The Upside & Downside of Search, from a 20-Year Veteran

A fireside chat with veteran searcher & investor Kent Weaver recorded at the Self-Funded Search Conference in Dallas.

Topics in Kent's interview:

• Kent's history: his search & how he evolved into an investor in searchers
• How the first 2 or 3 years post-acquisition are different in a self-funded search vs. a traditional search fund
• How traditional search feels different today vs. its early days
• What is a "3am business"?
• The power of choosing a quality industry to buy a business in
• The power of high quality revenue
• The power of strong unit economics
• The power of you as CEO
• Ingredients of a good search CEO
• How to handle it if the business you buy fails?
• 2 stories of search failures
• Staying too long in a bad business
• When buying a business, dream bigger. No artificial ceiling.
• Thinking beyond your first deal: what doing a search does for your career

References and how to contact Kent:

• The event where the fireside occurred: Self-Funded Search Conference (submit this contact form for next year's event)
• Iron Mountain
• LinkedIn
• Kent’s investing vehicle, Granite Point Partners

Get a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:

• Contact [email protected] or visit Aspen HR

Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:

• Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team

Connect with Acquiring Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with host Will Smith on LinkedIn
• Follow Will on Twitter