Private Equity Value Creation Podcast

On this episode, Arvindh Kumar, Partner and Co-Head of EQT's Global Technology Sector Team, explains how private equity firms can turn AI laggard companies into AI winners — and why getting that transformation right starts with the CEO.

Arvindh walks through the defensive attributes he looks for when underwriting software investments, including proprietary data, embedded workflows and network effects, and explains how those characteristics determine whether AI acts as an amplifier or a threat.

Learn how one of the biggest PE firms in the world prioritizes AI initiatives across engineering, product and sales; how portfolio companies have put AI to work in tangible ways; and why the firms seeing the fastest results are using access, positive peer pressure and clear business KPIs rather than wholesale team replacement to drive adoption.

The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

On this episode adapted from a recent webinar, Shiv Narayanan, CEO and Founder of How To SaaS and bestselling author of AI Marketing Blueprint, explains how companies can adapt their go-to-market and thrive in an AI-first world.

Companies everywhere are missing their revenue targets, and the old playbook is breaking down. Inbound is getting more expensive, more competitive, and less effective.

Why? Because, in an AI-first world, most of a buyer journey is invisible. What once required research, website visits, and sales conversations can now happen in seconds — without ever engaging your business.

Companies need to rethink their go-to-market and focus on increasing visibility and authority to reduce the risk of AI disruption. In this episode, you'll get a practical, evergreen framework that outlines the 7 new rules CEOs, investors, and revenue leaders need to focus on to stay competitive.

The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

On this episode, Bob Morse, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Strattam Capital, shares how founder-led vertical software companies can embed AI meaningfully into their products and avoid being left behind as the market shifts.

Hear how Strattam approaches AI adoption across its portfolio—from replacing year-long custom development backlogs with 48-hour turnarounds, to tracking the share of deals where AI features are the deciding factor in the sale. Learn why successful AI adoption requires leadership change before technology change, how to identify AI projects worth pursuing by staying close to the customer problem and why the goal is to be in the AI spending bucket rather than the SaaS spending bucket.

The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

Luke Sarsfield, CEO and Chairman at Ridgepost Capital, shares how a fund of funds platform can generate differentiated alpha by staying disciplined about market focus and building proprietary data advantages over time.

Luke explains why concentrating on the middle and lower middle market creates structural advantages that broader platforms miss, and how collecting deal-level data across 20-plus years turns an LP relationship into genuine investment insight. Learn what separates best-in-breed managers from median performers, and why being a value-added partner—not just a capital provider—is what makes firms want to work with you.

The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

Ray Carey, Head of NextLevel Operations at Level Equity, explains how private equity firms can take a more systematic approach to driving value across their portfolio with operational support. Hear how Level Equity prioritizes their time and resources, why they connect activities to valuation with metrics, and how firms can identify where operational intervention will have the greatest impact. 

Tune in to learn how to build an effective operating team and how to create feedback loops in an environment where results take years to materialize. The conversation offers a practical view into how firms can cheer, coach or play for their portfolio company teams, and the factors that go into choosing the right approach.

The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

On this episode, Cory Eaves, Partner and Head of Portfolio Operations at BayPine, discusses how private equity firms can turn a need for technology transformation into a repeatable value creation lever, rather than a diligence risk. Drawing on his experience as a multi-time CTO and operating partner, Cory explains how portfolio operations teams can work with management to better identify and prioritize technology opportunities across the investment lifecycle.

Learn how to evaluate “analog to digital” transformation potential in traditional industries, how horizontal capabilities like AI can drive operational improvements, and why focusing on a small number of sectors helps investors apply technology playbooks more consistently across portfolio companies.

The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

On this episode, Bob Brown, Founding Partner and Head of Capital Formation and Investor Relations at Motive Partners, shares lessons from three decades inside private equity, including how operational discipline and a clear understanding of what creates value for LPs are critical to driving outcomes. Learn how an “investing, operating and innovating” model embeds operators and technology experts alongside investors to tackle two of the biggest causes of deal underperformance: management execution and failed technology transformations. 

Plus, hear how PE firms can unlock more value from the assets they already own—using technology, data and product improvements to drive growth from existing customers, modernize legacy businesses and accelerate outcomes within the typical three-to-five-year hold period.

The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

On this episode, Ellen Havdala, Managing Director at Equity Group Investments, explains how a flexible capital base and an operator-led mindset shape a different approach to private equity. Hear how to evaluate barriers to entry, structure liquidity to withstand black swan events and assess true alignment with founders before a deal ever closes.

Tune in to learn how patient capital changes decision-making—from holding periods to exit timing—and why culture, apprenticeship and incentive design drive repeat outcomes. The episode offers a practical lens on managing risk, growing alongside management teams and creating the kind of firm people want to partner with more than once.

The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

Scott Neuberger, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Karmel Capital, shares how later-stage secondaries can provide access to high-quality technology companies. Learn how to assess capital efficiency, management quality and growth durability using data and market signals, and get a repeatable lens for evaluating technology businesses.

The conversation also sharpens how to think about AI investing over a realistic time horizon. Hear how to identify where value is likely to accrue over the next few years, why infrastructure matters in periods of rapid change and what concrete indicators suggest a credible path to liquidity in uncertain exit markets.   

The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

Allen Mask, Partner at Westcap and Head of CōLab, shares how the firm leverages an "operating equity" model to go beyond capital to drive real value creation in marketplace businesses.Learn how to structure an operating team that founders want to work with and how pairing operators with investors during diligence surfaces risks that financials alone won't reveal.

Plus, hear how to approach the first 100 days, when to bring in outside partners, the economics of a large operating team work, and why reinvesting management fees back into the firm is central to WestCap’s model.The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.