From Search to CEO: Mastering the ETA Journey

From Search to CEO: Mastering the ETA Journey

Offered by Jim T.

5.0

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Successful Search Fund/ETA Operator with full search cycle expertise

Stanford Graduate School of Business Logo

Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business

Sentry Road Logo

Works at Sentry Road

Description

The Search Fund Coaching package is designed for entrepreneurs who are ready to pursue the ETA path and take ownership of a business. This package offers comprehensive guidance to help you confidently move through every stage of the journey, from shaping your strategy to stepping into the CEO role post-acquisition. Key components of this package can include, but aren't limited to: • Clarify your goals, strengths, and areas for development to ensure you’re prepared for the ETA process. • Compare self-funded, traditional, and incubated approaches to determine the structure that best fits your vision. • Build a differentiated investment thesis and map industries that align with your skills and investor appetite. • Develop polished materials, refine your narrative, and learn effective tactics for securing investor commitments. • Establish a repeatable sourcing engine, including outreach strategies, broker relationships, and deal tracking systems. • Use structured criteria to screen targets quickly and dig deeper into the most promising opportunities. • Learn strategies for structuring offers and managing seller dynamics to reach favorable terms. • Apply a disciplined process to uncover risks across financial, legal, and operational dimensions. • Prepare for the first 100 days post-close, focusing on culture-building, strategy execution, and team management. • Access ongoing mentorship to adjust your strategy, solve challenges, and maximize value creation as an operator. By the end of this package, you’ll walk away with a comprehensive ETA playbook, a refined strategy tailored to your profile, and the confidence to lead a successful acquisition and transition into the CEO seat.


What you'll get from this package

Customized ETA Roadmap – Tailored plan based on your goals, readiness, and fit across ETA models

Investor & Fundraising Playbook – Guidance on crafting your pitch, building relationships, and raising capital

Evaluation & Diligence Frameworks – Tools to analyze targets, run valuations, and conduct disciplined due diligence

Acquisition & Negotiation Support – Strategies for structuring offers, managing terms, and closing deals

CEO Transition Plan – Practical guidance for stepping into leadership and creating value post-close


Additional details

Coaching delivered via live sessions and .

Refund Policy

Services included:

Due Diligence

Investment Analysis

Industry & Company Targeting

Thesis Development

Process Roadmap

Operational Strategy & Support

Board & Investor Management

Funding Strategy

Investor Selection

Deal Sourcing


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Jim T.

Offered by Jim T.

Joined September 2025

5.0

Successful Search Fund/ETA Operator with full search cycle expertise

TLDR: Started self-funded search fund in 2023, acquired business 8 months later, have been successfully scaling it ever since. After being the CEO for two private equity backed companies, I wanted to branch out on my own and control more of the pie. I found that constraints from the PE model sometimes negatively influenced business decisions and I wanted to have more control over how to improve and scale a business (not to mention the capital structure). Six months after beginning my search, I submitted the LOI for the business I ultimately closed on two months later. I've been running that business since June of 2024 and we've been growing it nicely while paying down debt. I explored both traditional and self-funded search and completed diligence across a wide range of industries. I've looked at proprietary and brokered deals, received compelling financing terms from lenders and equity investors alike, and have gone through the full ETA cycle. I'm a regular speaker at SMBootCamp and have robust experience with M&A from my previous investment banking and private equity experience. I feel lucky to be doing what I'm doing right now and would love to help others achieve their goals within the Search Fund/ETA space.

Experience level: Executive

$7,624.50

30h of coaching

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