Category: General
Jul 29, 2025
The AI Fix for Private Equity - Book Index
There’s a new breed of AI consultant.
Armed with buzzwords, LinkedIn polls, and zero P&L responsibility, they’ll promise to “transform your business” with chatbots and code copilots.
What they’re really doing?
Pitching a slightly cheaper version of the same broken system you already have.
The AI Fix isn’t that.
It’s not a parade of pilot projects or a roadmap to automate your way into irrelevance.
It’s a blueprint for building intelligent businesses—where AI isn’t bolted on, it’s built in.
Where growth comes from better decisions, better experiences, and better-designed operations.
Yes, private equity firms will find this playbook essential.
But founders, CEOs, and operators in any fast-moving company will recognize the urgency.
Because in the next cycle, the winners won’t be the ones who cut the most.
They’ll be the ones who designed for intelligence from the start.
If your AI “strategy” fits on a slide called “Cost Reduction,”
you’re already falling behind.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MEET THE AUTHORS
PART I: FOUNDATION AND FRAMING
INTRODUCTION
AI IN THE FOUR PHASES OF THE PE DEAL
FOUNDATIONS FIRST; BUILD SECOND
STOP! BEFORE SPENDING
SYSTEM LEADERSHIP AND DECISION AUTHORITY
THE OLD STRATEGY MODEL v THE NEW SYSTEMS MODEL
CORE-FIRST AI USE CASE
THE AI ADOPTION SEQUENCE
THE LEADERSHIP MINDSET SHIFT
THE THREE APPLICATIONS OF AI
BUILDING THE CORE
SYSTEMS THINKING AND THE THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS
PART II: THE PRE-DEAL
DEAL SOURCING & THESIS DEVELOPMENT
DUE DILIGENCE
ASSESSING DIGITAL MATURITY
EVALUATING AI LITERACY IN LEADERSHIP
VALIDATING AI CLAIMS
PART III – THE FIRST 100 DAYS
WHAT DOES THIS NEW SYSTEM LOOK LIKE?
THE BACKBONE OF AN INTELLIGENT SYSTEM
WHAT MUST BE TRUE
THE 100-DAY ROADMAP THAT HOLDS
PART IV – TRANSFORMATION AND GROWTH
THE HARD GROWTH PATH
BUY vs BUILD vs BLEND
INVESTMENT WITH FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE
GOVERNANCE AS VALUE PROTECTION
GOVERNANCE MATURITY ACROSS THE PE DEAL CYCLE
THE EFFICIENCY PARADOX
AI VALUE CAPTURE
THE QUICK WIN MACHINE
THE FASTEST PATH TO EARLY RESULTS
FINDING FINANCIAL WINS THAT MATTER
WE NOW KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, BUT WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
LINKING CORE SAAS METRICS TO VALUE CREATION OBJECTIVES
AI BUSINESS REPORTING
HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO WAIT?
IT’S TIME FOR DIFFERENTIATION
THE PAYOFF
WHEN IT DOESN'T WORK
MANAGING PE OWNER PRESSURE
PART V: PREPARING FOR EXIT
WARNING!
WE ARE DIFFERENT!
AI EXIT DUE DILIGENCE
BUYER DUE DILIGENCE FOCUS
SELLING COMPOUNDING VALUE, NOT JUST COMPLIANCE
NAVIGATING THE EXIT GAUNTLET
PREMIUM v DISCOUNTED EXITS
AI NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION
NARRATIVE PITFALLS TO AVOID
PROBLEM RESOLUTION
A SUCCESSFUL AI EXIT EXECUTION
THE FUTURE WILL NOT WAIT
THE WINDOW IS OPEN
There’s a new breed of AI consultant.
Armed with buzzwords, LinkedIn polls, and zero P&L responsibility, they’ll promise to “transform your business” with chatbots and code copilots.
What they’re really doing?
Pitching a slightly cheaper version of the same broken system you already have.
The AI Fix isn’t that.
It’s not a parade of pilot projects or a roadmap to automate your way into irrelevance.
It’s a blueprint for building intelligent businesses—where AI isn’t bolted on, it’s built in.
Where growth comes from better decisions, better experiences, and better-designed operations.
Yes, private equity firms will find this playbook essential.
But founders, CEOs, and operators in any fast-moving company will recognize the urgency.
Because in the next cycle, the winners won’t be the ones who cut the most.
They’ll be the ones who designed for intelligence from the start.
If your AI “strategy” fits on a slide called “Cost Reduction,”
you’re already falling behind.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MEET THE AUTHORS
PART I: FOUNDATION AND FRAMING
INTRODUCTION
AI IN THE FOUR PHASES OF THE PE DEAL
FOUNDATIONS FIRST; BUILD SECOND
STOP! BEFORE SPENDING
SYSTEM LEADERSHIP AND DECISION AUTHORITY
THE OLD STRATEGY MODEL v THE NEW SYSTEMS MODEL
CORE-FIRST AI USE CASE
THE AI ADOPTION SEQUENCE
THE LEADERSHIP MINDSET SHIFT
THE THREE APPLICATIONS OF AI
BUILDING THE CORE
SYSTEMS THINKING AND THE THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS
PART II: THE PRE-DEAL
DEAL SOURCING & THESIS DEVELOPMENT
DUE DILIGENCE
ASSESSING DIGITAL MATURITY
EVALUATING AI LITERACY IN LEADERSHIP
VALIDATING AI CLAIMS
PART III – THE FIRST 100 DAYS
WHAT DOES THIS NEW SYSTEM LOOK LIKE?
THE BACKBONE OF AN INTELLIGENT SYSTEM
WHAT MUST BE TRUE
THE 100-DAY ROADMAP THAT HOLDS
PART IV – TRANSFORMATION AND GROWTH
THE HARD GROWTH PATH
BUY vs BUILD vs BLEND
INVESTMENT WITH FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE
GOVERNANCE AS VALUE PROTECTION
GOVERNANCE MATURITY ACROSS THE PE DEAL CYCLE
THE EFFICIENCY PARADOX
AI VALUE CAPTURE
THE QUICK WIN MACHINE
THE FASTEST PATH TO EARLY RESULTS
FINDING FINANCIAL WINS THAT MATTER
WE NOW KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, BUT WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
LINKING CORE SAAS METRICS TO VALUE CREATION OBJECTIVES
AI BUSINESS REPORTING
HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO WAIT?
IT’S TIME FOR DIFFERENTIATION
THE PAYOFF
WHEN IT DOESN'T WORK
MANAGING PE OWNER PRESSURE
PART V: PREPARING FOR EXIT
WARNING!
WE ARE DIFFERENT!
AI EXIT DUE DILIGENCE
BUYER DUE DILIGENCE FOCUS
SELLING COMPOUNDING VALUE, NOT JUST COMPLIANCE
NAVIGATING THE EXIT GAUNTLET
PREMIUM v DISCOUNTED EXITS
AI NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION
NARRATIVE PITFALLS TO AVOID
PROBLEM RESOLUTION
A SUCCESSFUL AI EXIT EXECUTION
THE FUTURE WILL NOT WAIT
THE WINDOW IS OPEN
There’s a new breed of AI consultant.
Armed with buzzwords, LinkedIn polls, and zero P&L responsibility, they’ll promise to “transform your business” with chatbots and code copilots.
What they’re really doing?
Pitching a slightly cheaper version of the same broken system you already have.
The AI Fix isn’t that.
It’s not a parade of pilot projects or a roadmap to automate your way into irrelevance.
It’s a blueprint for building intelligent businesses—where AI isn’t bolted on, it’s built in.
Where growth comes from better decisions, better experiences, and better-designed operations.
Yes, private equity firms will find this playbook essential.
But founders, CEOs, and operators in any fast-moving company will recognize the urgency.
Because in the next cycle, the winners won’t be the ones who cut the most.
They’ll be the ones who designed for intelligence from the start.
If your AI “strategy” fits on a slide called “Cost Reduction,”
you’re already falling behind.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MEET THE AUTHORS
PART I: FOUNDATION AND FRAMING
INTRODUCTION
AI IN THE FOUR PHASES OF THE PE DEAL
FOUNDATIONS FIRST; BUILD SECOND
STOP! BEFORE SPENDING
SYSTEM LEADERSHIP AND DECISION AUTHORITY
THE OLD STRATEGY MODEL v THE NEW SYSTEMS MODEL
CORE-FIRST AI USE CASE
THE AI ADOPTION SEQUENCE
THE LEADERSHIP MINDSET SHIFT
THE THREE APPLICATIONS OF AI
BUILDING THE CORE
SYSTEMS THINKING AND THE THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS
PART II: THE PRE-DEAL
DEAL SOURCING & THESIS DEVELOPMENT
DUE DILIGENCE
ASSESSING DIGITAL MATURITY
EVALUATING AI LITERACY IN LEADERSHIP
VALIDATING AI CLAIMS
PART III – THE FIRST 100 DAYS
WHAT DOES THIS NEW SYSTEM LOOK LIKE?
THE BACKBONE OF AN INTELLIGENT SYSTEM
WHAT MUST BE TRUE
THE 100-DAY ROADMAP THAT HOLDS
PART IV – TRANSFORMATION AND GROWTH
THE HARD GROWTH PATH
BUY vs BUILD vs BLEND
INVESTMENT WITH FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE
GOVERNANCE AS VALUE PROTECTION
GOVERNANCE MATURITY ACROSS THE PE DEAL CYCLE
THE EFFICIENCY PARADOX
AI VALUE CAPTURE
THE QUICK WIN MACHINE
THE FASTEST PATH TO EARLY RESULTS
FINDING FINANCIAL WINS THAT MATTER
WE NOW KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, BUT WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
LINKING CORE SAAS METRICS TO VALUE CREATION OBJECTIVES
AI BUSINESS REPORTING
HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO WAIT?
IT’S TIME FOR DIFFERENTIATION
THE PAYOFF
WHEN IT DOESN'T WORK
MANAGING PE OWNER PRESSURE
PART V: PREPARING FOR EXIT
WARNING!
WE ARE DIFFERENT!
AI EXIT DUE DILIGENCE
BUYER DUE DILIGENCE FOCUS
SELLING COMPOUNDING VALUE, NOT JUST COMPLIANCE
NAVIGATING THE EXIT GAUNTLET
PREMIUM v DISCOUNTED EXITS
AI NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION
NARRATIVE PITFALLS TO AVOID
PROBLEM RESOLUTION
A SUCCESSFUL AI EXIT EXECUTION
THE FUTURE WILL NOT WAIT
THE WINDOW IS OPEN
Aug 1, 2025
The Ai Fix for Private Equity - Sample
Some things are easier to deny than to fix. When intelligent systems work well, they create surplus capacity. And when that happens, the default corporate response is as predictable as it is destructive, cut costs. That's exactly where businesses break their own systems.
Aug 1, 2025
The AI Fix for Private Equity - Book Index
The index for the upcoming book, The AI Fix for Private Equity - A New Playbook for Value Creation from Pre-Deal to Exit
Jul 29, 2025
Why Your Strategy Should Prioritize Experience Over Features - Part 2
In the software world and particularly SaaS, features don’t differentiate, experience does. You can match every feature your competitors offer and still lose. Not because your product is worse, but because it feels harder to use, slower to deliver value, or just less thoughtful.
Aug 1, 2025
The Ai Fix for Private Equity - Sample
Some things are easier to deny than to fix. When intelligent systems work well, they create surplus capacity. And when that happens, the default corporate response is as predictable as it is destructive, cut costs. That's exactly where businesses break their own systems.
Aug 1, 2025
The AI Fix for Private Equity - Book Index
The index for the upcoming book, The AI Fix for Private Equity - A New Playbook for Value Creation from Pre-Deal to Exit
Aug 1, 2025
The Ai Fix for Private Equity - Sample
Some things are easier to deny than to fix. When intelligent systems work well, they create surplus capacity. And when that happens, the default corporate response is as predictable as it is destructive, cut costs. That's exactly where businesses break their own systems.
NeWTHISTle Consulting
DELIVERING CLARITY FROM COMPLEXITY
Copyright © 2024 NewThistle Consulting LLC. All Rights Reserved
NeWTHISTle Consulting
DELIVERING CLARITY FROM COMPLEXITY
Copyright © 2024 NewThistle Consulting LLC. All Rights Reserved
NeWTHISTle Consulting
DELIVERING CLARITY FROM COMPLEXITY
Copyright © 2024 NewThistle Consulting LLC. All Rights Reserved