuss their TAM with investors.

How to Vet Your Startup Idea

James Currier (NFX)

• Good startup ideas have patterns, and 90% of ideas that James Currier of NFX sees at the pre-seed/seed stage are not going to lead to large exits. From his experience as a VC, as well as a five-time founder, he can explain how to recognize platform shifts and capitalize when something is newly possible; how to identify fast-moving markets where TAM is not large, but increasing; how to de-risk your idea; and much more.

How to Turn Research into a Business

Pae Wu (SOSV)

• A lot of startups are incubated in the lab, but how exactly do they make the leap from research project to commercialized business? SOSV General Partner and IndieBio CTO Pae Wu can tell you how, thanks to her experience managing her firm’s portfolio, as well as her multiple roles overseeing high-tech R&D and moonshot development projects.

State of the Northeast Seed Market

Kerty Levy (Techstars)

• As managing director of Techstars Boston and Iowa, Kerty Levy has a unique vantage point when it comes to the state of entrepreneurship and startup funding in the Northeast. She’ll provide a look at the early-stage landscape as it stands, how ongoing economic turmoil could shift the scene and how you can prepare.

Pitch Practice

Ginny Miller (1Sharpe Ventures) and Heather Widman (Building Ventures)

• So you think you can pitch? Founders selected to take part in this session will have five minutes to wow a panel of judges, including leading VCs, who will then provide feedback.

TechCrunch Early Stage sessions give attendees plenty of time to engage, ask questions and walk away with a deeper, working understanding of topics and skills that are essential to startup success. Buy an early bird founder ticket now and save $200.