The term (or a portmanteau?) that we all hear a lot in sales management is “A-Player” and you typically hear it in “you should only hire A-Players”.  But what does that mean – what is the definition of an “A-Player” in sales? Here is a great definition – see this…  Read More >

100-Day Turnaround Plan – For Tech Investing (how Cerberus Would Do it) Just sharing my notes and insights on the 100 Day Plan to begin turning around a company (with AI cleanup) Day 0–30: Rapid Diagnostics & Stabilization Leadership / Governance After investing, focus on recruiting an interim CRO/CFO if…  Read More >

Software Turnaround Investing Playbook – Translating the Cerberus Investment Approach to Tech Note – just sharing my own notes   Pre-Deal / Diagnosis Financial Stress Test Model churn sensitivity (GRR -5 to -10%) Simulate CAC payback stretch (18 → 36 months) Stress-test debt service under downside ARR scenarios Product/Tech Review…  Read More >

  According to Private Equity International, PE firms are looking to boost portfolio company valuations while operational issues are becoming increasingly more complex. Source: https://www.privateequityinternational.com/record-demand-operating-partners-gps-seek-boost-portfolio-company-value-survey/ “Operating partner roles are the fastest-growing positions in private equity…” Here is value creation in 5 charts: https://www.peievents.com/en/event/operating-partners-technology-forum/value-creation-in-5-charts/      

What is the top Value Creation Area for PE Operating Partners? See the chart below – the single biggest area is: “Sales, marketing, and revenue growth”. Growing revenue will lead to EBITDA improvements and Multiple Expansion which both drive real value for PE portfolio companies.   Source: PEI – Private…  Read More >

Business managers/executives are hired for the primary reason to make good decisions.  But making good and smart decisions is very complex. Additionally, many business decisions can affect a lot of important things in the organization including people (and their families).  Good decision-making requires more than just critical thinking skills (analyzing…  Read More >

I notice in many B2B companies there is a wrong organizational design starting with too many “player/coaching” issues which is function of what is known as a “Scope of Control“.  Read on… and if this is feeling like it’s just academic or theoretical then I really recommend you to reconsider…  Read More >

Many companies don’t hire well for sales rep roles or even at executive level such as for a CRO or for a VP of Sales role.  They focus too much on teachables rather than on unteachables.  That’s one of the many mistakes to avoid. Dan Ross, the SVP of Commercial…  Read More >

Several years ago, Jason Lemkin at SaaStr wrote the post “What a Great VP Sales Actually Does. Where The Magic Is. And When to Hire One.” Recruiting – 20% of the time must be invested here the most important thing to do well for a Sales Leader is recruiting great…  Read More >

Many PE portfolio company CROs (and Sales Leaders across the sales organization) track their Sales Pipeline Coverage ratio as a KPI internally and use it for reporting to the Board of Directors.  They consider 3x to be a good coverage ratio. These CROs also set a goal for their global…  Read More >