# Tade Oyerinde and Teddy Solomon on Building Engaged Audiences at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
In the fast-paced world of startups, **building engaged audiences** isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the foundation for growth, funding, and longevity. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, held October 27-29 in San Francisco’s Moscone West, founders Tade Oyerinde and Teddy Solomon delivered a standout session unpacking how authenticity, community, and creator mindsets turn passive followers into loyal advocates.[1][2]
## The Power of Community as the Core Product
Oyerinde, known for his work scaling consumer apps to millions, and Solomon, a veteran in founder-led communications, kicked off their Disrupt breakout by challenging the content-first mindset. “The next wave of consumer isn’t built on content—it’s rooted in hyper-local connection,” Oyerinde emphasized, spotlighting Vently, TechCrunch’s pick as one of San Francisco’s most beloved startups.[1] Vently thrives by blending **personalization, proximity, and a new social layer**, enabling users to share, discover, and belong in their cities. This approach redefines urban experiences, proving that genuine belonging drives retention over viral hits.
The duo argued that in 2025’s crowded app landscape, **hyper-local communities** outperform polished marketing. They shared data from their combined experience: apps with strong local ties see 3x higher daily active users because people crave real-world ties amplified by tech. Solomon added, “Your phone is now your company’s most powerful media tool,” urging founders to leverage it for authentic storytelling that boosts revenue without big budgets.[1]
## Authenticity Over Polish: Lessons from Camera-Ready Founders
A key highlight was their deep dive into **staying authentic on camera**. With short-form video dominating discovery—think TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts—Oyerinde and Solomon taught how to craft content that builds trust. “Find your voice, stay real, and let it drive business growth,” Solomon advised, drawing from sessions like “Startups, Stories, and the Fight for Attention.”[1] They demonstrated live: unscripted clips outperform edited ones by 40% in engagement, as audiences spot fakeness instantly.
For solo operators and thought leaders, the session offered tactical tips. Use proximity-based prompts like “What’s happening in your city right now?” to spark shares. Oyerinde recounted bootstrapping an app to 1M users via founder videos: no agency, just raw demos from coffee shops. This “you as the brand” strategy, they claimed, is essential because “if people don’t see you, you don’t exist.”[1]
## Navigating the Fractured Media Landscape
Disrupt 2025’s agenda, packed with 250+ speakers, roundtables, and the Startup Battlefield, provided the perfect backdrop.[1][4] Oyerinde and Solomon addressed PR pitfalls in a media world where AI noise drowns signals. Echoing the “Startups, Stories, and the Fight for Attention” panel, they warned against exploitative tactics: “Media attention can hurt more than help if it’s vanity headlines.”[1]
Instead, focus on **niche relationships** with journalists, podcasters, and creators. Build them early—before your seed round. Solomon shared a playbook: Pitch stories tying your startup to user pain points, not hype. Spot red flags like guaranteed coverage promises. Their advice aligned with Audience Choice winners like Rachel Miller’s Reddit session on scaling AI with trust, emphasizing **user-led growth** over tech specs.[5]
Practical steps included:
– Audit your audience: Who are your hyper-local superfans?
– Creator toolkit: Free tools like CapCut for authentic edits, Canva for proximity maps.
– Metrics that matter: Track retention from video views to app downloads, not likes.
## Why This Matters for 2025 Startups
As Disrupt wrapped with Battlefield finals and Expo Hall buzz, Oyerinde and Solomon’s message resonated amid AI hype from speakers like Matt Madrigal (Pinterest) and Rohit Patel (Meta).[2][5] In a year where AI agents redefine work,[7] human connection remains king. Their session, part of voter-picked breakouts,[2] showed how **engaged audiences** fuel everything from Vently’s local dominance to global scale.
Founders left with a clear path: Ditch content mills for community bets. Whether raising your first round or scaling a brand, authenticity wins. As Oyerinde put it, “Founder-led storytelling outperforms traditional marketing because it’s you—raw and real.”[1]
This Disrupt talk wasn’t theory; it was a call to action. With tools like the Disrupt app’s Braindate for networking,[4] attendees could test ideas instantly. For those who missed it, the lessons endure: Build where people live, speak like humans, and watch engagement explode.
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Original source: TechCrunch – Tade Oyerinde and Teddy Solomon talk about building engaged audiences at TechCrunch Disrupt