StrategyFree

The Off-Ramp

Knowing When to Leave

5 modules~25 min totalVerifiable certificate on completion

Syllabus

01The Exit
5 min
02The Harvest Decision
5 min
03The Asset Strip
5 min
04The Wind-Down
5 min
05Exit Timing Under Multiple Compression
5 min

From Module 1 — read a sample

The decision to exit a position is not just about whether the price is right — it is about whether waiting changes the expected value in your favor. Private equity exits are governed by two clocks: the fund's life and the market cycle. When multiples are high and the business is performing, every additional quarter of holding introduces new risks that the current offer already prices out. The "one more investment cycle" argument is a cognitive trap: management always believes the next round of capex will deliver outsized returns, but buyers price the company on today's evidence, not tomorrow's promise.

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