Thinking about bringing in a private equity partner? Chris Sugden, Managing Partner at Edison Partners, zooms in on the critical decisions founders face when considering a private equity deal. In this episode, he highlights the importance of building relationships with investors, understanding the difference between growth equity and traditional private equity, and knowing when it’s time to bring in outside capital.

If you’re contemplating whether to sell your business or continue scaling, Chris walks through how to engage with PE firms, the red flags to look out for, and how to prepare for post-deal success.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How PE firms evaluate founders during early conversations

• The power of building relationships with investors before hiring a banker

• Why some executives who got you here can’t take you further

• How to shift from founder mindset to commercial mindset

Jump into the conversation:(00:00) Introduction (01:38) What Edison looks for in founder CEOs (03:31) The challenge of leveling up your team (05:33) How to map your five-year goals (07:44) Understanding the shift to a commercial mindset (08:59) The importance of feedback before hiring a banker (20:42) Growth vs profitability: which thesis to follow?