Alex Harstrick and Jonathan Bronson are the Co-Founders and Managing Partners of J2 Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm investing at the intersection of commercial innovation and defense technology.

A common question we often get is, “How do you get out of the gate, raise money and launch?” Every firm is different but there are common ingredients, so I turned to Alex and Jon to learn how it all came together for them. 

We discuss raising capital which began with what they call “tin cup” fundraising, finding first institutional checks and when to cut off low-signal LP meetings before they drain time and opportunity.   

From there we cover selection of service providers, team hiring, retention and why they treat every ODD process as a form of free consulting.   

Whether you’re contemplating your first fund or trying to sharpen a differentiated thesis in a noisy market, this conversation offers a candid look at what it really takes to launch a firm from zero.