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SF IRL - Oct 27th, 2025

A curated newsletter showcasing the top tech & startup events in San Francisco

Author

Jonathan Chang
October 27, 2025

Hi SF IRL! There's a ton of vibrance and energy coming back into the city and at SF IRL, we are excited to be a part of it. Excited to come with you all with some great events for Issue #169.

I'm Jonathan, the creator of SF IRL. I've been a Bay Area resident all my life and moved into San Francisco about 4 years ago. My full-time job is at Brex where I meet founders and VCs while trying to create a community in the city. My vision for SF IRL is simple. Showcase the best tech + startup events in SF and to connect all of our builders and investors together. We are a growing community having over 9000+ subscribers. As we keep growing, if you enjoy reading these, please share this with your friends so we can hit 10,000 readers. As always, SF IRL is one of my many side projects. If you like to be involved in helping, please shoot me an email!

Day ZeroMeeting the top folks in tech, find your next cofounder, and your next role

Location: San Francisco

Time: 6-8pm

What: Join Founding Sales author Peter Kazanjy, Greylock, and Lightfield for an evening on how founders build their first repeatable go-to-market motion. Learn how to refine your ICP, run founder-led sales, and turn early traction into scalable growth. Come ready to learn, take notes, and level up your early GTM motion.

Triumph is building the future of skill-based gaming and real money competition for a new generation. They are backed by General Catalyst, Goodwater Capital, and Drive by DraftKings, and have partnerships with iconic gaming brands like Doodle Jump.

Engineers at Triumph are tackling some of the hardest technical challenges in real-time multiplayer gaming and real money applications today. Problem areas include: real-time multiplayer game infrastructure at scale, low-latency game servers across global regions, skill-based matchmaking and rating systems, fraud detection and prevention in real money environments, payment processing and financial compliance systems, anti-cheat and game integrity systems, identity verification and KYC/AML compliance, responsible gaming controls and player protection, mobile-first architecture and optimization, and designing engaging competitive gaming experiences that balance fairness with entertainment.

Technical Roles Triumph Is Hiring For

I’ve made a form to connect the best founders raising with my list of VCs. If you are a founder raising your next round and want to potentially be featured to investors in the SF IRL network, please fill out this form.

I’m launching a newsletter that will feature the top founders looking to hire, founders looking for their cofounder, and operators that are looking for their next role. If you are interested in being featured, fill this form here.

You can subscribe to Day Zero here.

Events Coming Up

Location: San Francisco

Time: 7pm-12am

What: ​The Most Talked-About After-Party at TechCrunch Disrupt is Back

​Come have some fun alongside other top founders, investors, and builders.

​Last year, our Disrupt Penthouse After-Party drew over 3,000 registrations, but we could only accommodate a fraction of attendees. This year, we’re leveling up and going poolside 🌴💦.
New venue. Bigger capacity. Even better vibes.

Location: San Francisco

Time: 5:30-8pm

What: ​The last 3 years saw massive AI adoption for text-based applications. Its adoption in gaming, video, and VR has been limited by lower quality outputs and a lack of industry specific applications. That's rapidly changing. 

Location: San Francisco

Time: 5-8pm

What: ​This conversation brings together leaders from every corner of the AI landscape from visionary founders and company builders to the investors fueling the next wave of innovation.

Get ready for diverse perspectives on building and scaling successful AI Native businesses.​

Location: San Francisco

Time: 5-9pm

What: Llama Lounge 21 | Official Disrupt Side Event | hosted at Capgemini​

Location: San Francisco

Time: 6:30-10:30pm

What: ​Come connect with other attendees from TechCrunch Disrupt at the Hardware After Party hosted by Studio 45! We will have food, drinks, and demos.​

Location: Palo Alto

Time: 6-8:30pm

What: Just raised and looking to hire your first engineers? Or maybe you’re a developer ready for your next big adventure? This is the room where fresh ideas meet fresh talent.

​We’re bringing together recently funded founders who are eager to grow their teams with developers who want to be part of something new. Think of it as a casual mixer with real opportunities—no pitches, no pressure, just genuine conversations over food, drinks, and good energy.​

Location: San Francisco

Time: 6-8pm

What: ​Halloween is around the corner, and so are the ghosts of failed launches, terrifying drop-offs, and features that should have stayed buried. Join us on October 29th for Fright Night: Product Failures -an evening of product horror stories, haunted prototypes, and live simulations that expose what really scared users away. Expect spooky vibes, cathartic laughs, and a fresh look at how product teams can turn their worst nightmares into future wins.​

Location: San Francisco

Time: 5:30-7:30pm

What: Come talk in a small group about AI and Manufacturing!

What We'll Explore:

​- How AI is becoming the ultimate manufacturing wingman, translating "make this work better" into actual functioning code and capabilities

​- Why legacy systems aren't the enemy—they're the foundation for American manufacturing's AI-powered comeback

​- Real stories from the trenches: where rubber meets road in AI-assisted industrial automation

​- How to build advanced systems that rely on data when data is sparse and siloed

Oct 31st, 2025 - Kiroween Hackathon

Location: San Francisco

Time: 9am-2pm

What: ​Join us on October 31st at the San Francisco Builder's Loft to build something wicked for Kiroween, our annual Halloween-themed hackathon where developers dare to code in dark mode

Location: San Francisco

Time: 12-6pm

What: ​Join Stripe and Greptile for the FAST Hackathon, a one-day build sprint exploring how AI agents can work and get paid in the real world using usage-based billing.

Location: San Francisco

Time: 9:30am-4pm

What: ​Join us for a day of hands-on building with the Stripe team. Whether you’re looking for a chance to connect with other founders, 1:1 guidance from the Stripe team, or a change of scenery, we’ll have you covered. Build Days are a choose-your-own-adventure so you can optimize your time to get the most for you and your startup.

Nov 5th, 2025 - SF Founder Day 2025

Location: San Francisco

Time: 8:30am-5pm

What: Founder Day is a high-substance, founder-first experience designed to help early-stage founders sharpen their fundraising strategy, gain practical insights from top investors, and build meaningful connections across the founder and VC community.

Location: San Francisco

Time: 7:30-8:30pm

What: Join The San Francisco Standard for a candid conversation about how young men are shaping and experiencing Silicon Valley in the age of AI. Featuring two longtime observers and two self-proclaimed tech bros, we’ll unpack the routines, lifestyles, and worldviews defining San Francisco’s tech bros. From their thoughts on AGI to how they approach dating, this event dives into the minds driving the city’s AI tech boom. 

Location: San Francisco

Time: 6-7pm

What: ​We’re back — and this time, we’re bringing the fall vibes! The AI Collective’s Beer Garden Bash is here to kick off what we hope becomes a beloved community tradition. Think crisp autumn air, great people, and zero agendas — just genuine connection and good energy.

Location: San Francisco

Time: 6-8pm

What: ​Join us on the evening of November 6 in the Lower Haight for Japanese food and a hands-on session exploring how AI agents are transforming support for consumer and e-commerce brands.

Location: San Francisco

Time: 6-9pm

What: ​For two years, we've been famous for our groundbreaking demo nights. Now, we're revolutionizing the experience into something brand new and never before seen. This November, get ready for SF PITCH NIGHT!

Location: San Francisco

Time: 9am-6pm

What: ​Join us for a full day of collaboration, coding, and co-designing practical tools that put humanity back at the center of technology — here in San Francisco proper.

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