𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬

Over the years, we’ve read countless pitch decks. Impressive growth curves. Market maps. Synergy slides.

But the truth is - no plan ever built a company. People do.

A business plan can tell you where someone wants to go.

A founder’s mindset tells you whether they’ll actually get there.

At ekwithree, we look beyond the numbers. We look into the mindset behind the model - the clarity, curiosity, and resilience of the people driving it. Are they adaptable? Can they navigate uncertainty? Do they welcome challenge? Are they building with purpose?

🔍 𝐌𝐜𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐲 found that PE-backed companies where leadership is restructured early - especially through talent reallocation - are 2.2× more likely to outperform. Leadership quality was a stronger predictor of success than business performance itself.

(𝑆𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑐𝑒: 𝐶𝐸𝑂 𝑎𝑙𝑝ℎ𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑀𝑐𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑦- https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/private-capital/our-insights/ceo-alpha-a-new-approach-to-generating-private-equity-outperformance)

But there's still room to grow in how we as an industry approach this.

📊 According to 𝐁𝐚𝐢𝐧 & 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲, while nearly 80% of PE firms set growth targets in their value creation plans, only a third link those goals to specific executive roles - and just half align them with individual performance expectations.

(𝑆𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑐𝑒: 𝐴 𝐿𝑒𝑓𝑡‑𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑃𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑜 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑇𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐷𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠, 𝐵𝑎𝑖𝑛 & 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑦 - https://www.bain.com/insights/talent-decisions-global-private-equity-report-2021)

That’s a missed opportunity.

If no one owns the outcome, even the best plans can fall short. When leadership goals aren’t clearly defined or tracked, execution suffers - and value gets left on the table.

Aligning people strategy with deal strategy shouldn’t be an afterthought.

At ekwithree, we ask:

🧑‍🏫 Can this person lead through complexity, not just certainty?

‼️ How do they make decisions when stakes are high?

💸 Do they see investors as capital - or as partners?

🧩 Are they building for the next round - or for long-term value?

When we invest, we back partnerships. Not just business models, spreadsheets, or markets - but people we believe in.

Strong founders don’t need to be perfect. But they do need to be real: self-aware, decisive, and committed to the journey.

💬 Plans can change. It’s people who move things forward.