We are now less than a week away from TechCrunch Disrupt in New York City, May 24-26. The speaker lineup is complete, the Disrupt Agenda is now posted (see below), and the Battlefield Startups have been selected and are at this very moment preparing for battle. There are still a few tickets left (get them now because the discount rate expires tomorrow).
Kicking off the program, Charlie Rose will interview John Doerr, the fabled Kleiner Perkins venture capitalist who backed Amazon, Netscape, and Google. Now he thinks the iPad is the next big thing (he’s a big believer in clean tech too, but that’s another story). Doerr has made billions of dollars by spotting disruption early on. It’s what all venture capitalists try to do, and part of the culture of Silicon Valley. But what happens when the dynamics of the technology industry begin to pervade the media industry? Whether it’s print, music, TV, games, or advertising, the media industry is taking on the characteristics of the technology industry with its accelerated rate of creative destruction.
Where there is disruption, there is also opportunity, and we’ve organized Disrupt to explore where the puck is going. On Monday, Funny Or Die CEO Dick Glover will tell us how the Web is changing his approach to TV production and distribution. Boxee CEO Avner Ronen and Comcast Interactive executive VP Sam Schwartz will debate what TV Everywhere actually means. Bloomberg’s editorial chief Norm Pearlstine, Huffington Post CEO Eric Hippeau, and New York Times media writer David Carr will discuss whether the iPad will really change the game for print media or whether the bigger ongoing disruption is the Web itself.
On Tuesday, we’ve got Google engineering VP Vic Gundotra, Facebook product VP Chris Cox, and Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley talking about how the mobile Web is a new beast and how to tame it. (Facebook alone has 100 million mobile users, Google is pushing hard to get Android adopted everywhere, and Foursquare has figured out how to get people to voluntarily broadcast their location, which may be the key to local geo advertising). Tim Armstrong will tell us how his transformation of AOL is coming along, and later we will ask AOL founder Steve Case what he thinks of Armstrong’s strategy. Then we are going to put 4Chan founder Christopher Poole, Chatroulette’s Andrey Ternovskiy and Dailybooth CEO Brian Pokorny together on a panel with GE’s global executive director of advertising and branding Judy Hu so that they can try to explain why she should ever entrust her brand to them. Finally, VCs Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures and Ben Horowitz of Andreessen Horowitz will have an actual debate about whether and under what circumstances itr’s better for startups to go lean versus fat.
On Wednesday, Twitter and Square founder Jack Dorsey will give us a special demo. We’ll have panels on social commerce (with Gilt Groupe CEO Susan Lynne and Etsy founder Rob Kalin) and advertising technology. Chris Hughes and Scott Heiferman will talk about social change. John Borthwick and Chris Dixon will tackle the challenges and rewards of seed funding in New York City.
All of this agenda is just in the mornings. The afternoons will be jam packed with new startup launches in our Startup Battlefield competition. This is our new format since we are no longer doing TechCrunch 50. It will be about half as many companies, with more feedback from our expert panelists, and elimination rounds until we get a winner, who will receive a $50,000 prize. I’ve seen these companies in rehearsals and all I can say at this point is that they will not disappoint. And if you are an engineer/hacker, join our awesome and free Hack Day the weekend before the event—the best projects get stage time in front of the full conference audience. Watch this video interview I did with Beet.TV for more info.
We also plan to add an audience member to each panel, so you can be a part of the discussion, too.
If you want to attend Disrupt, now is the time to buy your ticket.
Disrupt Agenda
Monday, May 24: “What’s Going On?”
A high-level look at societal changes in how we consume and share information, and why. The following days will focus on how these changes are influencing platform development and business strategy in media, advertising and technology.
| 9:00am | Opening Remarks Mike Arrington, Editor, TechCrunch |
| 9:15am | The Big Picture: Tectonic Shifts in Technology, Special Series with Charlie Rose Charlie Rose, Host, Charlie Rose Show John Doerr, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers |
| 9:40am | Charlie Rose, Host, Charlie Rose Show Yuri Milner, CEO & Founding Partner, Digital Sky Technologies |
| 10:05am | Real-Time Demo: TweetUp The real-time stream from Twitter, Facebook, and other sharing platforms is influencing communications, advertising and content. Advertisers see real-time data as key to sending the right message to the right people –and avoiding disaster. What’s now in real-time technology? Bill Gross, CEO idealab, debuts TweetUp |
| 10:15am | Hollywood-Flavored Fireside: Funny or Die Gets Disruptive Made-for-web content doesn’t always stay online. And TV obviously isn’t all about the static squawk box. Professional producers and comedians from the hit Funny or Die discussion how content creation is evolving — and how it’s affecting the talent industry, Hollywood and Beyond. Dick Glover, CEO, Funny Or Die Chris Henchy, Comedian & Actor, Co-Head Gary Sanchez Productions Mark Kvamme, Partner, Sequoia Capital Andrew Steele, Executive Producer, Funny or Die |
| 10:55am | Coffee break |
| 11:10am | TV Everywhere: Who Profits from Entertainment On Every Screen, All the Time? As content like SNL or the NBA becomes available on any screen, any time, the “windowing” techniques on which TV networks and other content owners used to rely for advertising and other business models no longer pertain. What’s the future of multi-channel entertainment? Who’s going to profit? Moderator: Michael Wolf, Founder & Managing Director, Activate Avner Ronen, CEO, Boxee Samuel Schwartz, EVP, Comcast Interactive Quincy Smith, Founding Partner, CODE Advisors |
| 11:40am | Entertainment Content Demo: Tunerfish Comcast is about to launch a new service, developed as a secret, skunk-works project by some of the Silicon Valley team they obtained in 2008 (via the acquisition of Plaxo). What does the cable, entertainment, and communications giant have up its sleeve? John McCrea, Founder, Tunerfish & VP Marketing, Plaxo |
| 11:50am | Products into Services: Music, Gaming, and Publishing Entertainment content is evolving from discrete 3D products into streaming digital services with ancillary revenue streams. A book is now more than bound paper; it’s also a digital download with add-ons such as author interviews or footage. Music is no longer a static CD; it’s a chance to interact with a musician a social network or meet others fans online. How will these trends continue to impact the content industries and business models? Sarah Chubb, President, CondeNet Fred Davis, Founding Partner, CODE Advisors John Hagel, Co-Chairman, Center for the Edge, Deloitte Neil Young, CEO, ngmoco |
| 12:40pm | LUNCH |
| 1:55pm | Fireside: Social Networks & Online Content: Where’s it Going? Mike Arrington, Editor, TechCrunch Jason Hirschhorn, Co-President, MySpace Mike Jones, Co-President, MySpace |
| 2:15pm | Startup Battlefield Begins–Session 1: Disruptive Ideas & Marketplaces Companies TBA May 24, on special URL Disrupt.co Selected from hundreds of applicants worldwide, these fresh products will show new ways of thinking for mobile, iPad, Hollywood, e-commerce, finance and more. |
| 3:45pm | Coffee Break |
| 4:00pm | Startup Battlefield Resumes–Session 2: Disruptive Apps & Services |
| 5:30pm | Does The IPad Change Everything For News, Or Is It Still All About The Web? David Carr, Writer, New York Times Ron Conway, Angel Investor, SV Angel Eric Hippeau, CEO, Huffington Post Norm Pearlstine, Chief Content Officer, Bloomberg |
Tuesday, May 25: “How are Platforms and Content Evolving?”
| 9:30am | The Mobile Disruption–What’s Next? Moderator: Mike Arrington, Editor, TechCrunch Chris Cox, VP, Facebook Dennis Crowley, CEO, FourSquare Vic Gundotra, VP, Google |
| 10:00am | Social & Local Demo Howard Lerman, CEO, Yext launches a brand-new product for small biz everywhere |
| 10:10am | Fireside: Local Content, Local Ads, and Everything in Between. How is AOL Changing? Mike Arrington, Editor, TechCrunch Tim Armstrong, CEO, AOL |
| 10:30am | Coffee Break |
| 10:50am | The Lean vs Fat Startup Debate The funders behind Twitter, Skype and other digital greats debate strategy for growing strong companies Ben Horowitz, Co-founder, Andreessen Horowitz Fred Wilson, Partner, Union Square Ventures |
| 11:30am | Fireside Chat Mike Arrington, Editor, TechCrunch Steve Case, CEO, Revolution |
| 11:50am | Digital Crowds into Dollars Traditional print media is experiencing fragmentation while online media are experiencing the opposite; coalescing of audience around addictive digital platforms. How can brands effectively meet audiences where they? And how can technologists amassing these audiences work best with brands? Judy Hu, Global Executive Director – Advertising & Branding, GE Brian Pokorny, CEO, dailybooth Christopher Poole, founder, 4chan Andrey Ternovskiy, CEO, Chatroulette |
| 12:30pm | LUNCH Optional lunchtime meet & greet with Knight Foundation: News and media startups are invited to lunch and learn about participating in the “Knight News Challenge,” which offers $25M in grant money for news innovation. |
| 2:00pm | Exits: The 2010 Outlook TechCrunch talks with legendary investor and tech banker Frank Quattrone on the liquidity outlook as the recession recedes. Co-presented by SecondMarket. Mike Arrington, Editor, TechCrunch Frank Quattrone, Founder, Qatalyst |
| 2:30pm | Startup Battlefield–Session Three: Disruptive Streams Inspired entrepreneurs serve up a third round of amazing product launches |
| 4:00pm | Coffee Break |
| 4:15pm | Startup Battlefield–Session Four: Disruptive Entertainment |
| 6:15pm | VC / Startup Speed Meeting & Reception Presented by Zoosk in the Networking Lounge and in Startup Alley. Cocktail reception is open to all attendees; speed meeting for pre-registered startups. |
| After-party Hosted by MailChimp at Tribeca Rooftop |
Wednesday, May 26: “How do You Find Your Audience –and Make Money?”
Content creation and distribution change, so must business models. How can artists, brands, advertisers and other merchants reach the right audience, with the right message, at the right time?
| 9:00am | Success Strategies for Musicians in the Digital Era Troy Carter, Founder & CEO, Coalition Media Group, worldwide Manager to Lady Gaga |
| 9:20am | Mobile & Commerce Demo Jack Dorsey, Founder & CEO, Square |
| 9:40am | The Future of the Market is Social. How Do You Find Your People? Finding customers in 2010 is not as simple as mailing out the Sears Catalog was in 1910. A fragmented consumer base with varied tastes combined with unlimited Web competition make e-commerce easy to initiate but challenging to excel within. These executives have successfully identified their marketplaces and created services with social functions that adapt to different mini-niches therein. What’s their strategy? How can other companies learn to “monetize” the old-fashioned way — by selling products that people want, to the people who want them? John Caplan, CEO, OpenSky Rob Kalin, CEO, Etsy Susan Lyne, CEO, Gilt Groupe Dan Porter, CEO, OMGPOP |
| 10:25am | Social Advertising Demo David Kidder, CEO, Clickable |
| 10:35am | Fireside Chat: Online Advertising Mike Arrington, Editor, TechCrunch Nikesh Arora, President, Global Sales Operations and Business Development, Google |
| 10:55am | Coffee Break |
| 11:10am | Social Networking & Social Change How can online connections create offline change? As digital tools create communities, how will they meet society and the larger world? Scott Heiferman, CEO, Meetup Chris Hughes, Executive Director, Jumo Reshma Saujani, Congressional Candidate, New York |
| 11:40am | The Big Brand Story How to Make Experiences that Matter for Online & Social Audiences Frank Cooper, SVP and Chief Consumer Engagement Officer, Pepsi |
| 12:00pm | How Will AdTech Deliver the Audience? In an era of media fragmentation, how can ad-tech experts help brands reach fans on new platforms, such as mobile devices and the iPad? especially now that brand budgets are moving more money to online, what’s now in real-time and social-graph strategy? This line-up of top brains discusses where it’s all going—and who stands to make $$. Samir Arora, Founder, Glam Media Zaw Thet, CEO, 4INFO Eric Wheeler, CEO, 33Across |
| 12:30pm | LUNCH |
| 2:00pm | Getting it Built John Biggs, Editor, CrunchGear Adam Hocherman, Founder & President, American Innovative Bre Pettis, Founder, Makerbot Liam Casey, CEO, PCH International |
| 2:30pm | Getting Funded A How-To Workshop |
| 3:00pm | The Facebook Effect David Kirkpatrick, Senior Editor, Technology & Internet, Fortune Sean Parker>, Managing Partner, Founders Fund |
| 3:20pm | Measurement Demo Eric Bosco, Chief Product Officer, ComScore |
| 3:30pm | What’s Behind the NYC Seed-Funding Hotspot? The city has the population density –and proudly local, niche communities — that drive growth of social, mobile and e-commerce startups. The instant laboratory creates a network effect that then helps services grow in value. How will these startups scale beyond the five boroughs and how can upcoming teams take advantage of NY’s unique environment? John Borthwick, CEO, betaworks Chris Dixon, CEO, Hunch & Angel Investor |
| 4:00pm | Hack Day Finalists Present |
| 4:15pm | Startup Battlefield Finale Four Amazing Finalists Face Off in a Final Round |
| 5:30pm | Disrupt Cocktail Reception Hosted by Zecco |
| 7:00pm | Winners Announced with contributions from: David Sacks, CEO, Yammer, former honoree Custom Award from Yahoo and Lowenstein Sandler |
| 9:00pm | After-party Hosted by Media Temple (mt) at element |
