For AI founders, the biggest competitive threat may no longer be another startup. It may be the platform you\u2019re building on. Every major release from OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google raises the same question: What happens if the feature you\u2019ve spent the last year building suddenly becomes part of the platform?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a question reshaping product strategy, fundraising, and company valuations across the AI ecosystem. Not long ago, founders worried about competing with other startups. Today, they\u2019re competing with foundation model companies introducing entirely new capabilities every few months.<\/p>\n
That changes almost every strategic decision \u2014 from what products to build and where to differentiate to how to raise capital and create lasting value. The conversation moves from \u201cCan we build it?\u201d to \u201cCan we still own it?\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the challenge at the heart of \u201cWhat Happens When OpenAI Ships Your Roadmap<\/strong><\/a>,\u201d a Builders Stage session<\/strong><\/a> featuring leaders\u00a0Michel Tricot (Airbyte), Rob Toews (Radical Ventures), and Linda Tong (Webflow),\u00a0at <\/strong>TechCrunch Disrupt 2026<\/strong>,<\/a> taking place October 13\u201315 at Moscone West in San Francisco. Disrupt is the flagship startup event where 10,000+ founders, investors, and operators gather for 250+ sessions exploring the market forces reshaping how startups are built, funded, and scaled.<\/p>\n See how founders are responding to AI\u2019s biggest competitive shift. Secure your pass to Disrupt with savings of up to $200 before rates increase on September 25<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n One of the biggest strategic risks facing AI startups today isn\u2019t losing to another founder \u2014 it\u2019s discovering that your competitive advantage has become someone else\u2019s product update.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the reality this session is designed to confront. As foundation models rapidly evolve, capabilities that once differentiated an AI startup can quickly become table stakes. Increasingly, founders aren\u2019t just competing with other startups \u2014 they\u2019re competing with the platforms powering the AI ecosystem itself.<\/p>\n Here, founders will examine why the next generation of AI winners may not be defined by the smartest models. They\u2019ll be defined by everything the models can\u2019t easily replace: proprietary data, deeply embedded workflows, customer relationships, domain expertise, and trust.<\/p>\n The reality founders increasingly need to prepare for is, \u201cCan we build something customers will still value after the next model release?\u201d<\/p>\n This session explores where defensibility still exists, how founders can respond when AI giants move into adjacent markets, and what separates companies that become features from those that remain businesses.<\/p>\n Learn how founders are building beyond the next model release. Register for Disrupt today and save up to $200.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n To unpack this challenge, the Builders Stage session<\/strong><\/a> brings together a founder, an operator, and an investor, each offering a different view on creating defensible AI companies.<\/p>\n How do you create lasting value when the technology underneath your product keeps changing?<\/strong><\/p>\n Michel Tricot<\/a> has spent his career building the data integration infrastructure that powers analytics, operations, and AI. As CEO and co-founder of Airbyte<\/a>, he has grown the open source platform to more than 7,000 customers \u2014 including 18% of the Fortune 500 \u2014 giving him firsthand insight into where durable businesses are built beyond the foundation model.<\/p>\n How do software companies stay differentiated as AI reshapes customer expectations?<\/strong><\/p>\n As CEO of Webflow<\/a>, Linda Tong<\/a> is leading one of the industry\u2019s top visual development platforms through one of SaaS\u2019s biggest technology shifts. Her experience scaling Webflow and leading teams at Google, Cisco, and the NFL gives founders practical insight into evolving products without losing competitive advantage.<\/p>\n What convinces investors that an AI company will still matter three years from now?<\/strong><\/p>\n At Radical Ventures<\/a>, partner Rob Toews<\/a> evaluates AI startups every day, identifying where competitive advantages still exist \u2014 and where products risk becoming features.<\/p>\n Together, they bring unique perspectives to one defining question facing AI startups today: What can you build that the platforms can\u2019t simply ship themselves?<\/p>\n Secure your Disrupt pass<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>and hear how founders are building companies, not just AI features.<\/p>\n Foundation models will continue to improve. That much is inevitable. As OpenAI and Anthropic continue expanding their capabilities, founders must decide how they\u2019ll continue to differentiate.<\/p>\n Tomorrow\u2019s AI leaders will be defined by everything the models can\u2019t easily replace \u2014 companies that customers continue to choose because of the workflows they enable, the data they own, the problems they solve, and the trust they\u2019ve earned.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the strategic shift this session is designed to explore. Rather than reacting to every new model release, founders will hear where defensibility still exists, what enterprise and startup buyers continue to value, and how to build companies that remain relevant as AI evolves.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re building an AI company, the question isn\u2019t whether foundation models will continue to evolve. It\u2019s whether your company will continue creating value as they do. The greatest risk isn\u2019t building a weak product \u2014 it\u2019s building a strong one that eventually becomes someone else\u2019s feature. You don\u2019t want to miss this interactive session on the Builders Stage<\/strong><\/a> at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Secure your pass to Disrupt<\/strong><\/a> to hear how founders, operators, and investors are redefining AI defensibility, and\u00a0save up to $200 before September 25.<\/p>\n When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission<\/a>. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/em><\/p>\nWhen products become features<\/h2>\n
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Three perspectives on AI\u2019s biggest strategic question, all laid out on the Builders Stage<\/h2>\n
Learn how to build lasting AI defensibility at Disrupt<\/h2>\n
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