Build Mode

This week on Build Mode, we’re diving back into the archives for a special best-of episode all about startup mistakes, hard-earned lessons, and the decisions founders wish they’d made differently.

Host Isabelle Johannesen and producer Maggie Nye revisit some of the most insightful conversations from past seasons to explore the missteps that shaped successful companies. Guests share candid stories about chasing product-market fit, making hiring mistakes, navigating investor expectations, managing hypergrowth, building company infrastructure, and learning what really matters in the early days of a startup.

In this episode, you’ll hear from:


Deon Nicholas, cofounder & former CEO of Forethought AI and co-founder of Espa Labs


Jasper Carmichael-Jack, cofounder & CEO of Artisan


Yuri Sagalov, partner at General Catalyst


Isaiah Granet, cofounder & CEO of Bland


Ayal Yogev, founder & CEO of Anjuna


Sarah Lucena, founder & CEO of Mappa

Whether you’re building your first startup, hiring your early team, fundraising, or figuring out how to scale sustainably, this episode is packed with practical advice and honest reflections from founders and investors who learned these lessons the hard way.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

02:20 Deon Nicholas (Forethought, Espa Labs): Product-market fit, iteration, and why your first product probably won’t work

05:45 Jasper Carmichael-Jack (Artisan): Hiring mistakes, logo shopping, and finding the right people

09:30 Yuri Sagalov (General Catalyst): Founder commitment, investor signals, and avoiding non-standard company structures

12:35 Isaiah Granet (Bland): Equity grants, payroll headaches, and taking care of early employees

17:25 Ayal Yogev (Anjuna): Overhiring, market shifts, and lessons from the 2022 downturn

22:55 Sarah Lucena (Mappa): Why every founder needs a great lawyer

 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 Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams. 

Apply to Startup Battlefield: We are looking for early-stage companies that have an MVP. So nominate a founder (or yourself): ⁠techcrunch.com/apply⁠. Be sure to say you heard about Startup Battlefield from the Build Mode podcast.

This week on Build Mode, we’re diving back into the archives for a special best-of episode all about effective partnerships, from cofounder relationships and team trust to investor dynamics and leadership communication.

Host Isabelle Johannesen and producer Maggie Nye revisit some of the most insightful conversations from past seasons to explore what makes startup partnerships actually work. Guests share candid stories about finding cofounders online, navigating founder breakups, building trust inside fast-growing teams, balancing marriage and business, choosing the right investors, and learning when compatibility matters more than credentials.

In this episode, you’ll hear from:


Jasper Carmichael-Jack, cofounder & CEO of Artisan


Ian Schmidt, partner & consultant at Trimergence


Hala Jawani and Alessio Trestani, cofounders of Rivio


Leah Solivan, founder of TaskRabbit


Ross Fubini, managing partner at XYZ Venture Capital and Leslie Feinzaig, founder & CEO of Graham & Walker


Sarah Lucena, founder & CEO of Mappa

Whether you’re searching for the right cofounder, managing conflict on your team, scaling as a solo founder, or building relationships with investors, this episode is packed with practical advice and honest founder lessons from people who’ve lived it.

Chapters:

00:00  Intro: 

01:00 Jasper Carmichael-Jack (Artisan): Meeting a cofounder online and navigating a founder breakup

04:20 Ian Schmidt (Trimergence): Frameworks for conflict resolution, communication, and team trust

08:15  Hala Jawani & Alessio Cristante (Riveo): Building a startup as married cofounders

10:20 Leah Solivan (TaskRabbit): Transitioning leadership and building executive trust

12:30 Ross Fubini (XYZ Ventures) & Leslie Feinzaig (Graham & Walker): Choosing the right investors and building your cap table

16:05 Sarah Lucena (Mapa): Compatibility, investor alignment, and finding the right people

 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 Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams. 

Apply to Startup Battlefield: We are looking for early-stage companies that have an MVP. So nominate a founder (or yourself): techcrunch.com/apply. Be sure to say you heard about Startup Battlefield from the Build Mode podcast.

This week we're sharing our very first episode with Deon Nicholas, the co-founder and CEO of Forethought AI.

In this episode, Nicholas shares how he built a company that puts customers (not hype) at the center. He unpacks his “7-Failure Rule,” the early experiments that shaped Forethought’s success, and why conviction should always come from your users, not your investors.

00:00 Intro
01:23 The Founder Journey: Adapting Every 6-9 Months
05:33 From AI Research to Solving Business Problems
11:12 Finding Your Customer: The Importance of User Conversations
18:22 Building Demos and Landing First Paying Customers
25:12 The Seven Failure Rule for Product Market Fit
30:38 Preparing for and Winning TechCrunch Disrupt
35:16 The Reality of Fundraising and Chasing Metrics
39:07 Navigating Competition in Customer Service AI
43:03 Stepping into Chairman and What's Next
44:57 Outro

Surviving the long road to FDA approval isn’t just about building great technology, it’s about keeping your team motivated, finding the right investors, and learning how to operate when timelines are uncertain.

This week on Build Mode, Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Robbie Bustami, co-founder and CEO of BioticsAI, a Startup Battlefield-winning company building an AI copilot for ultrasound to help detect fetal abnormalities. From a $100K prototype to FDA clearance, Robhy shares what it actually takes to build in one of the most regulated industries in the world.

In this episode, they break down what it really looks like to build a medtech startup, where you can’t “move fast and break things,” and every milestone takes time, coordination, and trust.

This conversation covers:

How to stay motivated and keep your team aligned when FDA approval isn’t guaranteed

What founders need to know about navigating the FDA process from day one How to find investors who understand the slower, high-risk nature of medtech

Why cross-functional collaboration (engineers, clinicians, researchers) is critical to success

The role of advisors and why active industry experts matter more than big names

How to build momentum and celebrate wins during long, uncertain timelines

 Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And watch the full videos on YouTube.

Apply to Startup Battlefield: We are looking for early-stage companies that have an MVP. So nominate a founder (or yourself): techcrunch.com/apply. Be sure to say you heard about Startup Battlefield from the Build Mode podcast.  

TechCrunch Disrupt: If you're thinking about applying to Startup Battlefield, then October 13 to 15 in San Francisco, we're back for TechCrunch Disrupt, where the Startup Battlefield 200 takes the stage. So if you want to cheer them on, or just network with 1000s of founders, VCs, and tech enthusiasts, then grab your tickets.  

Use code buildmode15 for 15% off any ticket type. 

Chapters:

00:00 Building a $100K MedTech Startup

00:32 Intro: Biotics AI & the Problem with Ultrasound Misdiagnosis

02:16 What Biotics AI Actually Does (AI Copilot for Ultrasound)

02:54 Early Days: Startup Battlefield & First Product

07:10 Navigating FDA Approval (Without Guesswork)

09:22 What FDA Clearance Unlocks (Going to Market)

10:59 Selling into Hospitals & Early Customers

12:11 Keeping a Team Motivated During Long Timelines

18:54 The Hardest Parts of Building in MedTech

22:22 Fundraising, Advisors, and Building the Right Team

28:33 The Future of AI in Reproductive Healthcare

New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

Surviving the early days as an AI startup isn’t just about making the technology work, it’s about hiring the right people, avoiding costly mistakes, and standing out in a crowded market.

This week on Build Mode, Isabelle Johannessen sits down with Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, founder and CEO of Artisan, a fast-growing AI startup building AI employees for sales. Best known for its viral “Stop Hiring Humans” campaign, Artisan is rethinking outbound sales with AI, while still betting on hiring exceptional human talent.

In this episode, they break down what it really takes to build and scale a venture-backed AI company, from Y Combinator to rapid growth.

This conversation covers:


Startup hiring mistakes every founder should avoid


Lessons on firing, team building, and company culture in early-stage startups


The strategy behind bold, controversial marketing that drives growth


How AI is transforming sales, hiring, and the future of work


What founders get wrong about the necessary roles needed for a scaling startup

This conversation gets to the heart of building a startup: making the right hires early or paying for it later.

 Subscribe to Build Mode on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠, or ⁠wherever you like to listen⁠. And watch the full videos on ⁠YouTube⁠.

Apply to Startup Battlefield: We are looking for early-stage companies that have an MVP. So nominate a founder (or yourself): techcrunch.com/apply. Be sure to say you heard about Startup Battlefield from the Build Mode podcast.  

TechCrunch Disrupt: If you're thinking about applying to Startup Battlefield, then October 13 to 15 in San Francisco, we're back for TechCrunch Disrupt, where the Startup Battlefield 200 takes the stage. So if you want to cheer them on, or just network with 1000s of founders, VCs, and tech enthusiasts, then grab your tickets.  

Use code buildmode15 for 15% off any ticket type. 

New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.