When we hire CEOs in PE, culture fit is one of the most underestimated challenges in. Even if the CEO has the right PE grade “functional skills” and operational expertise, if they clash with the company’s culture or fail to align with the team’s dynamics, it’s a recipe for disaster.…  Read More >

Scalability – Assessing a Ptential Investment’s Scalability During Diligence (for Middle Market Companies)   In software (for Tech PE buyouts), the margin between success and mediocrity hinges on accurately assessing scalability before writing the check. While revenue growth captures headlines, PE investors know that sustainable unit economics, operational leverage, and…  Read More >

“One Team” Strategy in PE: How the Investment Team & Operating Partners Work Together as a “Deal Team” by Stage of the PE Deal Process     1. PE Firm Receives Teaser (then CIM) Investment Team Initial screen for investment alignment (sector, growth, profitability, valuation) Preliminary internal discussion on deal…  Read More >

We are in the new era of “PE Value Creation” that we can affectionately refer to as 2.0.  Now it’s much more about better diligence & ownership than ever before. In the far more competitive world of PE, achieving superior risk-adjusted returns hinges on better diligence (which is surprisingly possible)…  Read More >

Just wanted to reflect on this year – here’s a concise overview of the private equity (PE) landscape and strategic insights for navigating it: The resilience of the PE industry, even amid a slowdown, underscores the critical role of value creation and revenue growth for investment success. To stimulate deal…  Read More >

Creating value in PE requires more than just GTM Improvements or Operational Improvements. It demands a systematic and scalable value creation process that can be applied across the portfolio. This approach is not about ad hoc interventions or one-off solutions but about designing a structured framework that enables consistent, repeatable,…  Read More >

I was at a PE Conference and someone asked me what the GP should look for in hiring a GTM & Revenue Growth / Commercial expert to help create value for their Investment Team and for Portfolio Companies. While on a train for a few hours, I jotted down just…  Read More >

(WIP – Draft) Here is a summary / short list…   From Operators to PE Investors: David Rubenstein – Carlyle Group (was a policy advisor to the White House) Scott Sperling – from Aeneas Group to TH Lee Carl Eschenbach – from VMware to Sequoia (Growth PE Investing) Greg Brenneman…  Read More >