Finding a Needle in the Haystack

Crossing the Valley podcast with Noah Sheinbaum

Overwatch Imaging Founder and CEO, Greg Davis, joins Noah Sheinbaum and Crossing the Valley podcast to share his journey from NASA and Lockheed Martin to founding a company revolutionizing automated aerial sensing technology. With deep experience in the drone and aerospace industries, Greg offers unique insights on building mission-driven technology that makes a real difference.

The episode discusses:

The evolution from NASA and Lockheed Martin to entrepreneurship

Building innovative technology in Hood River, Oregon

How automation can transform aerial surveillance and sensing

Transitioning from commercial to defense applications

The challenges of making a market for new technology

The future of defense tech adoption

Timestamps:

00:02:30 - Greg's Journey: NASA to Entrepreneurship

00:05:00 - The Insitu Experience

00:07:12 - Birth of Overwatch's Core Technology

00:10:03 - Building in Hood River, Oregon

00:13:04 - Early Customer Development

00:21:01 - Venture Capital Journey

00:26:00 - Evolution to Software Platform

00:34:00 - Current State of Defense Tech

00:42:04 - Lessons Learned & Future Vision

🔑 Notable Quote:

"If you're working on something important and the team feels passionate about it, that team produces so much more, feels so much more committed to the work."

Key Takeaways

1. Location Can Be a Strategic Advantage: While Hood River, Oregon might seem an unlikely place for an aerospace company, it's become a powerful hub of innovation. The Gorge Tech Alliance, sparked by Insitu's success, has created a unique ecosystem where expertise in airborne imaging systems concentrates in a tight-knit community of 10,000 people.

2. Enhancement Over Replacement: Instead of competing with established sensor manufacturers, Overwatch chose to make their systems better through automation. This strategic decision turned potential competitors into partners and opened doors across the industry. As Greg puts it, "If we can be the supplier of choice to everybody who's bidding on a contract, then we're pretty confident we'll end up winning the work."

3. The Market Creation Challenge: The hardest part often isn't building the technology—it's creating the market for it. While Overwatch's engineering team naturally focuses on the next technical challenge, Greg learned they needed to put equal emphasis on market development and helping customers understand the possibilities of automation.

4. The Power of Mission-Driven Development: Building technology that saves lives attracts passionate people who want to make a difference. This creates a virtuous cycle where team commitment drives innovation, which in turn increases impact. The focus on "missions that matter" has become a core part of Overwatch's DNA.

5. Navigating Multiple Valleys: There isn't just one "valley of death" to cross in defense tech. Each new market, capability, or adoption hurdle presents its own valley. Success comes from recognizing these challenges early and building the stamina to cross them systematically.

About Greg Davis 

Founder and CEO of Overwatch, a cutting-edge company specializing in advanced defense technologies. With a background in military operations and technology development, Greg has spent over two decades leading innovations that bridge the gap between commercial and defense sectors. Overwatch focuses on enhancing operational capabilities through autonomous systems, AI-driven solutions, and data analytics, empowering defense forces to maintain superior strategic advantage. Greg's leadership and vision have positioned Overwatch as a key player in the evolving landscape of defense innovation. 

Websitehttps://www.overwatchimaging.com/