In this interview, Sean Smith (Managing Partner at Search Fund Ventures) sits down with Brian Wolfe, founder of Funded Ventures, to unpack his transition from 17 years of big law to building and scaling SaaS businesses through M&A. Brian shares deep insights from his time advising major PE firms like Bain and Vista, his own SaaS roll-up exit to Alpine Investors, and his current role backing Midwest operators in ETA.

They explore the realities of subscale M&A, conviction-building in first-time operators, how to navigate deal risk and ambiguity, and the evolution of the traditional search model. Whether you're an investor, operator, or aspiring searcher, Brian offers sharp perspective on what it takes to win in today's ETA environment.

The conversation explores:07:58 The Role of Mentorship in ETA15:35 Building a Network and Professionalizing the Search23:16 Creating a Funded Operating Partner Relationship31:20 Insights on Subscale Deals and Market Dynamics

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• 🔗 Brian Wolfe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianwolfe/
• 🌐 Funded Ventures Website: https://fundedventures.com/
• 🔗 Sean Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-smith-47ab2a70/
• 🌐 SMB Investor Network Website: https://www.smbinvestornetwork.com/

#SearchFunds #SaaSInvesting #ETAOperators #PrivateEquityInsights #SMBDeals #LowerMiddleMarket #RollupStrategy #FundedVentures