For early-stage startups, the first hires have always shaped the company's speed, culture and direction. As AI agents take on more complex work, founders are now reconsidering a fundamental question: which responsibilities should remain human-led, and which can be handled by intelligent systems?
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, a Builders Stage session titled "Hiring When AI Is a Co-Founder" will examine how startups can build teams where people and AI agents operate side by side. The discussion will feature Gusto co-founder and CEO Josh Reeves, Insight Partners senior vice president Michelle Johnson, and Leland co-founder and CEO John Koelliker.
From task support to operational collaboration
AI agents are evolving beyond simple productivity tools. They can increasingly support engineering workflows, customer service, research, prospecting and operational processes by completing multistep assignments. This gives lean companies another way to expand their capabilities without following traditional hiring patterns.
The shift does not remove the need for people. Instead, it places greater value on judgment, accountability, strategic thinking and customer understanding. Founders must decide who verifies an agent's output, who makes final decisions and where automation should stop.
Three views on AI-native company building
Gusto brings experience from supporting more than 500,000 businesses across payroll, benefits, compliance and human resources. Insight Partners adds a growth and scaling perspective, with expertise in go-to-market strategy, revenue operations and AI implementation. Leland contributes insights into how talent development and career skills may evolve in an AI-shaped workplace.
The session will explore how startup roles could change when agents assist with sales research, customer analysis, outreach preparation and internal operations. Human teams may increasingly focus on relationship-building, creativity, leadership and decisions that require context beyond data.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will take place in San Francisco from October 13 to 15, gathering founders, investors and technology leaders around the next generation of company building.
The rise of AI-enabled teams could help startups design more adaptable organizations, where human insight and machine capability create new models for innovation.
