TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: Insights from Investors and Entrepreneurs on What Makes a Winning Pitch: Trust, Innovation, and Customer Focus
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, a panel of seasoned investors and entrepreneurs gathered to share their insights on what grabs their attention and what turns them off when it comes to startup pitches. The panel featured Medha Agarwal, general partner at defy.vc; Jyoti Bansal, CEO and co-founder of Harness; and Jennifer Neundorfer, co-founder and managing partner of January Ventures.
Medha Agarwal: Supporting Exceptional Entrepreneurs
As a general partner at Defy, Medha Agarwal has the unique opportunity to support exceptional entrepreneurs from the very beginning of their journey through hyper-growth. She has experienced the highs and lows of company-building and believes that founders need trusted partners who can be there for anything, big or small. Before Defy, she spent seven years as a partner at Redpoint Ventures, where she worked with companies like Whatnot, Tend, Proper Finance, LiveKit, and Anvyl.
Jyoti Bansal: Software Innovation for a Better World
Jyoti Bansal is a serial entrepreneur who believes passionately in the power of software to change the world for the better. He co-founded Harness in 2017 to automate and simplify all software delivery processes and serves as CEO. In addition, he co-founded Traceable, the leading API security platform, and venture capital firm Unusual Ventures. Bansal has been named Forbes’ “Best Cloud Computing CEO to Work For,” San Francisco Business Times’ “Best CEO,” and Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” for Northern California.
Jennifer Neundorfer: Operator-Turned-Investor Empowering B2B Innovation
Jennifer Neundorfer is an operator turned investor who has been investing in early-stage startups for the last decade. She is currently the managing partner of January Ventures, a pre-seed-focused venture capital firm investing in B2B startups leveraging software to transform legacy industries. Prior to January, she was co-founder of Flashstarts, a startup accelerator focused on software startups outside of Silicon Valley.
The panelists shared their insights on what makes a pitch stand out and what turns them off. They emphasized the importance of building trust with investors and standing out from the crowd. They also discussed the subtle signals that founders often miss, such as not being able to answer follow-up questions or not having a clear plan for scaling their business.
The panelists also discussed the challenges that founders face in building their companies and how they can overcome them. They emphasized the importance of having a strong support system and being able to pivot when necessary. They also discussed the importance of focusing on the customer and building a product that solves a real problem.
If you’re a founder or an investor looking to improve your pitch or learn from the best in the industry, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is not to be missed. The event takes place October 27–29 at Moscone West in San Francisco and features high-impact discussions like this one. Register now and take advantage of early pricing with up to $675 off tickets before rates increase.
