Event Market: AI Agents as Startup Teammates: Disrupt Session Preview

This article previews an upcoming TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 session titled 'Hiring When AI Is a Co-Founder,' featuring Josh Reeves (Gusto), Michelle Johnson (Insight Partners), and John Koelliker (Leland). The session explores how early-stage startups are integrating AI agents into their teams, taking on engineering, support, and operational tasks. The discussion focuses on the decision-making process for founders: what work to delegate to AI versus what should remain with humans, emphasizing judgment, accountability, and culture. The article highlights insights from each speaker, drawing on Gusto's data from 500,000+ companies, Insight Partners' scaling expertise, and Leland's talent platform perspective. It presents AI agents as a new option for startup resourcing, prompting a fundamental rethink of team design and the role of early employees in an AI-native world.