When Your Startup’s Core Product Becomes a Platform Feature

This existential challenge defines the upcoming Builders Stage session at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, held October 13–15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. The discussion moves beyond model performance to examine the core components that platforms struggle to commoditize: proprietary data, deep-rooted workflows, and long-term customer trust. Founders now face the reality that a successful product launch today may simply serve as a roadmap preview for the giants they rely on.

To navigate this, the panel features Airbyte CEO Michel Tricot, Webflow CEO Linda Tong, and Radical Ventures partner Rob Toews. They will dissect how companies can survive the platform shift by focusing on domain-specific expertise and customer relationships that foundation models cannot easily replicate. For those building in the current ecosystem, the session offers a blueprint for creating lasting value that persists long after the next model release makes current features obsolete.