Ep 80 | The Private Equity Playbook for Exiting Founders with Aaron Alpeter

About this episode

The episode discusses what private equity firms look for when evaluating founder-led businesses, featuring insights from guest Aaron Alpeter.

What does private equity actually look for when evaluating a company? In this episode of the ExitEngine Podcast, Jo Stapleton and John Canniffe sit down with Aaron Alpeter, Partner at Izzo Partners, to break down how PE firms assess value, risk, and scalability in founder-led businesses . Aaron shares: • How private equity evaluates EBITDA vs. quality of earnings • Why founder dependence is one of the biggest valuation killers • What makes a company “platform ready” • How recurring revenue and defensibility impact multiples • The difference between growth potential and operational risk • Why PE firms care more about leadership depth than most founders realize • How to prepare for institutional capital — years before you need it This episode is essential for founders in the $3M–$25M revenue range who want to: ✔ Increase valuation ✔ Reduce buyer risk ✔ Attract institutional capital ✔ Build optionality ✔ Exit on their terms Private equity isn’t just buying your past performance. They’re underwriting your future — and pricing your risk. If you want to understand how buyers think before you go to market, this conversation is required listening. Guest Info Aaron Alpeter…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jo Stapleton, John Canniffe

Guest: Aaron Alpeter

Topics covered

• private equity
• business valuation
• founder-led businesses
• institutional capital
• exit strategies
• EBITDA
• leadership depth

Keywords

• private equity
• valuation
• founder dependence
• recurring revenue
• operational risk
• leadership
• institutional capital
• exit readiness

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Izzo Partners, Izba Partners

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