How to Build Proprietary Deal Flow? (15 Off-Market Acquisitions)

16/10/2025 29 min
How to Build Proprietary Deal Flow? (15 Off-Market Acquisitions)

Listen "How to Build Proprietary Deal Flow? (15 Off-Market Acquisitions)"

Episode Synopsis

Peter Lang has done 22 acquisitions (mostly off-market). Grant spent a full day at his masterclass—and it was the most valuable single-day M&A professional development he has ever had. Most people share 101-level fluff; Peter was selective about who he let in the room, so he went straight to 202/303-level tactics:- a 128-question pre-LOI audit,- “pre-diligence,”- risk registers,- and first-call bonding that actually wins deals.During the session he even had them cold DM a business owner about selling - someone in the room even booked a meeting before lunch.The SponsorThis episode is brought to you by CapitalPad. A marketplace that connects acquisition entrepreneurs who need capital with investors who want exposure to small-business deals. Standardized terms, governance, and distributions included. If you’re raising for a deal - or want to back operators - check out https://capitalpad.com/Timestamps00:00 Intro: 10 companies → self-funded search (3–5× EBITDA target)00:24 Why Grant’s back: $11M raised + Peter Lang’s one-day M&A Lab00:56 What made the seminar different: straight to operator tactics01:41 Opening prompt: the scary 3-5 year goal (Fund II at $50M, 5× MOIC ambition)03:00 The math behind 5×: low entry multiples, modest growth, sane leverage04:51 Fund sizing realities: checks, number of bets, and concentration06:47 Scaling a bigger fund by doubling down on winners via add-ons07:49 “Every business problem can be solved through M&A”08:41 Who is Peter Lang? 22 off-market acquisitions, agency roll-ups09:58 Most underrated outreach: LinkedIn DMs (with live results in the room)11:12 The only goal of the first call: bonding and true alignment12:32 Where EC enters the process: usually post-LOI via searchers12:55 The 128-question pre-LOI audit (and why serious sellers complete it)14:46 Sponsor: CapitalPad16:24 “Pre-diligence” naming hack to get real docs before LOI17:52 Terms more important than Price: seller notes, earn-outs, and the “$1B for $1/day” example18:54 Three-phase diligence: do high-risk checks before legal/QofE spend19:11 Linked Google Sheets system: shared vs. private notes that stay in sync19:44 The Risk Register: make concerns explicit, score, mitigate, resolve21:55 Winning competitive processes by showing deeper prep (and credibility)22:30 Zero retrades: how pre-LOI depth prevents post-LOI drama23:32 Selling = buying in reverse: ship-shape data room and audit ready24:59 What Grant will implement now25:54 Biggest meta-takeaway: huge ROI on practitioner-level M&A education27:02 Why his big goal now feels closer: helping searchers generate proprietary deal flow28:01 Could EC run searches on behalf of top operators? Credibility advantages28:39 Producer’s compliment: why Grant’s clarity matters in dealsSupport our SponsorCapitalPad: https://capitalpad.com/Subscribe on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6lr5bE3SNZF2uEE7Nb0DHh?si=cP_nAarhRmep1lvnR6uk5gSubscribe on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holdco-builders/id1695713724Follow Mikk/PrivatEquityGuy on Twitter: ⁠⁠https://x.com/PrivatEquityGuyThis podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

More episodes of the podcast HoldCo Builders