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Your startup’s next teammate might be an AI agent: Gusto, Insight Partners, and Leland explain what that changes at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

11:16 AM ETDeveloping

Technology Desk

In Short: TechCrunch reports that AI agents are increasingly taking on roles that early team members would traditionally fill, prompting startups to rethink their hiring strategies.

AI agents are beginning to take on engineering, customer support, research, and operational work that would previously have been assigned to early team members, according to TechCrunch. This shift is changing how startups approach their hiring processes, as they now consider whether a person or an AI agent is the best fit for the task.

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, industry leaders like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Replit will discuss the implications of this trend. The event, taking place at Moscone West in San Francisco from October 13-15, will attract 10,000+ attendees, including startups, investors, and tech decision-makers.

The challenge lies in determining where human input creates the greatest value, and where an AI agent might be more effective. Instead of automatically asking 'Who do we hire next?', the question can become 'What work needs to be done — and is a person the best way to do it?

TechCrunch advises that giving work to an AI agent can help small teams move faster, but it also introduces new questions around ownership and responsibility. Early hires at startups can now be more strategic, focusing on tasks that require human intuition and creativity.

What's still developing

• Before joining Insight, she helped scale Flock Safety from less than $1 million to $90 million in ARR as an early sales and revenue operations leader.
• 25% off tickets now Back by popular demand: Save up to $300 on Disrupt The first few hires at a startup can define the company.
• Register now and save up to $200 on your Disrupt pass before rates increase on September 25 at 11:59 p.m.
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Sources

• TechCrunchlink