The ability to discern risk when evaluating opportunities is high on the list of requirements for being an effective investment analyst. If untamed, risks have the potential to only be limited by one’s imagination. It is important that an analyst is educated on what risks to rigorously focus on when reviewing individual investments. Past curve […]
How LPs and GPs Can Navigate Regulatory Risk Read More »
The pool of private investment options grows more crowded by the day. Most LPs are inundated with pitches from eager GPs/sponsors yearning to forge new relationships and messages from current GPs/sponsors seeking to nurture existing relations to avoid future abandonment. It is my view that the continuing explosion of private investment options has led to
Despite the fact that the investment industry tends to be characterized by endless self-promotional fluff, there are periodic moments of profound insight that positively enrich our collective knowledge. It is always so fulfilling when enlightenment accosts you without any prior warning. Sometimes these moments of illumination appear in the most cliché statements – phrases you
The Meaning of LP Commitments Read More »
A couple of decades ago, when I was just starting out as an analyst, I remember getting word from a GP that one of the key people at the fund was leaving. The departure did not trigger a wholesale key person event, but I vividly recall being jolted into the realization of my extreme naivete
While mulling over multiple ideas for my next piece, I received inspiration from an unexpected source. I was delighted to have stumbled upon a topic that falls in the gray area of GP/LP dynamics that is seldom discussed. The light bulb moment happened during a reference call with a trusted GP-led secondary manager who had
Assessment of a GP’s Values Read More »
More often than not, the term “lessons learned” is used to imply some degree of intellectual honesty. In the world of finance, this phrase is a valuable shape-shifter. It can be used to show introspection when an investment manager embarks on a subsequent fundraise. It can also be used as a probing question to measure
Lessons Learned – Mere Hyperbole or Useful Assessment Exercise? Read More »
Humans are generally more prone to believing, being affected by, and/or responding to negative than positive information. Case in point, many of us have been dissuaded from purchasing a predominantly positively rated item or service because of one (or a few) negative reviews that seemed more heartfelt. It is almost as though we are hardwired
The “Positives” Section of a Due Diligence Report Read More »
In my mind, I swore I would not succumb to the clockwork traditions of the investment industry where strong opinions are pedaled with little regard for accountability. Many of these practices are nothing but self-serving marketing schemes. New year predictions are at the epicenter of this phenomenon which involves pundits emerging from all corners of
Expectations for 2025 (and Beyond) Read More »
This time last year, I put out “My 2024 Anti List“, a compilation of actions I hoped GPs would refrain from taking in 2024. I figured I would continue the tradition for 2025 with the same disclaimer of not trying to put coal in the stockings of readers. It won’t take a detective’s license to
As an active participant in the private investing ecosystem, I am subconsciously urged to join the ubiquitous fray of end-of-year retrospections. However, I want my entry to be low-fuss and low-stress. As we all know, the investment world is extremely dynamic. Particularly, in the private investing world, absolute statements age very badly. In my view,
2024 LP and GP Lookback Read More »
