ProPEllant

Ken Lempit
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ProPEllant is a podcast for private equity and growth equity operating partners and the founders and CEOs whose firms they invest in. We talk about external impacts on tech companies, what makes for a good relationship between investors and their portfolio companies, what PE and growth equity firms look for in leadership teams and much more.

Episodes

  1. Oct 20

    Ep. 5 - Which SaaS Portfolio Companies Are Worth Saving?

    Guest: Michael Kalman, CEO of Propel Partners Advisory   --   Not every struggling SaaS portfolio company is a lost cause. Some have solid products, customers, and capable teams, but their go-to-market strategy is holding them back. For private equity and growth equity investors facing tighter capital markets and difficult exits, knowing which companies are worth saving has become increasingly important. In this episode of ProPEllant, host Ken Lempit speaks with Michael Kalman, an experienced marketing executive, entrepreneur, and startup advisor, about how PE operating partners can distinguish between fundamentally troubled businesses and those with fixable go-to-market problems. We explore why stalled SaaS growth often comes down to unclear customer acquisition strategies, inconsistent sales messaging, weak customer retention, and founders who aren't spending enough time selling. Michael also shares a revealing example of a CEO whose lack of sales activity contributed to a significant pipeline shortfall. Key takeaways: How to identify SaaS portfolio companies with fixable go-to-market challengesWhy revenue generation and customer retention are critical to a turnaroundThe role of CEO accountability in rebuilding pipeline and accelerating salesCommon GTM weaknesses that can signal opportunities for interventionWhy a disciplined go-to-market assessment can help operating partners prioritize resources across their portfoliosFor PE operating partners and growth equity investors, the question isn't simply which companies are underperforming. It's which ones have a realistic path back to growth.

  2. Jul 1

    Ep. 4 - How PE Firms Can Build SaaS Exit Value Earlier

    Guest: Tony Rock, Founder of Lever 6 Capital In this episode, we explore why creating exit value starts years before a company ever goes to market—and what private equity operating partners can do today to maximize future outcomes. Building enterprise value isn't just about growing revenue or hitting EBITDA targets. Tony Rock, Founder of Lever 6 Capital, joins us to discuss the operational, strategic, and cultural decisions that make companies more attractive to buyers long before an exit process begins. Drawing on decades of experience as a founder, operator, investor, PE principal, and advisor, Tony shares why so many otherwise successful businesses struggle through the transaction process, how operating partners can identify value creation opportunities earlier, and why benchmarking, pricing, culture, and leadership alignment all play critical roles in creating a premium asset. Whether you're an operating partner, private equity investor, or founder preparing for an eventual exit, this conversation offers practical frameworks for building a stronger company—not just a more profitable one. Key takeaways: Why exit planning should begin years before a sale process starts.The Six Cs framework for evaluating long-term enterprise value.How benchmarking against peers uncovers hidden opportunities.Why pricing and packaging deserve more attention from PE-backed companies.The cultural and leadership factors that influence successful transactions.How operating partners can position portfolio companies for stronger exits.Additional resources from Lever 6 Capital: For more context on recurring revenue market trends, explore Tony’s Compounding: Q2 2026 Recurring Revenue Market Report. You can also download Exit Conversations, a practical guide to understanding buyer behavior, protecting value, and navigating the risks that determine your final outcome.

  3. Jun 12

    Ep. 3 - Why Vertical SaaS Is Becoming the System of Action

    Guest: Chris Fountain, Operating Partner at Frontier Growth & AQL Growth In this episode, we explore why vertical SaaS companies are evolving from systems of record into AI-enabled systems of action. Christopher Fountain, operating partner at Frontier Growth and AQL Growth, joins ProPEllant to unpack what makes vertical SaaS such an attractive category for growth equity investors. We discuss why deep domain expertise, proprietary workflows, customer data, and market focus can create compounding advantages for software companies serving specific industries. Chris also shares how growth equity firms can support founders without overstepping, especially when investing as a minority partner. From market mapping and ideal customer profile development to leadership hiring and product management maturity, this conversation focuses on the infrastructure SaaS companies need to sustain predictable, scalable growth. Key takeaways: Why vertical SaaS remains compelling for growth equity investorsHow systems of record are becoming systems of actionWhy AI may strengthen, not weaken, the best vertical SaaS moatsHow operating partners can support founders without running the companyWhat leadership gaps often emerge as SaaS companies scale from $4M to $20M ARR

  4. May 1

    Ep. 2 - The AI Squeeze PE Firms Should Run on Every SaaS Portfolio Company

    Guest: Amit Pande, AI GTM & Product Advisor   --   AI is putting pressure on SaaS companies from both below and above, and PE firms need a sharper way to assess which portfolio companies still have durable value. In this episode of ProPEllant, we talk with Amit Pande about how private equity and growth equity operating partners should stress test SaaS companies in the AI era. Amit argues that horizontal SaaS is getting squeezed by foundation models on one side and data platform companies on the other. The value that remains is often deeper than the product demo. It lives in proprietary data, embedded workflows, customer relationships, and the ability to help enterprise buyers make better decisions inside messy real-world operating environments. We also explore why AI copilots have created buyer fatigue, why “coworker” may be a better metaphor for enterprise AI, and how PE-backed companies should rethink GTM, marketing org design, professional services, and customer-backward product strategy. Key takeaways: SaaS companies need to be stress tested for workflow ownership and proprietary data.AI is changing how PE firms should think about IT spend and human capital.Copilot-style AI may not be enough to create enterprise value.Forward-deployed services can become a product feedback loop, not just a margin drag.Customer-backward strategy may matter more than technology-forward positioning.

  5. Mar 27

    Ep. 1 - How AI Is Reshaping SaaS Pricing

    Guest: Pat Meegan, Senior Partner & Pricing Practice Leader at Investor Group Services  --   AI is changing SaaS pricing by forcing companies to rethink how they capture value, protect margin, and package new capabilities.  In the first episode of ProPEllant, Ken Lempit talks with Pat Meegan, Senior Partner and Pricing Practice Leader at Investor Group Services, about how AI is changing the economics of SaaS. As companies introduce AI features and agentic capabilities, traditional seat-based pricing often no longer reflects either the cost to deliver the product or the value customers receive.  Pat explains why pricing, packaging, product, and sales can no longer operate as separate conversations. The discussion covers how SaaS companies are thinking about add-ons, premium tiers, credits, and hybrid pricing models as they work to align monetization more closely with usage and outcomes.  The episode also explores what private equity firms, operating partners, and software leadership teams should be watching for during diligence and post-close value creation, especially when pricing has not been revisited in years or new product value is being added without a clear monetization strategy.  Key takeaways  Why AI is putting pressure on traditional seat-based SaaS pricing  How pricing and packaging need to evolve alongside product strategy  Why credit-based and hybrid models are getting more attention  Where operators and investors may be missing monetization upside

  • 5 Episodes

About

ProPEllant is a podcast for private equity and growth equity operating partners and the founders and CEOs whose firms they invest in. We talk about external impacts on tech companies, what makes for a good relationship between investors and their portfolio companies, what PE and growth equity firms look for in leadership teams and much more.

Information

  • Creator
    Ken Lempit
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Austin Lawrence Group Inc.
  • Show Website
    ProPEllant