Private Equity Is 20 Years Behind and Running Out of Time

Описание: In this episode, I sit down with Lee McCabe to talk about why private equity value creation keeps stalling when reporting is messy, metrics are disputed, and leaders fall back on gut feel. We dig into what changes when a portfolio company builds a clean foundation, with consistent systems, clear funnel definitions, and ownership from the CEO.

Lee breaks down where digitizing operations can pay off fastest across consumer services and B2B, and why B2B attribution gets tricky when sales cycles stretch for months. We also talk about why operating partners often cannot drive change, plus why firms that publish real points of view can earn trust with founders long before an auction process starts.

Chapters

[00:33] - Data problems behind value plans
[03:09] - Why PE misses digital work
[06:50] - Consumer services digitization opportunities
[09:38] - B2B attribution and sales rigor
[12:01] - Content builds inbound over time
[15:10] - Why the old model persists
[22:42] - Operating partners without authority
[28:43] - PE firms as media brands

Companies Mentioned

eBay
Expedia
Facebook
Alibaba
Nike
Google
Blackstone
KKR
Carlyle
Apollo

Websites Mentioned

http://equity.com
http://partners.com

Guest Information

Lee McCabe runs Claymore Partners and advises private equity firms on digital value creation. Lee publishes the Not Very Private Equity newsletter and shares candid operator level lessons publicly.

Guest details from the episode

Lee went from launching eBay in the UK to leading Facebook’s global travel function. Lee also ran Alibaba’s North American business and later moved into private equity advisory work.

Find Lee here:
https://www.notveryprivateequity.com/
  / leemccabe