The Clock Is Ticking on Disrupt 2026 Side Events

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is barreling toward San Francisco’s Moscone West from October 13–15. More than 10,000 founders, investors, and tech’s sharpest minds will pack the halls. But the real action? It spills well beyond those three days.

That’s where the Disrupt Side Events program comes in. From October 10–16, you can host your own gathering — a dinner, a workshop, a VC office-hours session — and get it promoted directly to Disrupt’s massive audience. The catch? The application deadline is this Friday, September 4, at midnight PT. Yes, that’s days away.

If you’ve been sitting on an idea for a meetup, now’s the time to move. Here’s everything you need to know.

Why Bother Hosting a Side Event?

Side Events put you in the driver’s seat. Instead of hoping you run into the right people in a crowded expo hall, you create the room where conversations happen. Your brand, your agenda, your crowd.

Here’s what you get:

• Direct access to thousands of the most curious and capable people in tech.
• Real relationships with potential partners, investors, and future collaborators — not just business cards.
• Full control over your narrative. You decide what to showcase and how to frame it.
• Buzz that lingers long after the event ends, thanks to promotion through Disrupt’s official channels.

Approved Side Events are listed on the official calendar and pushed out through Disrupt’s marketing. That’s free exposure to an audience that’s already primed for innovation.

What Kind of Event Can You Host?

Pretty much anything that fits your vision. Past Disrupts have seen industry roundtables, intimate dinners, casual happy hours, deep-dive workshops — you name it. The format is yours to design.

One recommendation: aim for the evenings of October 13–15. There’s less competition for attention, and the post-conference energy is perfect for real conversations. Just make sure your event is open to both Disrupt attendees and the broader public.

What You Need Before Applying

Don’t wing it. The application form asks for specifics, so have these locked down first:

• A venue in the Bay Area — this is strictly in-person, so location matters.
• A title, description, and venue details ready to paste in.
• A quick read of the Side Events Host Guide and the Side Event Host T&Cs so there are no surprises.

If you hit a snag, the Side Events team is just an email away. They’re genuinely helpful.

Who Should Apply?

Venture capitalists looking to spark dialogue. Companies launching something new. Community builders with a point of view. If you have a following, a network, or just a killer idea for bringing people together, this is your shot.

There’s zero cost to apply and zero cost to participate. The organizers prioritize events that add real value for founders, investors, and the startup ecosystem — but beyond that, you know your community best.

So here’s the bottom line: the deadline is September 4 at midnight PT. The application takes minutes. The payoff could define your quarter.

Apply now. Tell them what you want to build, who you want to reach, and what you need logistically. They’ll handle the rest — and you’ll be at the center of the Bay Area’s biggest tech week.

You’re Probably Ignoring These Windows Built-in Tools

Let’s be honest: Windows is a crowded operating system. Between the Start menu, the taskbar, and the endless settings panels, it’s easy to miss the good stuff. But tucked away in plain sight are some genuinely powerful features that most people never touch.

These aren’t obscure registry hacks or third-party downloads. They’re native, free, and already sitting on your machine. Here are four hidden Windows features worth your attention.

1. The Secret Power of the Windows Key Shortcuts

You probably use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V without thinking. But the Windows key itself opens a whole world of shortcuts that can shave seconds off your daily workflow.

Try these:

• Win + V – Opens the clipboard history. Copy multiple items, then paste any of them later. It’s a lifesaver for research or data entry.
• Win + Shift + S – Launches the snipping tool for quick screenshots. You can capture a region, a window, or the whole screen.
• Win + D – Minimizes everything and shows the desktop in one keystroke.
• Win + L – Locks your PC instantly. Essential for privacy when you step away.

These shortcuts are fast, reliable, and work across most versions of Windows. Once you start using them, you’ll wonder how you managed without.

2. God Mode: One Folder to Rule Them All

If you’ve ever dug through the Control Panel or the Settings app looking for a specific option, you know how tedious it can be. God Mode fixes that by putting every administrative tool in one place.

Here’s how to enable it:

1. Right-click on your desktop and select New > Folder.
2. Name the folder exactly this: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
3. Press Enter. The folder icon will change to a control panel-style icon.

Open it, and you’ll see hundreds of settings and tools, from backup and restore to device manager and power options. No more hunting through menus. It’s one of the best Windows productivity tips for power users.

3. The Hidden ‘Quick Assist’ Tool for Remote Help

Need to help a friend or family member with their PC? You don’t need a third-party remote desktop app. Quick Assist is built into Windows 10 and 11.

Search for “Quick Assist” in the Start menu. You’ll get a code that the other person enters on their machine. Once connected, you can see their screen, take control, or just chat.

It’s secure, free, and doesn’t require any installation. For a quick fix, it beats downloading TeamViewer or AnyDesk. This is one of those Windows built-in tools that deserves more attention.

4. Storage Sense: Automatic Disk Cleanup

Running out of disk space is a classic Windows problem. Storage Sense is the built-in solution that works automatically.

You’ll find it under Settings > System > Storage. Turn it on, and Windows will periodically delete temporary files, empty the recycle bin, and clean up downloads you haven’t touched in a while.

You can configure how aggressive it is. Set it to run daily, weekly, or only when disk space is low. It’s a set-and-forget feature that keeps your drive from filling up with junk.

For more ways to keep your system lean, check out our guide on freeing up disk space in Windows.

Why These Hidden Windows Features Matter

These four tools aren’t flashy, but they solve real problems. They save time, reduce frustration, and keep your system running smoothly. The best part? They’re all free and already installed.

If you’re looking for more ways to get the most out of your PC, explore other Windows tips and tricks we’ve covered. You might be surprised at what else you’ve been missing.

The revenge plot that refuses to die

Even if you’ve never cracked open the 1844 novel or sat through one of its many adaptations, you know the shape of The Count of Monte Cristo. A young man, full of promise, gets betrayed by people he trusts. He’s thrown into a hellhole, left to rot. Then comes the escape, the hidden treasure, the new identity, and the slow, surgical dismantling of everyone who wronged him.

That formula is so sturdy that filmmakers keep borrowing it — often without a single mention of Alexandre Dumas. Sometimes it’s a coincidence. Often it’s not. Directors know the skeleton works, so they just dress it in different clothes.

Here are six movies that are, whether they admit it or not, The Count of Monte Cristo in disguise.

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The most obvious one, and the most beloved. Andy Dufresne is Edmond Dantès — a brilliant, innocent man railroaded into prison by a rival’s jealousy. He endures years of brutality, befriends a father figure (Red as a less glamorous Abbé Faria), and quietly digs his way out. The payoff isn’t a treasure chest of gold; it’s a lifetime of savings hidden under a fake name.

The parallel isn’t subtle, and Stephen King has acknowledged the influence. But the movie stands so tall on its own that most viewers never stop to think about the 1840s source material. It’s a revenge story about patience, and patience is the rarest weapon in cinema.

2. Oldboy (2003)

Park Chan-wook’s masterpiece takes the Monte Cristo template and drags it through hell. Oh Dae-su is imprisoned for 15 years without explanation — no trial, no crime, just a hotel room that becomes a cell. When he’s released, he has five days to find out who did this to him and why.

The twist at the end is so devastating that it rewrites everything you thought you knew. But strip that away, and you’ve got Dantès’ arc: wrongful imprisonment, a mysterious benefactor, a single-minded quest for vengeance. The corridor fight scene is iconic, but the structure is pure Dumas.

3. V for Vendetta (2005)

V is Edmond Dantès with a Guy Fawkes mask and a flair for the theatrical. He was betrayed by the state, experimented on, and left for dead in a fire. He emerges with a new identity, a hidden base, and a plan to tear down the entire system that destroyed him.

The difference is scale. Dantès wants to punish specific men; V wants to topple a fascist government. But the bones are identical — the wronged prisoner becomes something more than human, and the revenge becomes a public spectacle. It’s a political thriller built on a personal grudge, and that’s exactly what makes it work.

4. The Lion King (1994)

Wait. Stick with me here.

Simba is Dantès, exiled from his kingdom after a betrayal he didn’t deserve. Scar is Fernand Mondego — the jealous rival who engineers the downfall and steals the prize. The difference is that Simba doesn’t plan a meticulous revenge; he just comes home and takes back what’s his.

But the emotional core is the same. The hero loses everything, lives in obscurity, then returns transformed — older, wiser, and ready to confront the past. Add Timon and Pumbaa as the comic-relief version of Faria’s mentorship, and you’ve got a children’s movie that’s secretly a 19th-century revenge novel. Shakespeare did the same thing with Hamlet, so Disney clearly has a type.

5. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

Okay, this one isn’t secret. It’s literally the same story. But it deserves a mention because it’s the rare adaptation that actually understands the assignment.

Jim Caviezel plays Dantès with a simmering rage that never quite boils over, and Guy Pearce makes Fernand a genuinely hateable villain. The movie streamlines the novel mercilessly — the Abbé Faria’s role is compressed, the treasure is found in a single scene, and the revenge is more physical than psychological. But it captures the spirit: the transformation from naive sailor to cold, calculating aristocrat.

If you’ve only seen the 2002 version, you’ve seen the skeleton. The book adds layers of patience and cruelty that no two-hour film can contain.

6. John Wick (2014)

This one’s a stretch, but hear me out. John Wick is a man who had everything — love, peace, a quiet retirement — and lost it all to a betrayal. The theft of his car and the killing of his dog aren’t just random acts of violence; they’re the destruction of his last connection to his wife. That’s his trigger.

What follows is a rampage, not a careful plan. But the underlying structure is Monte Cristo: the wronged man who was once feared, now returned to exact a terrible price. The difference is that Dantès uses intelligence and money; Wick uses guns and a bulletproof suit. Both are unstoppable forces, and both are driven by grief dressed as vengeance.

It’s not a perfect parallel, but it shows how far the template can stretch. Action movies about revenge don’t need to be subtle about their influences — they just need to make you feel the weight of the wrong.

Why this story never gets old

Dumas understood something that most writers miss: revenge is only satisfying when the hero earns it. Dantès spends years in prison, years planning, years executing. The payoff isn’t just the punishment of his enemies — it’s the transformation of himself.

That’s why these movies work. Whether it’s Andy Dufresne crawling through a sewer or Simba climbing Pride Rock, the audience has watched the hero suffer, grow, and change. The revenge is the reward for that patience.

So the next time you watch a film about a betrayed man who returns from the dead to settle scores, you’re watching The Count of Monte Cristo. The name might change, but the story never does.