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Founders get all the glory.
PE gets all the blame.
I’m the guy in the middle.
The CEO who shows up after the founder exits — and builds what lasts.
Been here before. Doing it again.
Real talk. Follow along!
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The PE CEO
296 posts
The PE CEO
@ThePECEO
Private-Equity CEO x2 Scaling what founders spark. Building what comes next.
Katılım Nisan 2025
225 Takip Edilen367 Takipçiler
@TheSalonDon Revenue. Flow through on incremental revenue will be north of 20% because fixed costs (rent, overhead, etc) have already been covered in the base business.
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Private Equity Interview Question
If a business is at 20% EBITDA margin
What increases EBITDA more?
50% increase in revenue
Or
10% increase in margin
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HVAC company
Sell it for 10x in 5 years
Triple Net Investor@TripleNetInvest
You have to put 100% of your net worth into ONE stock or asset and hold for the next 5 years What are you picking and why?
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@origoinvest @BigJohn043 Oof. Hate to hear this. But you are right it is common.
Lost one at 3.25X one because they wanted 3.5X. I ended up leaving over it. They got 1.0X 2yrs later. That one stung.
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PE also falls in love with MOIC targets
I was once a subpar lender in a Company which ended up receiving a bid which the Sponsor turned down because it implied a 1.9x MOIC for them and not >2x (despite clear headwinds in the business/sector)
Within 12 months they lost the keys to the lender group and wrote their equity down to zero
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FWIW, PE will also fall in love with their businesses during a sale process. You spend all of this time drafting compelling documents and often you find yourself believing them. Don't fall in love....
The PE CEO@ThePECEO
I’ve seen more than 1 founder convince themselves to keep their business after falling in love with their own pitch deck. Those founders’ results weren’t even close to the CIM projections either. They should’ve had sold when they had the chance!
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@Nvrtxtsback I prob get through 75% pretty reliably… which is only 18 or so.
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How many hours of prep do most PE CEOs spend on board meeting materials?
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@Nvrtxtsback Super depends on the board. My goal is to tell the 90%+ of the story I need to get across in the first 5 pages. Anything after that is a crapshoot!
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A typical 3 hour board meeting:
Should be max 30 content slides (ideally closer to 20).
This gives 7min or so of discussion per slide.
Assume ~1hr of prep per slide (yes, really!)
Or said another way, 10hrs of prep for every 1hr of meeting.
Sometimes it can be double that. Or more.
It’s excruciating.
But it’s the among the highest ROI uses of CEO time.
PE Board alignment is critical to CEO success.
Plan accordingly.
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@paulswaney3 Happened to me too. Apparently I’m way more intimidating than I think I am.
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This feeling is endemic with junior team members
I now put “1:1 (Good Thing)” as my subject line because apparently booking time is anxiety inducing
Had to change with the times but it still annoys me
prada trash bag@anonymishhh
Assistant called to tell me boss man wants to see me… I almost walked into his office and started crying… turns out he just wanted to introduce me to someone else at the firm
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@TheSalonDon This is fantastic engagement bait. It hurts the most when it’s true!
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Types of entrepreneurs:
Low IQ flyover state: Invents a widget (Shark Tank style)
High IQ flyover state: Car dealership, HVAC, Car Wash, Construction
Low IQ foreigner: Scammer
High IQ foreigner: iPhone Apps
Low IQ Hustler: OF management
High IQ Hustler: Ecom / agency
Immigrant: Convenience Store, Laundry, Barber Shop, Nails
Rich Kid: VC Backed Tech Co (Does not write code)
College Summer Break: Door to Door Lawn / Power Wash, Sneaker Resale
Mid Life Crisis Guy: Med-Spa, Coffee Shop, Bar
House Wife: Jewelry Store, Clothing Brand, Alcohol
Military Wife: Pyramid Scheme
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@BrianKirchey @hawkblogger @Softykjr I’m sure I’m less inclined to think PE is the boogie man than you, but it’s simply factual that PE wasn’t involved in Red Robin during their steep decline from 2015-2024. Sorry if that spoils your narrative.
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Red Robin fell apart when they got rid of the Great Chicken sandwich. Trust me. I was there and witnessed the downfall in person.
Triple Net Investor@TripleNetInvest
Red Robin has lost ~90% of its value over the last 5 years You can now buy the ENTIRE company for just ~$60 million They used to be one of the most beloved spots for kids, teens, and families... Where did it go wrong for them and can they turn it around?
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@BrianKirchey @hawkblogger @Softykjr Right. They invested it bc they view it as undervalued. They had nothing to do w the decline the previous 10yrs.
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@ThePECEO @hawkblogger @Softykjr 
Based on recent search results, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (RRGB)has not been acquired by a private equity firm, but it did receive a significant investment from activist investors in late 2024, some of whom have ties to private equity.
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@cryptobullying I’ve offended wondered if kids from 3rd/4th generation money are often smug assholes because they are silver spooners… -or-…
If they came by it genetically.
Because I know plenty of super poor risk takers that are also super insufferable!
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@DearS_o_n I love being around regular people!
I also just think Equinox is an objectively better gym experience than Planet Fitness.
Have you been in a PF? Regular people my ass! 😂
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@GeorgeNoble07 Most people aren’t talent. And if you don’t have some amount of talent, drive alone isn’t going to take you to the promised land.
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SMH.
I feel really bad for people taking this advice.
Stijn Noorman@stijnnoorman
20% of success is speed. 80% of success is patience.
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@Tokyo_Trev The money > than the pain of the baggage my friend. I’ll take being a rich ladder climber before being a poor n a go nowhere job.
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@neliisa_zama You must have been a huge nerd or gone to a really shitty high school.
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Most common question McKinsey hears from CEOs right now: "Do I listen to my CFO or my CIO?" re: AI
CFO: no clear ROI on AI yet, let's wait we already spent all this money
CIO: this is the moment, if we don't we'll be disrupted
(via All-In panel at CES)
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The only difference between a good day and a bad day is our attitude.
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I’m not sure raw intelligence is even in the top 10 qualities needed to be an exceptional elementary school teacher!
Crémieux@cremieuxrecueil
Teachers average among the least intelligent university graduates. In a given year, the lowest-scoring groups on the GRE, SAT, and ACT are usually those pursuing degrees in education.
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99.9999% of the world is better off today than the 1800s. What’s your point?
Codie Sanchez@Codie_Sanchez
Business ownership in the US: 1800s: 80%+ owned a business Today: <10% own a business
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