Crossing the Valley
Crossing the Valley
Ep 26: Using Hardware to Sell Software
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Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -44:12
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Ep 26: Using Hardware to Sell Software

Datashapes AI CEO Logan Selby and Head of Product Kevin Larrabee join us to talk signal processing, software integration, and... big pharma

About Logan and Kevin

Dr. Logan Selby, co-founder and CEO of Datashapes AI brings deep technical expertise with operational experience as an Army technology officer. Still serving in the reserves, Logan bridges the gap between Silicon Valley innovation and defense requirements. His journey from developing AI for pharmaceutical trials to defense technology demonstrates the kind of pivot that's increasingly common as technologists pursue national security missions.

Kevin Larrabee joined Datashapes this year as Head of Product after a distinguished 21-year Army career that culminated in serving as a Chief Data Officer. His experience building and scaling an internal startup within government gives him unique perspective on bringing new technology to warfighters. As a Defense Venture Fellow, Kevin caught the startup bug and saw an opportunity to continue serving the mission from the private sector. Together, Logan and Kevin represent a new breed of defense tech leadership - combining deep technical expertise, operational experience, and entrepreneurial drive.

About Datashapes AI

Founded with technology developed at Stanford, Datashapes brings a unique approach to electronic warfare and signals intelligence. Their platform processes spectrum data at the tactical edge, enabling operators to make real-time decisions. With 21 patents and deployments spanning special operations to commercial venues, they're proving that signal processing innovation can serve both battlefield and civilian use cases. Rather than organizing by service branch, they've taken a unique domain-first approach that's enabling adoption across space, maritime, and land domains simultaneously.

Key Takeaways

  1. Domain Over Service: While most defense tech companies align their go-to-market by military branch, Datashapes organizes around domains and use cases. This approach recognizes that future conflicts will be joint operations, requiring capabilities that work across services.

  2. The Software-Only Evolution: Though committed to being software-first, Datashapes learned to meet DoD where they are - sometimes packaging hardware to prove the concept. This pragmatic approach creates paths for wider software adoption.

  3. Commercial-Defense Synergy: By solving spectrum challenges in both defense and commercial settings (like stadium security), Datashapes creates credibility that accelerates adoption in both markets.

  4. Integration First: Datashapes makes software that can be integrated “anywhere in a week.” Flexible is fast… and fast is smooth.

  5. Trust Through Demonstration: Rather than pursuing traditional R&D paths, Datashapes focused on getting capability into operators' hands quickly. Their success shows how operational validation can create faster paths to adoption than conventional approaches.

🕒 TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Introduction & Company Mission

2:42 - Origins in Healthcare Tech

8:37 - Pivot to Defense Applications

13:42 - Domain-First Sales Strategy

19:16 - Software-Only Approach

26:31 - Deployment & Integration

31:33 - Commercial Applications

40:25 - Future of Signal Processing

46:18 - Industry Outlook & Advice

For more on Data Shapes: datashapesai.com

Discussion about this podcast

Crossing the Valley
Crossing the Valley
Few companies make it from pilot to production in the defense market. Those who do often change the industry in the process.
How do they do it? What lessons can startups take from their trials, successes, and failures? Crossing the Valley tells the stories of the trailblazers who are forging a new path for America's defense.