If you’re planning to raise a Series A in the next 12 to 24 months, the rules you think you’re playing by may already be outdated. Series A isn’t just harder — it’s slower, more selective, and increasingly unforgiving. The bar has shifted, and many founders are still optimizing for a version of the market that no longer exists. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 , taking place October 13-15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, one session on the Builders Stage cuts directly into that gap, led by some of