In yesterday’s post, I discussed company maxims and how they support and amplify a firm’s values. If you missed it, you can read it here.
Today I want to go one level deeper—into the relationship between investors and portfolio companies—and how this dynamic creates mutual value when it’s built on the right foundations.
At Beyond, we use two interconnected sets of maxims to understand this relationship. The first set relates to what we expect from the management team. We call them The 3Cs: Communication, Consistency, and Care.
Communication
There’s more to communication than how often a team updates investors.
We pay attention to how they communicate—with each other, their customers, current shareholders, and us. Is it clear and direct, or vague and circuitous? Is it hierarchical or flat? Do they rely on long-form, bullet points, dashboards, WhatsApp?
Communication is culture. It tells us how decisions get made, how problems get escalated (or not), and whether key issues are avoided or addressed head-on. A single diligence call can tell you a lot—especially when you watch how the team passes the mic, handles tricky questions, or reacts when caught off-guard.
We don’t need everyone to speak like McKinsey. We’re looking for fit—between the team’s style and the investor’s expectations. Mismatched communication cultures slow everything down. Matched ones? That’s where the magic begins.
Consistency
Consistency is the quiet indicator of maturity.
We look for it across multiple axes: historical data, updated documents, policies, systems, security posture—even how consistently teams handle governance between entities.
For example, a red flag appears when we see polished dashboards in one part of the business, and neglected legacy systems running unpatched in the background. Consistency is not about perfection—it’s about hygiene. Inconsistencies create vulnerabilities, particularly in IT, compliance, and narrative integrity.
Is the story tight across every touchpoint? If not, why not?
Care
This is the one you can’t fake.
Care shows up in the small things—the quality of board packs, how permissions are set up, the tone of customer comms, the thoroughness of onboarding. It also shows up in the big things—like how well they protect their people and reputations.
We’ve got another maxim: “If it’s messy on the outside, it’s messy on the inside.” When we do an outside-in assessment, carelessness tends to reveal itself quickly. Open ports. Out-of-date WHOIS records. Missing directors. Passive investor decks.
Care isn’t about polish. It’s about pride.
When a team consistently demonstrates these three C’s, they become great candidates for investment—and we respond in kind by delivering the 3 G’s.
Governance
Private equity, at its best, brings clarity to the table—board structures, OKRs, audit trails, KPIs, and playbooks. It’s not about adding bureaucracy; it’s about strengthening decision-making and resilience. Good governance enables the founders to stop firefighting and start scaling. It also builds trust—internally and externally.
Governance is your system upgrade for sustainable growth.
Growth
PE isn’t about slow compounding. It’s about inflection points.
We unlock new growth by de-risking big bets, introducing experienced operators, opening new channels, and funding capability buildout. Growth may be part of the company’s DNA, but investment turns it from hopeful to predictable.
Growth becomes strategy-backed, not hustle-backed.
Globalisation
Scaling internationally is expensive, risky, and easy to get wrong. But with the right capital, connections, and counsel, firms can expand into new markets with confidence.
We’ve helped portfolio companies land in new geographies, build global teams, and develop cross-border operations—without burning out the core. Globalisation doesn’t mean going everywhere. It means knowing where and how to go.
And Then Comes the Punchline: @Pace
Everything above can be done solo. You can grow without investment. You can tighten governance slowly. You can expand organically.
But if you want to do all three quickly—you need capital, experience, and partnership.
The real benefit of Private Equity isn’t just better governance, growth, or globalisation. It’s doing it all faster and smarter than your competitors.
When the investor brings the Gs, and the company brings the Cs, we’ve got a win/win relationship.
That’s the symbiosis.
That’s the sweet spot.
That’s Beyond.
