Private Equity Value Creation Podcast

On this episode Shiv Narayanan interviews Ed Byrne, co-founder of Scaleworks, a venture equity firm based in San Antonio.

Ed shares his background as a software entrepreneur and the lessons learned from his experiences that led to founding Scaleworks ten years ago with partner Lou Moorman. The discussion explores the concept of "venture equity" as a hybrid model between traditional VC and private equity, emphasizing sustainable growth over high-risk VC funding. Key topics include the downsides of VC (such as portfolio theory encouraging all-or-nothing scaling), the benefits of bootstrapping or using debt for most software businesses, avoiding premature scaling, prioritizing customer-funded growth, and Scaleworks' approach to acquiring and accelerating 5-10M revenue SaaS companies by building go-to-market teams in-house, bringing in new CEOs, and focusing on levers like pricing, category specialization, and dispassionate product decisions. Ed also covers deal structures, value creation through centralization in San Antonio, resistance to playbooks, and aiming for acquisitions driven by inbound interest rather than fixed timelines.

On this episode Shiv interviews Lindsay Gray, Partner at Pacific Lake, to explore how the firm backs entrepreneurs through the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) or search fund model—an approach that turns traditional private equity on its head by starting with the entrepreneur before the company.

Lindsay walks through Pacific Lake’s industry thesis–driven search process, explaining how they identify and support first-time CEOs, often straight out of business school, to acquire and scale small to mid-sized businesses. She details what Pacific Lake looks for in potential searchers—from “followership” and “figure-it-out-ness” to true commitment to the ETA path—and how their team of experts guides these entrepreneurs through diligence, acquisition, and operational scaling.

The conversation also covers how Pacific Lake structures incentives and equity for searchers, maintains a 70%+ acquisition rate, and leverages a dedicated value creation team to help new CEOs build leadership capacity, professionalize go-to-market and operations, and pursue add-on acquisitions. Lindsay also discusses their long-term hold strategy, designed to give successful CEOs liquidity while continuing to compound value in the firm’s strongest companies.

This episode offers a deep look at how Pacific Lake has helped shape the ETA ecosystem, supporting over 300 search funds and more than 150 acquisitions, and the lessons they’ve learned about people, prioritization, and partnership as the foundation of value creation.

On this episode, Shiv interviews Kelly Ford Buckley, General Partner at Edison Partners, a growth equity firm with over 39 years of experience investing in high-growth software companies in secondary markets.

Kelly dives into Edison's hands-on approach to value creation, emphasizing their preference for taking on execution risk over product or market risk, and how they use maturity assessments across five centers of excellence—like go-to-market, product, and finance—to identify and prioritize opportunities for portfolio companies.

She shares real-world examples of transforming pricing models, aligning sales and marketing for faster growth, and building operational muscle to scale without paralysis, while stressing the importance of capital efficiency in today's macro environment. Kelly also discusses the role of AI as an efficiency tool rather than a distraction, the advantages of focusing on secondary markets for more grounded founders, and how Edison's domain expertise in verticals like fintech and healthcare IT drives repeatable success. This episode offers actionable insights for investors and operators looking to maximize enterprise value through focused, low-risk execution.

In this solo episode of the Private Equity Value Creation Podcast, Shiv Narayanan breaks down the challenges facing portfolio companies in today’s market—and shares a clear roadmap for investors, CEOs, and revenue leaders to drive growth.

From slowing sales pipelines to rising competitive pressures and the impact of AI, many companies are underperforming compared to previous years. Shiv outlines actionable strategies to:

• Cut wasted marketing spend and improve efficiency

• Reignite stalled deals and boost close rates

• Maximize existing customer value through upsells and account expansion

• Leverage intent data and contextual outreach for short-term wins

• Build long-term enterprise value with authentic thought leadership

On this episode Shiv Narayanan interviews Craig Jones of TPE Boulder to discuss value creation in lower middle market private equity, focusing on smaller companies with $2-5 million in EBITDA.

Craig shares TPE Boulder’s approach to scaling businesses through organic growth, emphasizing diversification by location and provider, strengthening management teams, and addressing technology deficits. He explains how they align with founders on a 5-year growth plan, manage key risks like founder dependency, and prioritize initiatives to ensure scalability without overwhelming limited resources.

Craig also highlights the importance of investing in high-growth healthcare markets, such as neuropathy treatment and interventional radiology, to drive enterprise value and attract larger PE buyers for higher EBITDA multiples at exit.

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

On this episode Shiv interviews Gus Araya, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of Cordillera Investment Partners, to discuss how PE firms can generate alpha by investing in alternative assets like marinas, music royalties, and spirits.

Gus shares Cordillera’s approach to targeting niche, less correlated markets, using a repeatable process to source, diligence, and professionalize non-traditional assets. He explains how their flexible toolkit and operator partnerships create enterprise value.

He also covers how to convince LPs to back unconventional strategies and why avoiding crowded sectors unlocks unique opportunities in private equity.

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

On this episode, Shiv Narayanan interviews Andy Lund, Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Primary Capital Advisory at Houlihan Lokey, to discuss strategies for private equity firms navigating today's challenging fundraising and liquidity environment.

Andy shares insights on how GPs can differentiate themselves in a crowded market, leveraging tools like secondary transactions, continuation vehicles, and direct investments to address LP liquidity demands. He explores the impact of macroeconomic shifts, including geopolitical uncertainties and tariffs, on M&A and fundraising, and highlights the growing importance of operational value-add and AI integration to drive enterprise value.

The conversation also covers the evolving dynamics of the private equity landscape, from the rise of next-gen firms to the challenges faced by mid-market players, offering practical advice for GPs aiming to thrive in a competitive market.

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

On this episode Shiv interviews Eliot Kerlin, Co-Founder of Broadwing Capital, to explore how PE firms can create value in the lower middle market by combining a systematic playbook with deep operational resources.

Eliot explains Broadwing’s five-part framework—from fortifying the foundation and scaling for growth to talent development, stakeholder impact, and exit preparation—and how their ops team works side by side with management to implement change.

He also shares how to prioritize initiatives when resources are limited, why investing in human capital is critical to execution, and how building long-term relationships creates lasting advantages in private equity.

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

Shiv interviews Michael Wilkins, Partner at Shamrock Capital, to explore the opportunities PE firms can unlock through deep expertise in sectors including media, entertainment and sports.

Michael explains how industry focus and long-term networks translate into proprietary deal flow, why value creation plans need to be tailored to each company rather than run from a single playbook, and how to balance partnership with hands-on support. He also shares how firms can approach AI in practical, incremental ways—turning it from a perceived threat into a tool for margin expansion and growth.

In this episode, Shiv Narayanan sits down with members of the How To SaaS client services team to talk about the most common marketing challenges inside PE-backed portfolio companies—and how to solve them.

Chief Client Officer Farhad Chikhliwala, VP of Marketing Taylor Moore and Director of Marketing Tatiana Morand discuss why poor tracking and misaligned spend can drain ROI, how to prioritize the right order of operations for go-to-market, the role of the CMO as a “custodian of investment” and how to align team structure with the investment thesis. Tune in to hear about overlooked growth levers like upsell and cross-sell, how to find 20–40% efficiency in existing spend and how to balance AI adoption with the marketing fundamentals that still drive enterprise value.