What founders need to know before choosing their exit — straight from Roseanne Wincek, Jai Das, and Dan Springer — at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

Summary

Exit planning is no longer optional — it’s an essential conversation on the Going Public Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, happening October 27–29 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. Whether you’re already eyeing a liquidity event or just starting to scale, this is your chance to hear what top VCs and operators are looking for and how to set up your company for long-term success. Three of the best in the business — Roseanne Wincek of Renegade Partners, Jai Das of Sapphire Ventures, and Dan Springer, former CEO of DocuSign and long-time Silicon Valley operator — will break down the decision-making process, from when to make a move to how to be ready when the moment comes. Why this session belongs on your calendar Startups can no longer afford to treat exit planning as an afterthought. Between tighter capital markets, shifting investor expectations, and growing regulatory complexity, founders need a smarter playbook — and this conversation delivers just that. You’ll get real talk on key timing considerations, market signals to watch, and how to structure your business for optionality, whether you’re thinking IPO, acquisition, or just keeping your head down and building. It’s a candid, high-level look at how the best founders are preparing for every possible outcome. Meet the experts leading this conversation Roseanne Wincek is a venture capitalist, early-stage founder, and co-founder of Renegade Partners. A veteran of IVP and Canaan Partners, she’s invested in game-changers like Glossier, MasterClass, Looker, Spekit, and Daily — and brings a sharp lens for what makes companies truly ready for scale and exit. Jai Das is co-founder, president, and partner at Sapphire Ventures. He’s led investments in more than a dozen IPOs and two dozen acquisitions, with a deep focus on enterprise tech and AI-driven SaaS. His portfolio includes Netskope, ThoughtSpot, MuleSoft, and CircleCI, among many others. Dan Springer is the former CEO of DocuSign, where he scaled the company from sta...