The Operator's Edge

Ideas, insights, and random musings for PE operators who want to lead better, think clearer, and create value faster.

Hard-Won Lessons from a First-Time CEO leading your company leading your team leading yourself

You can read, seek advice, and study the playbook. But nothing truly prepares you for the ...

Leading a Successful Exit: Lessons from a Two-Time PE-Backed CFO field notes leading your company

As a PE-backed executive, delivering a successful exit is part of the job—arguably one of ...

6 Surefire Ways to Improve Your Hiring Hit Rate leading your company leading your team people first

Hiring is hard. But most hiring mistakes aren’t bad luck. They’re the predic...

How Great PE Execs Lead Better By Outsmarting False Choices leading your company the leverage point

I’ve grown leery of oversimplified management clichés. Take the old line: “Culture eats st...

A PE Professionals Blueprint for Winning the First 100 Days leading your company

The TL;DR - What happens in the first 100 days sets the trajectory for a new private equit...

10 Traps First-Time CEOs Fall Into (and How to Avoid Them) leading your company leading your team leading yourself

The TL;DR - The path to first-time CEO success is littered with landmines. I’ve stepped on...