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

Founders are rethinking early hiring as AI agents take on tasks previously assigned to human employees. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, Josh Reeves of Gusto, Michelle Johnson of Insight Partners, and John Koelliker of Leland will discuss how startups can build teams that combine people and AI without losing speed, accountability, or culture.

Panelists plan to examine where AI agents are already handling multistep work — including engineering, customer support, research, and operations — and when it still makes sense to hire people. That shift reframes the initial hiring question from "Who do we hire next?" to "What work needs to be done, and is a person the best way to do it?" Founders must also decide who verifies agent outputs, who holds final authority, and which responsibilities remain off-limits for delegation.

The three speakers represent different vantage points on the problem. Reeves brings insights from Gusto, which serves more than 500,000 companies across payroll, benefits, compliance, onboarding, HR, and retirement and pairs AI with long-running small-business experience. Johnson contributes a scaling and go-to-market perspective from her work with CEOs and CROs at Insight Partners and her prior role helping grow Flock Safety's revenue. Koelliker adds a talent-focused view from Leland, a career and hiring platform designed for the AI era.

Together they will explore how the role of an early employee may shift toward judgment, ownership, and the ability to direct both people and machines rather than only executing tasks. The session aims to help founders decide where human skills create the most value versus where an AI agent can increase capacity for small teams.

TechCrunch Disrupt runs October 1315, 2026 at Moscone West in San Francisco, bringing together startups, investors, and tech leaders. Attendees can register for the conference and save up to $200 on passes if they sign up before rates increase on September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT; group registration can save up to an additional 30%.