PE – 2025 Mid Year Update

Note: insights synthesized from KKR & Bain Mid-Year Reports, and PitchBook   Key Macro Implications for PE Rate Regime Reset: The “4% world” is here to stay—meaning higher baseline rates for Fed Funds, inflation, and bond yields. There’s no going back to ZIRP. As a result, capital has a real…  Read More >

GTM Alpha: Getting an Edge in PE

Over the past two decades, operational improvements have become a well-trodden path. Many PE firms—especially in the upper middle market—have built internal teams to drive cost takeout, system upgrades, and operational rigor. While still important, this playbook is no longer differentiated. What remains rare, and increasingly valuable, is true go-to-market…  Read More >

The Winning PE Value Creation Formula – GTM (Revenue Growth) Improvements + Operational Improvements

PE Winning Formula is both: a) GTM Excellence + b) Operational Discipline To succeed, PE firms must now differentiate through genuine value creation, as they face intense competition, longer holding periods, and high-interest rates that limit leverage. Firms must focus on both GTM improvements and operational improvements within portfolio companies…  Read More >

What Top PE Firms Do To Be Successful

Top PE firms that consistently deliver strong returns are disciplined, data-driven, and adaptable, but there is more to sustainable/durable success. Understanding what top investors prioritize can provide a competitive edge. Here are ten key insights that define their approach: 1. Firm Culture, Leadership Alignment, and Decision-Making Cultural fit and leadership…  Read More >

PE – Ideas for 2025

A few ideas for 2025 – to become the best in the industry, PE firms & teams have to the following approaches and insights from the sources: Focus on specific expertise and market segments Specialize: Hone in on specific areas like tech & be good at profitable revenue growth (aka…  Read More >

PE – Investment Rationale (Where I Focus)

PE Investment Rationale – My List Since the time I was on the investment team and recently in the PE operating partner role, here are some of my Investment Rationale areas I focus on. It’s a structured framework for evaluating software and tech-enabled businesses in private equity, designed to identify the…  Read More >

10 Strategies for Maximizing Value Creation in PE

10 Strategies for Maximizing Value Creation in Private Equity The private equity industry has increasingly shifted from traditional financial engineering toward operational value creation as a primary driver of returns. Firms that consistently outperform do so by applying structured, repeatable playbooks that improve EBITDA, drive revenue expansion, and enhance operational…  Read More >

PE – Tech Investing Criteria

  PE Tech Investing Criteria PE investors look for more than just growth – they look for durability, scalability, and resilience. The best firms apply a consistent framework across markets, products, customers, GTM, and financials to separate true compounders from hype-driven plays. Below is a distilled set of criteria drawn…  Read More >

PE Value Creation – Driving GTM/Commercial Excellence Portfolio-Wide

Here are some of the areas that the GTM Operating Partner drives: Institutionalize commercial excellence frameworks, playbooks, and KPIs across the portfolio Accelerate revenue growth and margin expansion through scalable GTM execution Strengthen commercial engines to enhance exit readiness and maximize equity value Partner with portfolio companies to refine strategy…  Read More >

PE Portfolio Company Turnaround Playbook (GTM/Commercial Focus)

  My notes on a practical PE Operator’s Turnaround Playbook for a portfolio company that’s underperforming (was healthy before, now slipping). This assumes the core product/market fit is intact, but commercial execution and cost discipline have weakened. This isn’t slash-and-burn. It’s about rebuilding commercial discipline: the right leader in the…  Read More >