Crossing the Valley

Ep. 72: WIRESCREEN - From Pulitzer to Intelligence Platform

Feb 18, 2026
David Barboza, Pulitzer-winning investigative reporter turned CEO mapping Chinese business networks. Bradley Martinez, go-to-market lead with data-driven finance and federal sales experience. They discuss building a platform that turns investigative archives into an intelligence tool. They cover pivoting to government customers, scaling integrations, procurement lessons, and real-world national security use cases.
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ANECDOTE

From Times Reporter To Data Founder

  • David left The New York Times after decades because he wanted tools to organize and connect his investigative archives.
  • He raised seed funding and built a database to scale his investigative work into a product for others.
ANECDOTE

Sequoia Investment Came From A Cold Meeting

  • David met Michael Moritz at Sequoia and expected only a small pilot sale.
  • Sequoia invested $2M quickly and accelerated the company's transition into a venture-backed startup.
INSIGHT

Government Demand Reoriented Product-Market Fit

  • Early inbound demand came from defense contractors and government agencies, shifting product-market fit.
  • The company pivoted from finance to a government-first strategy after landing those deals.
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