Private Equity Funcast
287 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 days ago - ★★★★★ - 416 ratingsHosted by Devin Mathews and Jim Milbery, partners at ParkerGale Capital, a middle-market private equity group. This bi-weekly show is a lively discussion of the uses of technology to improve business operations for companies with less than $100 million in revenue.
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Episodes
Big Band Software
April 18, 2024 19:08 - 39 minutes - 28 MBRyan Milligan dives deeper into our investment in Big Band Software, joined by Big Band founders Kevin McArdle (CEO), Chris Reedy (Head of Acquisitions), and Jason Heath (COO). Throughout the discussion, the team covers what companies, founders and executives they target, where they think the opportunity lies, and how they aim to scale this consolidation effort.
Getting Real About Value Creation in PE
April 04, 2024 18:15 - 1 hour - 51.9 MB"Value Creation" - It's one of the most over-used terms in private equity today. What does value creation mean? What's wrong with how investors talk about their value creation approach? And how does ParkerGale think about its strategy for value creation? Operating Partners Jim and Paul get real about the PG value creation playbook - and have some fun along the way - in the latest episode of the Funcast.
The View From Europe with Flex Capital
March 08, 2024 13:36 - 59 minutes - 41.6 MBWe welcome back our friends Christoph and Peter from FLEX Capital in Berlin, Germany. Our conversation covers everything you would expect . . . how is the tech market holding up in Europe, how is deal flow, are deals getting done, are founders selling or holding on, where are valuations today compared to a few years ago, how is the fundraising market, what does competition for deals look like? We also cover the basics, such as what Christoph and Peter look for in a deal, what they will and w...
Mastering Business Storytelling: Strategies for Effective Communication in Private Equity
February 14, 2024 14:27 - 1 hour - 56.3 MBJim welcomes the CEO of Master Storytelling and former host of Planet Money, the always-entertaining Adam Davidson. We explore the importance of crafting a compelling and memorable narrative for companies to effectively communicate with various stakeholders, including investors, management teams, and customers. We take a detour to delve into the challenges of generic messaging, the significance of being distinct and memorable, and the role of storytelling in aligning and coordinating actions...
Revolutionizing Investment Strategies: Harnessing Low-Code/No-Code with Jon Kragh
January 25, 2024 17:11 - 1 hour - 45.7 MBJim talks Low-Code/No-Code with Jon Kragh, founder of Proactive Logic Consulting. Jon and his team provide fractional CTO, cloud architecture, tech modernization, and process automation services. Jon has a wealth of experience with low-code solutions and he can quote both Kierkegaard and Ray Dalio, so come have a listen.
The Incredible i Episode
January 18, 2024 15:06 - 50 minutes - 35.5 MBJim talks with IBM Champion and the Incredible i Show host, Peg Tuttle. IBM's Power Systems platform running the IBM i operating system powers some of the most significant applications in the world. Peg has 20+ years working in the IBM I world, and we talk about everything from common misconceptions to leveraging the latest and greatest open-source solutions on the IBM Power Systems platform.
AI for Investment: A Platform Disruption
December 18, 2023 13:46 - 1 hour - 44.6 MBJim talks with Stanford's Dr. Mohammad Rasouli about AI's pending disruption in Private Equity. He is an ex-McKinsey consultant from the Bay Area and the New York offices managing AI activation projects for private equity clients. He has worked with top-20 private equity funds and many middle and small-size PEs to use AI technology for automating their fund processes and to use AI for their portfolio companies.
10 Lurking Problems for Sellers with Bill Snow
November 29, 2023 15:49 - 1 hour - 48.8 MBBill Snow, a noted authority on mergers and acquisitions, is back with the second part of our discussion on his new book, Mergers and Acquisitions for Dummies. He joins host Jim Milbery to discuss the most common problems that sellers encounter in the deal process.
It's Restructuring Time!
November 07, 2023 14:10 - 59 minutes - 41.3 MBDevin is joined by Tuck Hardie, a Managing Director in Houlihan Lokey’s Financial Restructuring Group. After operating through the bankruptcy at Marvel as a client of Houlihan, Tuck switched sides and joined the HL team over 20 years ago. Tuck introduces the restructuring business, how it has changed during the past two decades, lessons from the GCF (and how we are still feeling the effects), and what's happening in today's "higher for longer" environment. He provides helpful tips for inves...
Mergers and Acquisitions with Bill Snow
September 27, 2023 16:04 - 1 hour - 62.1 MBBill Snow, a noted authority on mergers and acquisitions has represented buyers and sellers in a multitude of industries. He joins host Jim Milbery to discuss his new book, Mergers and Acquisitions for Dummies. In this episode, we focus the conversation on the most common pitfalls that can derail a deal.
It's the 10 Year Anniversary of the PE Funcast
September 15, 2023 13:49 - 43 minutes - 30.5 MBTwo Hundred and Seventy Three Episodes and Two Million downloads later, it's the 10th anniversary of the PE Funcast. Indulge your intrepid co-hosts, Devin and Jim, as we walk down memory lane.
Generative AI: Implications for PE Investors
August 10, 2023 15:25 - 1 hour - 42.1 MBThis week we sat down with Clark O'Niell and Jay Barlett from BCG to discuss their most recent research report on Generative AI and its implications for PE investors and their portfolio companies. GenAI is already becoming a game changer, with use cases emerging across all industries; Use cases range from efficiency improvements to long-term advantages (i.e., transformative use cases). And we promise you that Skynet is not listening in.
PE Partner and the CEO
July 13, 2023 20:35 - 1 hour - 70.7 MBIn this episode of the PE Funcast, we take a deep dive into the relationship between the portfolio company CEO and the private equity Partner. What do they talk about when they talk? How does their connection evolve from the interview, to building the team, to planning for an exit? What does the first year of a PE-backed CEO gig feel like? Devin and our newest portfolio CEO, Dave Lucey, cover it all here in a frank and wide-ranging conversation about Dave's first year at the helm of Biscom. ...
What is the role of an Operating Partner at a private equity fund?
June 14, 2023 20:04 - 1 hour - 52.4 MBWe’ve been hearing more questions and interest in operating partner roles than ever before. In our latest episode of the Private Equity Funcast, Operating Partners Jim and Cici cover some of the most frequently asked questions we frequently hear about the role of Operating Partners. We cover things like why an operating team is needed, the history and evolution of Operating Partners at PE firms, and different Operating Partner models. We also discuss the relationship between Operating Partne...
AlixPartners 8th Annual PE Leadership Survey
May 19, 2023 15:09 - 1 hour - 44.7 MBTed Bililies, Managing Director and Head of Global Transformation Leadership Practice at AlixPartners joins Devin again to review the findings of the 8th Annual PE Leadership Survey. Devin and Ted discuss where PE and Portfolio Executives agree and differ on what's most important in today's turbulent times. They talk about sprinters vs. marathoners, growers vs. grinders, and peace-time vs. war-time leaders. They also cover how technology adds to the challenges of scaling companies and the cr...
What's a Software Company Worth?
May 04, 2023 14:08 - 1 hour - 43.3 MBIn this episode of the PE Funcast, Devin and our Head of Research, David, discuss our research on software valuations, “What’s a Software Company Worth.” They cover how software valuations have trended over the past 20 years, the challenges that private and public investors will face over the coming year, and inject some of “what we’re seeing” inside our portfolio and the markets we play in.
More Working with Private Equity from the Portfolio CXO Perspective
April 20, 2023 14:41 - 39 minutes - 28.3 MBThe grand finale of our two-part conversation with Kelley Powell, a long-time ParkerGale collaborator, and ex-portfolio executive. Kelley talks about the ins and outs of working with PE from the portfolio company perspective. She's a wealth of knowledge about working with PE AND helping founders prepare for a PE process.
Working with Private Equity from the Portfolio CXO Perspective
April 05, 2023 13:35 - 41 minutes - 29.6 MBPart One of a two-part conversation with Kelley Powell, a long-time ParkerGale collaborator and ex-portfolio executive. Kelley talks about the ins and outs of working with PE from the portfolio company perspective. She's a wealth of knowledge about working with PE AND helping founders prepare for a PE process.
Technical Due Diligence with Code & Co
March 23, 2023 12:54 - 59 minutes - 41.8 MBJim spends an hour talking about technical due diligence with Dan Bender, and Lukas Ingelheim from Code & Co. Dan and Lukas have over 250 engagements under their collective belts and have literally "seen it all." We cover a wide range of topics, including Technical Debt versus Architectural Debt, code "smells," and the top ten things a company should have in place ahead of technical due diligence.
Think Like a CTO with Alan Williamson
February 24, 2023 14:50 - 51 minutes - 48.7 MBJim talks with an old friend and comrade, Alan Williamson, about his new book - Think Like a CTO. Alan shares hard-won lessons on how to thrive in the fast-paced role of Chief Technology Officer. We discuss the ins and outs of establishing successful technology platforms and teams, leveraging practical software selection and implementation frameworks, conducting bias-free interviews and performance reviews, and earning your place with other senior leaders.
M&A Rollups with Matt Lynch
January 25, 2023 15:40 - 1 hour - 42.2 MBJim talks Mergers and Acquisitions Roll-up strategies with Matt Lynch, Managing Director at District Capital Partners. We discuss the various types of add-on acquisitions and answer the key questions. What is an M&A roll-up strategy, and why does it matter? How does it work? How do you get started?
Demystifying Executive Coaching
January 04, 2023 16:27 - 44 minutes - 31.7 MBJimmy is joined by Katrina Calihan, Executive Coach and Co-Founder of Wind + Sail Leadership Partners, to discuss and demystify executive coaching. Jimmy and Katrina have been working together since 2019 when they launched L6, the leadership development program that has now become a staple inside ParkerGale and our portfolio businesses. On today’s show, they discuss the landscape of executive coaching and why the impact of an executive coach can be so profound by “bringing you into the room”...
How PE firms use the Jobs-To-Be-Done framework to drive a high-growth product strategy
December 20, 2022 13:24 - 41 minutes - 29.1 MBIn this episode of the Private Equity Funcast, Operating Partner Cici Zheng is joined by Jared Ranere, President and COO of thrv, a firm that delivers services, training and a software platform using the Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) framework to identify and serve customers' unmet needs. We cover what the framework is and how it's used at PE backed portfolio companies, both during due diligence and post-close, how the JTBD framework potentially expands the total addressable market (TAM) of an indu...
The Digging In Episode
November 11, 2022 01:15 - 52 minutes - 36 MBJim talks with Paul Stansik about his experiences digging in on the sales and marketing function within our portfolio.
Defining Your Ideal Customer Profile
September 02, 2022 13:36 - 36 minutes - 25.5 MBIn the latest episode of the Private Equity Funcast, Operating Partners Cici Zheng and Paul Stansik discuss the ICP - Ideal Customer Profile. As investors, we're frequently asking our portfolio companies - who is your ICP? Which ones are your best-fit customers, the ones that your product is truly the best fit for to solve their pain points? How do we avoid trying to be the dreaded "swiss-army knife" and being everything to everybody? In this episode we discuss why defining an ICP is importa...
Value Creation through Human Capital with David Cohen, Partner at Kelso and Company
August 17, 2022 15:19 - 56 minutes - 38.2 MBJimmy is joined by David Cohen, Human Capital Partner at Kelso and Company. David has been working in the Human Capital / Private Equity space for over a decade and has helped shape the discipline across the PE industry. They break down the various ways that human capital can impact a portfolio business, including alignment to strategy, leadership effectiveness, talent acquisition, and org design. If there’s a word that defines today’s episode, it’s alignment. It is at the center of how both...
What is Human Capital Due Diligence? A lot more than you think.
July 11, 2022 15:00 - 1 hour - 42.7 MBIn this episode, Jimmy is joined by Laura Queen, founder, and CEO of 29Bison, a Human Capital Consultancy focused on the PE space. Laura is also the author of the book “People Economics: Defining and Measuring the True Value of Human Capital” and is a genius at understanding how strategic human capital management contributes to the value creation process. They break down Human Capital Due Diligence – what it is, how it’s done, and why it’s the fastest-growing of all the diligence workstreams.
DevOps with Dave Mangot
June 22, 2022 17:13 - 43 minutes - 30.6 MBJim talks all things DevOps with Dave Mangot from Mangoteque. Dave's philosophy is "Get Good at Delivering Software", and he has helped many well-known companies become "best in class" We discuss the four keys that define a company's competence in software delivery; deployment frequency, lead time for changes, change failure rate, and time to recovery. There's also a heated discussion about whether "the cloud" is cheaper than running your own data center.
They ask, You Answer with Marcus Sheridan
June 08, 2022 16:19 - 43 minutes - 29.9 MBNo prospect is going to buy enterprise software on impulse. Prospects don't need advertising, they need help, help understanding that they have a problem, help in understanding their options for solving that problem, and help in working their way through an evaluation and choosing a solution. Paul Stansik talks with Marcus Sheridan, author of "They Ask, You Answer" about these topics and more.
They Ask, You Answer with Marcus Sheridan
June 08, 2022 16:19 - 43 minutes - 29.9 MBNo prospect is going to buy enterprise software on impulse. Prospects don't need advertising, they need help, help understanding that they have a problem, help in understanding their options for solving that problem, and help in working their way through an evaluation and choosing a solution. Paul Stansik talks with Marcus Sheridan, author of "They Ask, You Answer" about these topics and more.
Lessons Learned from Integrating Companies - and why you need an Integration Management Office (IMO)
May 31, 2022 17:39 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBYour company acquired another company - congrats! But what happens next? In this episode, Operating Partners Cici and Jimmy break down the Integration Management Office, or IMO. They discuss what it is and how they deploy it inside the portfolio to integrate recently acquired businesses into their acquiring entity. They discuss how they stand up the process, the key processes that need to be in place to make sure everything gets done, and how to make sure you don’t forget about the humans in...
The Increasingly Important Role Talent is Playing in Private Equity
May 04, 2022 14:08 - 50 minutes - 35.2 MBJimmy is joined on the show by Ted Bililies, Managing Director at AlixPartners, for what is now becoming a yearly ritual to discuss the results of the 7th Annual PE Leadership Survey. This year, the theme is all about the COVID-driven acceleration of trends that is propelling human capital to the forefront of the value creation agenda. They discuss the great resignation, how CEOs are now more fearful for their jobs than ever, and the rising important of talent recruiting, engagement, develop...
Mastering the Basics of B2B Marketing (w/ Special Guest Elias Rubel)
April 13, 2022 14:02 - 39 minutes - 36.7 MBOn this episode of the Funcast, Operating Partner Paul Stansik is joined by CEO Elias Rubel, whose team at Matter Made works with B2B marketing teams big and small to help accelerate their revenue growth. If you've ever wondered how to organize a marketing team, the right way to interview a marketing leader, the foundation you need in place to launch an effective demand generation campaign, or what leaders of companies like Loom, G2, Dropbox, and other unicorns are doing to tune their inbound...
March Madness 2022 -- Final Four
April 04, 2022 17:53 - 45 minutes - 31.9 MBIt's the grand finale of our annual March Madness episodes -- the final four. Cass versus Jimmy and Paul versus Cici for all the proverbial marbles for our favorite podcast!
March Madness 2022 - Sweet Sixteen
March 28, 2022 18:14 - 1 hour - 41.4 MBIt's our annual March Madness show. This year our intrepid Operations Team picks their 16 favorite podcasts. Have a listen as Cici, Paul, Cass, and Jimmy along with Commissioner for Life -- Jim work their way down to a final four. And play along at home with our survey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FMP6J8V The final four battle it out for supremacy on next Monday's episode.
The Prospecting Debate
March 24, 2022 15:05 - 55 minutes - 37.9 MBSometimes the recipe for a good discussion is to simply pick an important topic, invite two smart people who disagree with each other, and then sit back and listen. Today Paul Stansik, Operating Partner at ParkerGale, is joined by Cory Bray (MD at ClozeLoop) and Nelson Gilliat (Author of Death of the SDR: And the Birth of Buyer Centric Revenue) to talk about how to get prospecting and growth right. In the course of a rousing hourlong debate, Paul, Cory, and Nelson cover the spectrum of opini...
Cybersecurity Insurance and Litigation with Peter Halprin
March 10, 2022 15:58 - 53 minutes - 37.1 MBJim and Attorney Peter Halprin from Pasich, LLP discuss the ins and outs of Cybersecurity Insurance and Litigation. We cover a wide range of topics with a focus on what private equity leaders need to know about these issues, including: why private equity leaders should treat attacks as inevitabilities, how cyber insurance can provide breach response support and financial protection against cyber risks, and how companies may be able to find coverage under other policies for cyberattacks, inclu...
Nailing Your Product Positioning with April Dunford
March 03, 2022 16:11 - 52 minutes - 36.5 MBIn this episode, Cici Zheng talks with April Dunford, a positioning consultant, speaker, and author on how she helps growth stage companies with positioning. They discuss the difference between product messaging and product positioning, how to "fix" positioning problems, and why founders, PE firms, and portfolio companies should even care about positioning in the first place.
Everything you wanted to know about data lists -- but were afraid to ask
February 17, 2022 15:07 - 47 minutes - 33 MBIn this week's episode, we are talking with Pam Lang, CEO of Xcelerated Data, a company that focuses on fixing data quality problems leading to better decisions in your marketing organization. Pam explains compiled lists, hotlists, the differences between consumer lists and business lists, and SIC codes versus NAICS codes.
Community Building In Our Portfolio
January 12, 2022 16:57 - 36 minutes - 26.1 MBJim, Cici and Jimmy discuss community building within our portfolio. We cover everything from organizing small teams across our companies to ParkerGale's approach to "summits".
Annual 2022 Predictions Show
January 05, 2022 19:54 - 36 minutes - 25.7 MBIt's our annual predictions show for 2022 with your original hosts, Devin and Jim. With the glut of other pontificators doing their usual prognostications, we've decided to shake things up a bit and focus on resolutions, or rather our anti-resolutions.
We're Hiring a Platform Team!
December 27, 2021 18:12 - 17 minutes - 12.7 MBDevin walks us through three (yes 3!) new additions to the ParkerGale team. We're calling it the Platform Team and it includes a Head of Community, a Head of Origination, and a Head of Research. Listen to hear a brief description of each role and if you are interested (or know someone who is) email your resume to devin [at] parkergale [dot] com and ryan [at] parkergale [com] with "Community" "Origination" or "Research" in the email title. We will send you a detailed job description so you ca...
Annual Holiday Episode on the Funcast
December 24, 2021 13:36 - 40 minutes - 28.4 MBIt's our annual holiday episode, with your original hosts -- Devin and Jim. While the debate over "Die Hard as a Christmas movie" is settled (it is), there are still plenty of things to discuss this holiday season, so come have a listen.
The Great Resignation with Tim Schumm, CEO of Lucas James Talent Partners
December 17, 2021 15:54 - 49 minutes - 34.4 MBJimmy is joined by Tim Schumm, CEO of Lucas James Talent Partners to discuss The Great Resignation. Just about everyone has been impacted by this personally or professionally in some capacity, but mid market businesses can feel this even more acutely. They discuss the macro trends that are driving this phenomenon and then share what the most create mid-market companies are doing to win the war for talent.
We're Hiring! Associate Position Overview
December 15, 2021 14:33 - 16 minutes - 12 MBWe’re hiring! ParkerGale VPs Ben and Nori join Jimmy to discuss the Investment Associate role at ParkerGale. They discuss Associate responsibilities, core values, and what makes the job unique (including, but not limited to, great office snacks). Please share with interested friends or colleagues.
A Transformation Story
November 19, 2021 16:09 - 1 hour - 53 MBJimmy is joined by Eric Green, co-founder of WPD Management, a Chicago-based real-estate and property management company, to discuss the recent transformation that Eric guided WPD Management through. They discuss Eric's founder's story and how he built the business, the realization that he needed to extract himself from the day-to-day operations, and how over a 18-month period, he deployed the ParkerGale People Ops playbook, empowered his team, and transformed his business. Jim joins in on t...
Purpose and Culture in a Post-COVID World with Amanda Lannert
November 03, 2021 18:23 - 47 minutes - 33.5 MBJimmy is joined by Amanda Lannert, much lauded CEO of Chicago-based Jellyvision, to discuss how Jellyvision is transforming their culture as we emerge from the grips of the pandemic. They discuss how COVID impacted Jellyvision's business, how she has embraced the mantra "purpose, and not presence," how they are re-thinking company communication, and what her team is now doing to invest in meaningful relationships.
Building a Better Sales Team
October 29, 2021 16:18 - 50 minutes - 35.1 MBParkerGale Operating Principal Paul Stansik is joined by Zorian Rotenberg, former head of Sales, CRO, and now a PE growth advisor. Zorian and Paul share their approach to diagnosing and addressing typical growth problems, how sales teams can use simple math to set better pipeline targets, and what sets great CROs apart.
What We’ve Learned about People Ops and Culture
October 21, 2021 15:09 - 52 minutes - 36.7 MBJimmy Holloran and Paul Stansik share the lessons they’ve learned inside the portfolio from the last 2+ years working on teams, talent, and culture. They cover how to get the most out of your next team offsite, what great management training has in common, how to make hiring and performance management more human, and how ParkerGale thinks about fostering cultures that last.
Canadian entrepreneurship and M&A, a discussion with Pierre Chamberland
October 14, 2021 15:01 - 44 minutes - 31.4 MBRyan Milligan discusses the state of the Canadian M&A market with Pierre Chamberland, founder of NetGovern. Pierre describes his roughly 20-year journey from entrepreneur to selling to private equity, followed by a discussion on the state of investing and M&A in Canada and differences with the US market.