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Build Mode

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On Build Mode, TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield Editor Isabelle Johannessen cuts through the startup mythology to uncover how founders survive the brutal early days, navigate impossible funding landscapes, and somehow keep their companies — and sanity— intact. Each season, Isabelle is joined by founders, investors, and operators to dig into specific aspects of the startup journey, from creative g... more

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Latest Episodes

SeatGeek didn't become one of the biggest names in ticketing by following the playbook. It started as a simple ticket search engine on the TechCrunch 50 stage (now known as TechCrunch Battlefield) and took on the industry’s massive incumbents by expa... more

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Building a great product is one thing. Getting a company like Nvidia to put its name behind it is something else entirely.

In this episode of Build Mode, host and Startup Battlefield lead Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Sydney Sykes, who leads gl... more

YouTube

Building an AI startup is one thing. Raising one of the largest seed rounds of the year before launching a product is something else entirely.

In this episode of Build Mode, host and Startup Battlefield lead Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Andrew... more

YouTube

Raising your first round has always been hard — but in today’s market, the rules are changing fast.

In this episode of Build Mode, our host and Startup Battlefield lead Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Charles Hudson, Founder and Managing Partner ... more

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Recent Guests

Jack Groetzinger
Co-founder and CEO of SeatGeek
SeatGeek
Episode: Why SeatGeek walked away from going public with Jack Groetzinger
Sydney Sykes
Leads Global Venture Capital Alliances and Partnerships at Nvidia; former partner at Lightspeed Ventures; co-founder of Black VC
Nvidia
Episode: Nvidia's Sydney Sykes on Winning Corporate Venture Capital Deals
Andrew Dai
Co-founder and CEO of Elorian
Elorian
Episode: How Elorian AI pulled off a $300M pre-seed valuation with Andrew Dai
Charles Hudson
Founder and managing partner at Precursor Ventures
Precursor Ventures
Episode: The New Rules of Early-Stage Fundraising with Charles Hudson
Isaiah Granet
Co-founder and CEO of Bland
Bland
Episode: Best of Build Mode: The Founder Mistakes That Cost Time, Money, and Growth
Jasper Carmichael-Jack
Co-founder and CEO of Artisan
Artisan
Episode: Best of Build Mode: Cofounders, Conflict and Compatibility
Ian Schmidt
Partner and consultant at Trimergence
Trimergence
Episode: Best of Build Mode: Cofounders, Conflict and Compatibility
Hala Jawani
Co-founder of Rivio
Rivio
Episode: Best of Build Mode: Cofounders, Conflict and Compatibility
Alessio Trestanti
Co-founder of Rivio
Rivio
Episode: Best of Build Mode: Cofounders, Conflict and Compatibility

Host

Isabelle Johannesen
Host of Build Mode

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 54 ratings
  • A rare startup podcast

    Build Mode is the rare startup podcast that doesn't just recycle the highlight-reel version of founder stories. Isabelle Johannessen is sharp — she comes into every episode having clearly done the homework, and she knows exactly when to push past the polished answer to get at what actually happened: the co-founder fight, the layoff nobody wanted to make, the pivot that almost broke the company. That takes real preparation and even sharper listening in the room.

    What sets her apart as a host is h... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Erma Combo
    United States25 days ago
  • Great in-depth listen

    This is a great pod. Rebecca and sometimes co-hosts do a great job not going after the founders we all know about, but finding Founders (sorry) with interesting stories about how they started their companies and what obstacles they’ve had to overcome. Balanced, direct, informative, and insightful.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sean T-dub
    United States3 years ago
  • A never miss

    People’s stories are interesting and this podcast exemplifies that there are as many ways to build a startup as there are people. Plus the hosts add context that makes this a really interesting listen even if you’re not that into tech.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    shhhhmaggie
    United States3 years ago
  • Huge fan!

    Found has quickly become a favorite in my feed! I'm consistently impressed by the engaging conversations, insightful content, and actionable ideas. I truly learn something every time I listen!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dan1777999877
    United States3 years ago
  • Insightful and engaging!

    Love the honest and open conversations with founders the TechCrunch team is facilitating here! If you’re currently a founder or entrepreneur, or want to be one in the future, this podcast should be part of your content diet. So glad I "Found" this show!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Arlie K
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Balanced, direct, informative and insightful perspectives from founders and operators.
Listeners appreciate the candid storytelling and emphasis on founder challenges beyond well-known names.
A must-listen for founders and aspiring entrepreneurs seeking practical, real-world lessons.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#182
United Kingdom/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#185
Germany/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#150
Sweden/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#231
Finland/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why SeatGeek walked away from going public with Jack Groetzinger
Q: Why did you pursue SPAC in 2021 and what did you hope to achieve that staying private couldn't?
SPACs were widely regarded as the new, faster path to going public, with strong investor enthusiasm and attractive deal terms at the time. SeatGeek signed a deal with Red Ball and got close to the finish line, but ultimately pulled out when the SPAC market started to deteriorate and becoming public through that route would have been riskier for several years.
Why SeatGeek walked away from going public with Jack Groetzinger
Q: What was sort of the hardest round to close, and what made it so difficult?
The hardest round was in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 disruption, when live events were basically shut down. Investors weighed the risk of the market recovering versus deteriorating conditions, but SeatGeek was able to close a round led by Foundry Group's Seth Levine, who believed in a normalization of the live events market and a differentiated product; the team also used the moment to show how the product could keep delivering value despite the crisis.
Nvidia's Sydney Sykes on Winning Corporate Venture Capital Deals
Q: What's different about pitching to a corporate VC vs. an institutional VC?
Corporate VCs care about strategic relevance to the company's priorities and potential partnerships, while institutional VCs focus more on financials and market size; successful founders articulate a strong better-together narrative that covers both.
Nvidia's Sydney Sykes on Winning Corporate Venture Capital Deals
Q: How can a startup enter the Nvidia orbit?
Start with Inception as the front door, pair it with deep technical enablement, then build toward a deeper partnership by aligning with Nvidia's priorities and demonstrating practical, customer-driven outcomes.
How Elorian AI pulled off a $300M pre-seed valuation with Andrew Dai
Q: What advice would you give to founders raising their first round, especially in such a fast-moving field?
Think bigger than the immediate tech details; test pitches with non-experts, discuss how AI development will affect the story, and seek investors who offer hands-on help, university connections, and customer access in addition to capital.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Build Mode

What is Build Mode about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show curates candid conversations with founders, investors, and operators to reveal practical realities of starting and scaling a company. Episodes repeatedly surface topics like fundraising signals, go-to-market discipline, co-founder dynamics, and building humane, diverse teams. The format leans into real-world lessons, not hype, with a strong emphasis on long-term culture, leadership coaching, and pragmatic product-market fit in challenging markets. Notable flair includes founder-to-investor perspectives, multi-founder dynamics (including family and paired founders), and AI-enabled approaches to hiring and team performance, making it a practical resource for listeners who want actionable strategies and a clear read on what works in ... more

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Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Build Mode. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Build Mode and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Build Mode get?

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To see how many followers or subscribers Build Mode has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Build Mode?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Build Mode:

1. Equity
2. This Week in Startups
3. Y Combinator Startup Podcast
4. The a16z Show
5. The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

How many episodes of Build Mode are there?

Build Mode launched 5 years ago and published 232 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Build Mode?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Build Mode. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Build Mode?

Recent guests on Build Mode include:

1. Jack Groetzinger
2. Sydney Sykes
3. Andrew Dai
4. Charles Hudson
5. Isaiah Granet
6. Jasper Carmichael-Jack
7. Ian Schmidt
8. Hala Jawani

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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