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…

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 companie…

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…

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…

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…

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-se…

Shiv interviews Joanna Arras, Partner at Baird Capital in the US venture fund.Joanna and Shiv discuss the challenges and opportunities for both founders and investors in the current venture landscape. Learn about how to balance growth and capital efficiency, the impact of the right capital raising strategy and how to select the right investment par…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Ripan Kadakia, Partner at ZMC. Ripan and Shiv discuss ZMC’s aim to serve portfolio companies through a strategy that includes business development, talent acquisition and technology. Learn about ZMC’s focus on macro trends to identify long-term investment opportunities, and hear case studies of growth in challenging circum…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Dirk Sahlmer, Head of Origination at saas.group. Dirk and Shiv discuss how saas.group’s investment approach differentiates them from traditional PE firms and influences their value creation framework. Learn about saas.group’s focus on profit margins rather than quick flips, their criteria for identifying companies with lon…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Kevin Mosley, General Partner at Jurassic Capital. Kevin and Shiv take a deep dive into Jurassic Capital’s B2B SaaS Benchmarks Report and explore how founders, investors and business leaders can use this data to achieve their growth objectives. Learn about the vital metrics every SaaS company should be tracking, how your c…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Narbe Alexandrian, founder and CEO of Define Capital. Shiv and Narbe discuss the options investors and founders have for their deal structure and capital stack. Learn about how Define Capital builds long-term partnerships with companies, their approach to valuations and risk, and hear how the current economic environment i…

Take a look at some of the highlights from the 2023 season of the Private Equity Value Creation podcast. In these bite-sized value creation insights from firms including Hg Capital, B Capital Group and JMI Equity, you’ll learn about tried-and-tested strategies for portco hiring, financial management, sales processes and much more.…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Hanny Akl, Transaction Advisory Services Practice Leader at Warren Averett, David LeGrand, Member (Partner), Tax and Transaction Advisory at Warren Averett, and Zach Crowe, Partner at Morris, Manning and Martin. Hanny, David, Zach and Shiv walk you through the essential legal and finance work it takes to set your business …

Shiv Narayanan interviews Lauren Bonner, Managing Partner at MBM Capital. Shiv and Lauren discuss how to sustainably scale enterprise value in companies where VC funding has dried up. Learn about MBM Capital’s playbook for investing in these companies, including how they evaluate potential investments, an approach for guiding companies towards prof…

On this episode Shiv Narayanan interviews Sunil Grover, Managing Partner at True Blue Partners. Sunil and Shiv discuss how True Blue Partners’ corporate finance perspective helps early-stage AI companies scale. Learn how they identify founders and companies that are best suited for their approach, why product-market fit is so vital, and how they co…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Andrew Pierno, Co-Founder at XO Capital.Andrew and Shiv discuss XO Capital’s highly-targeted investments into small, PLG, single-purpose SaaS companies, and how their thesis contrasts with typical VC attitudes.Learn about why micro-investing presents such a blue ocean opportunity, how Andrew’s technical capabilities inform…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Krista Morgan, General Partner at Stage Fund.Krista and Shiv discuss the challenges many companies experience in high-pressure VC models, and how Stage’s alternative investment approach offers a solution for founders and investors.Learn about Stage’s process for finding efficiencies and rebuilding revenue generation to get…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Justin Johnson, Director of the Investment Team at Camber Partners. Justin and Shiv discuss how Camber Partners sources, evaluates, and adds value to companies with a product-led growth focus. Learn why PLG is such a popular approach among SaaS companies, and how Camber is leveraging AI, machine learning and a proprietary …

Shiv Narayanan interviews Cody Lee, Vice President in Summit Partner’s Peak Performance Group. Cody and Shiv discuss why marketing is a function no portco (and no investor) can afford to ignore, and what you need to know about portco marketing in the current environment. Learn about a realistic approach to data-driven marketing strategy, common are…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Allen Duan, General Partner at B Capital Group.Allen and Shiv discuss how B Capital Group’s role as minority investors influences their approach to value creation and how they leverage the experience of advisors and partners.Learn how you can guide companies towards growth through team and organization, capital advisory, s…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Matt Gallagher, Portfolio CRO at Hg Capital. Matt and Shiv discuss how the Hg portfolio team prioritize revenue growth strategies that will move the needle most in the first months after an investment. Learn about the importance of due diligence as a foundation for scale and the metrics you should review to assess performa…

Shiv Narayanan interviews George Rossolatos, CEO and Managing Partner of Canadian Business Growth Fund. George and Shiv discuss how CBGF’s investment philosophy and evergreen fund are a rewarding alternative to companies choosing rapid growth at all costs. Learn how longer holding periods can be the basis of sustained, profitable growth and better …

Shiv Narayanan interviews Vinny Prajka, Partner at JMI Equity. Vinny and Shiv discuss how portfolio companies can increase efficiency and grow sustainably with a more focused approach to sales. Hear how JMI use customer segmentation to target sales efforts, reduce churn and increase average sales price. Learn how to implement this approach in your …

Shiv Narayanan interviews AJ Gandhi, CGO at Marlin Equity Partners.AJ and Shiv discuss how Marlin Equity Partners’ team of operating professionals create value in their portcos with a hands-on approach to revenue growth. Learn about the sales and marketing structures that are the foundation to scaling but are often underdeveloped, and hear how Marl…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Mariza Warshawsky, Partner at Assembly Group. Mariza and Shiv discuss Assembly Group’s tried-and-tested process to source and hire for key roles for PE-backed software companies. Learn how the experts recommend laying the groundwork for a successful search, and how to secure the best candidates in a competitive market. Get…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Zane Tarence, Partner and Managing Director at Founders Advisors Technology Practice. Zane and Shiv discuss what investors look for in potential acquisitions and how founders can make their businesses more appealing for investment. Get an insider’s perspective on the finance options available to growing businesses, what ma…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Mike Devine, CMO at Fortra. Mike and Shiv discuss how the Fortra marketing function has adapted and scaled to suit the company’s changing needs and consistently drive growth. Learn how they integrated teams, built centres of expertise and maintained open communication with investors.Learn more about Fortra: https://www.for…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Bryce Youngren, Managing Partner at Polaris Growth Fund. Bryce and Shiv discuss how Polaris Growth Fund creates value in smaller businesses, and why this area of the market is under-leveraged. Learn about the tried-and-tested process that has helped them generate impressive returns, including a founder-friendly approach an…

Shiv Narayanan interviews Daniel Pianko, Managing Director at Achieve Partners and host of the Better Money Better World podcast. Daniel and Shiv discuss how Achieve Partners is using talent development to maximize portfolio company growth, unlock revenue potential, and make positive change for employees and their communities. Learn how Achieve Par…