Private Equity Value Creation Podcast

Shiv interviews Craig Dupper, Founder of Elan Growth Partners.  In this episode, Craig shares his firm’s Partner Equity investing strategy, which includes a value growth and enhancement approach. Shiv and Craig discuss the key areas founders should address to take their business to the next level and where their company might be underinvesting. Learn about the difference between the real and perceived value in a business, and how Elan helps its Founders find their secret sauce to usher their company through the next transition. The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

Shiv interviews Mark Kearney, Fractional CFO of Ascent CFO Solutions.  In this episode, Shiv and Mark discuss how finance can be used as a strategic lever inside companies and should become part of their broader planning process. They discuss when companies usually bring in a fractional CFO and the patterns Mark sees as he works with these businesses. Learn about what a mature budgeting and forecasting process looks like, how Mark creates those for his clients, and how things change when investors become part of the equation.  The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

Shiv interviews Jason Caplain, Co-Founder and General Partner of Bull City Venture Partners. In this episode, Jason shares why his firm values founders above an idea or business, and walks listeners through a tried-and-tested approach to assessing entrepreneurs and their teams. Founders will take away Jason’s tips on raising capital and leveraging debt, while investors will learn why BCVP prefers to level up B companies rather than competing for A companies.  The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

Shiv interviews Chip Baird, Managing Partner at GreyLion Capital. Shiv and Chip take a deep dive into GreyLion’s core LIFT (Leadership, Investment, Flexibility, Technology) strategy for optimizing companies to increase enterprise value. Learn how to identify critical leadership gaps and hold new hires accountable, and how a flexible approach to capital structure can help businesses weather challenging macroeconomic environments. Hear how reinvesting earnings accelerated a company’s growth, and how portcos can leverage technology as a value creation tool rather than a cost center. The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

Shiv interviews Anna Talerico, CEO at Corporate Finance Institute and Operating Partner at Arthur Ventures. Learn how capital-efficient companies can make better hiring decisions by focusing on what role they really need to fill. How can companies clearly define those roles and how do they go about finding the best-fit candidates? Plus, when should you invest in cost-center roles like finance and admin, and can/should AI help bridge the gap until your business is ready?  The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

Shiv interviews Mark Buffington, CEO at BIP Capital and Managing Partner at BIP Ventures.  Learn why the concept of permanent capital from a multistage fund might be a better long-term approach to funding a startup. Mark explains how not all measurements of success are based on the financials, and how that might look different for different companies. Plus, learn how financial engineering might negatively affect a business for long-term thinkers.  The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

On this episode, Shiv interviews Adam Solomon, Partner at Thoma Bravo.Shiv and Adam discuss how Thoma Bravo’s focus on market-leading companies impacts their approach to evaluating assets and value creation. Hear how one of the biggest PE firms in the world approaches due diligence, performance metrics, profitable growth, and founder relationships in high-quality companies. Plus, learn how they leverage pattern recognition and internal benchmarks to maintain a competitive advantage. The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

Shiv interviews Matthew Stevens, Founder of Stevens.VC. Shiv and Matt discuss the business fundamentals that founders and investors should be focusing on in early-stage companies. Hear how to add value and prepare for future investment by professionalizing your business operations, why a deep understanding of your market is critical to success, and what investors look for in early stage companies. Plus, learn about some common founder pitfalls that can be dealbreakers — and how to avoid them. The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

Shiv and Dan discuss how the first 100 days can shape the outcome of private equity deals and explain the actions investors, founders and business leaders can take to set a business on the path to growth. Tune in for expert advice on when to start value creation planning, how to focus your efforts and resources on the most impactful strategies, and how to build the right team to execute on your value creation vision.The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

Shiv Narayanan interviews Chirag Shah, Growth Partner at Wavecrest Growth Partners. Chirag and Shiv discuss the wide variety of value creation levers that Wavecrest uses to grow their portfolio companies. Learn how to identify the most effective growth levers for each company, and how to scale revenue by optimizing pricing, sales strategy, cross-selling, up-selling, retargeting the go to market, M&A and more. Plus, we talk about the metrics every company and investor should be monitoring for efficient value creation. The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.