EP. 105 It’s Lazy To Think The World Is Not A Good Place

Professionally Offensive

Alex Harstrick, Founder and Managing Partner at J2 Ventures, leans into his experience from the Iraq/Afghanistan war to inform and fuel the next generation of technology and capabilities. Although he graduated from Columbia and Harvard, he shares that his time as an NYC EMT taught him a lot of how to be a Leader and ultimately run a VC. Spending time in the back of an ambulance teaches you extreme accountability and that one must take responsibility for their actions. Being an EMT also allowed him to meet his co-founder, Jonathan Bronson and build an enduring relationship. Alex dives into the significant impact the middle layer of any organization can make and it is the Sr. NCOs, LTs and CPTs on the battlefield that use high-levels of creativity to solve our biggest problems. The closeness to the problem makes you invaluable, but it is also the thing that can prevent others (especially the public) from seeing the value one is truly able to create. Through his time as a management consultant and intelligence officer, Alex was able to involve himself with entities like the National Security Defense Capital and KKR, that would ultimately allow him to better understand how dual-use applications can be a way for him to continue to Serve and create meaningful returns for investors. Alex believes that life is not just about measuring risk, but instead aligning your purpose with Teammates who you want to do the fun and hard things with. In the world of VC it is easy to be mired with the returns and numbers, but the "doing right" part for a world that is inherently good, is not lost on Alex and the J2 Team. Exposure to war and what's going on in our world can leave you wondering if we're going to be okay. Alex strongly believes that the world is good, but it requires Good People to get to work and keep it that way.

Learn more about Alex and J2 Ventures: www.j2vp.com

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