Why 100-Day Plans Fail in Private Equity
Claymore Partners founder Lee McCabe explains why static value creation decks fail and how 1-page organic plans keep PE sponsors aligned.
What's Wrong in Private Equity (w/ Lee McCabe)
With Devin Mathews, Lee McCabe, Paul · Sunday, September 6, 2026
Devin Mathews and Paul interview Lee McCabe, founder of Claymore Partners, about the structural shift required in private equity as multiple expansion and cheap debt disappear. They explore how operating partners can build genuine trust with CEOs, why rigorous data foundations and lead generation matter more than vanity marketing, and how PE firms can build modern media brands to differentiate deal sourcing.
Key takeaways
- Static 100-day plans and 100-page value creation decks collapse quickly because underwriting assumptions rarely survive the first 90 days of operational reality. Read more →
- Middle-market portco leadership teams often cannot connect commercial spend to revenue: McCabe points to target CEOs spending $500,000 monthly on marketing who cannot show what that budget generated. Read more →
- Ninety-nine percent of private equity websites operate strictly as investor pitch decks for LPs, completely ignoring the founders and executives who drive deal flow. Read more →
- Private equity faces a distribution freeze with roughly $1.5 trillion in capital trapped inside portfolio companies as exit paths stall. Read more →
- Private equity buyers often misdiagnose marketing needs during year one, hiring high-profile enterprise CMOs who refuse to fix broken data pipes. Read more →
5 articles from this episode
Lee McCabe on Middle-Market Unit Economics and Data Engines
Lee McCabe explains why middle-market portcos fail on data foundations, how to map unit economics, and why every company is a lead engine.
Why Private Equity Must Trade LP Pitch Decks for Media Brands
Lee McCabe explains how private equity firms build founder affinity, win proprietary deals, and move past cringe mountain with media brands.
Why Governance-Only Private Equity Has Run Out of Road
With $1.5 trillion trapped in PE assets and multiple expansion gone, Lee McCabe explains why operational alpha is the only survival path.
Why Middle Market PE Should Fire the Strategic CMO Early
Hiring a big-resume CMO in year one of a buyout stalls growth. Middle market PE needs tactical operators doing the donkey work first.
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