Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast Growth Elevated

In this Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast episode, Deepak Sindwani, co-founder of Wave Crest Growth Partners, shares his experiences in the growth equity sector, focusing on B2B software companies. He recounts his path from Bain Capital Ventures and Comcast Ventures to establishing his own growth equity firm, emphasizing the importance of resilience and humility. Deepak explains Wave Crest's operating platform, which offers comprehensive support to portfolio companies, and details the success stories of some of his portfolio companies.



For more resources on how to be a a better leader in business, please visit us at ⁠⁠⁠GrowthElevated.com⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠.



Welcome to the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast (00:00:02)

Introduction to the podcast and its purpose.



Deepak's Journey to Wave Crest Partners (00:00:27)

Deepak Simone's background and experience in the investing business.



Founding Wave Crest Partners (00:01:51)

Deepak's entrepreneurial journey and the founding of Wave Crest Partners.



Initial Struggles and First Fundraising (00:05:04)

Challenges faced during the initial stages of founding the firm and raising the first round of capital.



Growth and Expansion of Wave Crest Partners (00:10:34)

The growth of Wave Crest Partners from two people to a team of 15 and the raising of their first fund.



Investment Strategy and Target Companies (00:12:04)

Defining growth equity and the target range for investment in companies.



Supporting Founders in Growth and Expansion (00:15:55)

The role of Wave Crest Partners in assisting companies in the $5 to $20 million ARR range with growth and expansion strategies.



Value-Added Support for Portfolio Companies (00:18:11)

The expertise and value-added support that Wave Crest Partners provides to portfolio companies on their growth journey.



The Wave Crest Operating Platform (00:18:55)

Deepak explains the five pillars of value and support offered to founder-led capital-efficient B2B software companies.



Impel (00:20:20)

Deepak discusses the journey of a company named Impel (formerly Spin Car) and its evolution from a digital merchandising solution to an augmented reality platform for the automotive industry.



Challenges and Adaptation during COVID-19 (00:23:15)

Deepak shares how Impel faced challenges during COVID-19, initially experiencing a downturn and then benefiting from the shift in consumer behavior.



Acquisition and Evolution (00:25:34)

Discussion on the acquisition of a conversational AI business and its integration into Impel's product, leading to a change in the company's vision and trajectory.



Growth and Partnership (00:28:03)

Deepak highlights Impel's growth, diversification of risk for the founders, and the partnership between Wave Crest and the company.



Recommendations (00:30:23)

Deepak shares podcast and book recommendations, including "All In" podcast, "Smart Lists" podcast, and books by Charlie Munger and the philosophy of "Die with Zero."



Contact Information (00:33:29)

Deepak shares how to connect with Wave Crest and himself for further discussions and collaborations.

In this episode of the Growth Elevated Leadership Podcast, we hear from Andy Barraclough - Co Founder and CEO of Voxpopme.  Andy shares how he has led the innovation and R&D groups at the Company with a “Product First” approach.  This has allowed the Company to be at the leading edge of real time video feedback and work with some of the largest consumer product companies in the world!  Check out the podcast and let us know what you think!

For more resources on how to be a a better leader in business, please visit us at ⁠⁠⁠GrowthElevated.com⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠.

Can the SaaS model be applied to professional sports? Join me as I speak with Chris Giles, CEO of FanRally who is pioneering a new subscription service for professional sports teams. Is this the wave of the future? Hear how Chris believes subscription and club benefits provide a way for teams to build more direct connectivity with their fans, and provide those fans with a more intimate, value added experience.

Lonnie Mayne, former President of SaaS Company InMoment shares the story of how he helped grow the Company as a member of the early founding team.  Later, as the Company grew Lonnie helped with mergers and acquisitions and played a critical role in shaping the unique culture of the Company that helped it compete for large clients like McDonalds.  Lonnie’s impact with culture was a hit, so much so that he was soon speaking externally about his new “Red Shoes” culture, and he eventually wrote a book about it!

For more resources on how to be a a better leaders in business, please visit us at ⁠⁠⁠GrowthElevated.com⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠.

Darren Dunn shares the story of how he founded Zartico⁠, and built the team that helped grow the Company into a successful data driven SaaS/DaaS company. Zartico is a Company that powers the possibility of place by helping tourism boards and destination management organizations understand the who, what, when and where of their visitors.

For more resources on how to be a a better leader in business, please visit us at ⁠⁠GrowthElevated.com⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠.

Eric Morgan shares how as CEO he grew ⁠⁠⁠⁠Workfront⁠, a SaaS project management platform 5X in five years, and set the Company on a successful path to continued growth and an eventual $Billion+ strategic sale in 2020.

For more resources on how to be a a better leader in business, please visit us at ⁠⁠GrowthElevated.com⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠.