Overheard at TechCrunch Disrupt 2022

Welcome to Startups Weekly, a nuanced tackle this week’s startup information and developments by Senior Reporter and Fairness co-host Natasha Mascarenhas. To get this in your inbox, subscribe right here.

So far as weeks go, this one was as disruptive as they arrive.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2022 has formally come to an in depth after an iconic three days of interviews, startup pitches and “Oh my god I do know you from Twitter” moments. I believe I can communicate for my co-workers once I say we’re all exhausted and refreshed, one way or the other, on the identical rattling time.

So, let’s do one thing a little bit totally different for Startups Weekly. This week, as a substitute of operating via our standard digest of reports, I wish to honor among the finest moments, on stage and off, of the convention. Under you’ll discover some hilarious, witty and nuanced quotes linked with a associated story if out there.

If you need extra than simply the excerpt, don’t fret. Right here’s a stay transcription of all of the panels, and ensure to take a look at TechCrunch and TechCrunch+ for additional context on information that broke on stage. As all the time you possibly can follow me on Twitter and ahead this text to a pal. However solely if you’d like.

Take pleasure in, and we’ll be again to repeatedly scheduled programming subsequent week.

“Would I decide this? If I had a magic wand to design a well being care system that leaves folks behind desperately, each single day? A well being care system that claims that somebody like me, who appears to be like like me, simply by advantage of my race has a 3 to 6 occasions extra possible likelihood of dying in being pregnant due to systemic elements due to fully unchecked racism in our system and our society and our well being care system due to stigma? Due to lack of equitable entry to companies? Completely not,” Cityblock Well being co-founder and CEO Toyin Ajayi. Full story right here.
“Social merchandise have a tendency to not invent new behaviors. They have a tendency to take issues that we’re wired to do as people that we now have basically proven we get pleasure from doing, they usually simply make it dramatically simpler to do it with anybody on this planet,” Clubhouse co-founder and CEO Paul Davison.
“TechCrunch? That feels like a sweet bar,” “Chic woman in the elevator.”
“We’re previous COVID, I once more, argue, and we’re now a possible recession. And in a recession, transportation traditionally is all the time secure; it’s a vital factor that folks want. And $30 salads on meals supply isn’t secure in a recession,” Lyft co-founder John Zimmer on why he’s not moving into the meals supply enterprise. Full story right here.
“I used to be advised you of us didn’t speak about hydrogen over comfortable hour fairly as a lot final night time as you had been speculated to. So that they introduced me again so we will actually form of r-emphasize it a bit right here.” Superior Ionics founder and CEO Chad Mason. Full story right here.
“Ensure you say it once more; I’m not being paid for this,” Comic and investor Kevin Hart. Full story right here.
“Belief is consistency over time,” Figma CEO Dylan Subject. Full story right here.
“Simply to make clear, you extract lithium from brine and produce battery grade lithium and drinkable water?” TechCrunch Editor-in-Chief Matthew Panzarino to the co-founders of Minerva Lithium (and this yr’s winner of Startup Battlefield). Full story right here.
“The way in which I take into consideration fundraising is it’s theater for toddlers,” Metafy CEO Josh Fabian.
“We truly purchased a lot of the billboards in San Francisco for 3 months for $300,000. Which, you understand, might look like some huge cash however we had raised round $60 million on the time so it wasn’t big for us. It was massively profitable. We positively acquired far more than that in income within the first month than we spent on billboards,” Henrique Dubugras, founder and co-CEO of Brex.
“I don’t have to BeReal as a result of I’m actual each day,” TechCrunch viewers growth supervisor Alyssa Stringer.
“If taking tremendous glue from a founder to repair a damaged acrylic nail disaster is the worst alternative I make at Disrupt then I believe I’ll have succeeded,” TechCrunch senior reporter Amanda Silberling.
“What’s your podcast?” Golden State Warriors participant Draymond Inexperienced to TechCrunch {hardware} editor Brian Heater. Full story right here.
“I’m gonna present up and possibly be beat up by safety guards or one thing. [I’ll tell them] she mentioned I might play,” TechCrunch Deputy Editor Jordan Criminal on enjoying tennis with tennis legend and enterprise capitalist Serena Williams.
And in response: “I mentioned you possibly can watch,” tennis legend and enterprise capitalist Serena Williams. Full story right here.
“There’s a brand new problem that we now have with doing Fairness on stage. I haven’t worn make-up for like 4 years and I contact my face rather a lot. So now I’ve make-up throughout my hand. So when you see me, don’t let me hug you since you’ll get a bizarre formed handprint,” TechCrunch+ Editor-in-Chief Alex Wilhelm. Full podcast right here.