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Meet us in person at ⁠MIT's 8th Annual ETA Conference⁠ Feb. 15th, ⁠Get Tickets Here⁠

Patricia Riopel & Enrico Magnani made waves in 2017 as the first search fund couple! Post-business school, they found themselves in separate careers in separate continents with Enrico returning to McKinsey Italy and Pat operating companies across Africa and Latin America. When thinking about how to bring their lives back together, they were reminded of an MBA class they took on search funds.

A ⁠Search Fund⁠, also known as Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (or ETA), is a model where investors provide individuals with capital to buy and grow an existing company.

For Pat and Enrico, it was the perfect balance of entrepreneurship and growth, and allowed the couple to take control of their own destiny. The two acquired their first company in 2017 and sold it in 2023 - becoming the first married couple to not only acquire a business, but also to successfully sell one with this model.

They’re now working together again! But this time as search fund investors through their private equity fund, ⁠Magnum Capital⁠. If you’re interested in buying and growing a company, reach out to Patricia & Enrico (contact info below) or join us in-person at MIT’s ETA Conference Feb. 15-17.

In our conversation, we discuss:

• Why buy an existing company (versus start one from scratch)

• The pros (and cons) of a partnered search

• What makes a good partner (in a professional sense)

• How to approach disagreements when your business partner is your spouse

• Communicating openly with investors about relationship status

• Come meet us (Pat, Enrico, & Annie) at ⁠MIT’s ETA Conference⁠ (Feb 15th)

Where to find Patricia, Enrico & Magnum Capital:

• Patricia Riopel: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/priopel/⁠

• Enrico Magnani: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/emagnani/⁠

• Associés Magnum Capital Partners: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/magnum-capital-partners⁠

Where to find Annie Garofalo, host & startup team relationship expert:

Website: ⁠https://www.confidante.info⁠ Newsletter: ⁠https://confidante.substack.com⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-garofalo/⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/thecofounderconfidante⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@the.cofounder.confidante⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/anniegarofal0⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TheCoFounderConfidante⁠

In this episode, we cover:

00:00 Episode Highlights

00:24 Introducing: How I Met My Co-Founder

00:43 Meet Patricia & Enrico: The First Search Fund Couple

02:18 The Origin Story: Meeting in at IESE

02:59 What is a Search Fund / Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition?

05:45 The Decision to Take Control and Work Together

07:52 Work-Life Balance Concerns

10:22 The Importance of Passion and Fulfillment in Work

12:35 Start a Company or Buy One?

14:54 The Decision to Do a Partnered Search

21:12 A Recent Disagreement: Choosing the Next Step

27:09 Communicating the Relationship Status to Investors

29:06 Advice for Potential Entrepreneurs

30:31 Meet us at MIT’s ETA Conference (Feb 2024)

References & Resources:

• MIT’s 8th Annual Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Conference: ⁠https://www.mitsearchfunds.com/2024-etamit-summit⁠ | Get Tickets: ⁠http://tinyurl.com/2vnv3ehe⁠

• How to Structure Trial Periods with a Potential Co-Founder: ⁠https://confidante.substack.com/p/trial-period-for-cofounders⁠

• The 9 Hot Button Conversations All Co-Founders Should Have: ⁠https://confidante.substack.com/p/partnership-agreement-cofounders⁠

• The History of Search Funds: ⁠https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/experience/about/centers-institutes/ces/research/search-funds⁠

Podcast produced by www.confidante.info. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].

Annie may be an investor, advisor, or coach for the companies discussed.

Get full access to podcast summaries at ⁠confidante.substack.com⁠