Detailed Curriculum
Month One:
Crafting the Strategic Narrative That Commands the Investment Committee
Every Principal knows the sprint: You’re deep in diligence, building the case, battling the clock—and suddenly, you’re presenting to IC. The deal memo is hot off the printer, and you’re hoping it speaks for itself.
But hope is not a strategy.
In Month One, we teach you how to transform technical output into executive insight.
Because memoranda don’t move committees—narratives do.
What We Cover
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Learn how senior leaders actually read and interpret a deal memo—and why your 40-page analysis often misses the one-page story they’re looking for.
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Bridge the gap between detailed diligence and high-level decision-making. Turn reams of information into a crisp, confident, and compelling verbal brief.
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Introduce a proven structure to distill your deal into a simple, strategic narrative that answers what really matters:
Why this deal, why now, and why us?
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Deliver your narrative in a high-stakes simulation and receive actionable feedback on how to elevate clarity, gravitas, and command of the room.
Why It Matters
Without a disciplined preparation routine between memo submission and IC presentation, even the strongest deal logic can get lost in translation. You stumble. You shrink. You get derailed by questions that feel out of left field.
This module flips that script.
You’ll leave Month One with a repeatable playbook to show up ready, articulate, and in control—no matter how fast the turnaround or how tough the room.
Because Partners don’t just write memos.
They lead the room with clarity and conviction.
Month Two + Three:
From Executor to Originator—Building Your Proprietary Deal Flow
For years, you’ve been the execution engine—the one who refined and closed the deal your Partner brought in. The firm relied on your diligence, your process mastery, your technical precision. And they rewarded you well for it.
But now, the rules have changed.
You’ve been told to “source a few actionable deals.” Suddenly, your surgical execution skills are no longer enough. You’ve graduated to Principal—and the firm is quietly watching: Can you originate? Can you lead?
In Month Two, we take sourcing out of the realm of mystique and make it teachable, actionable, and repeatable. Because without a credible sourcing engine, your path to Partner stalls.
What We Cover
The Intentional Shift: From Doer to Dealmaker
Understand why sourcing is not a task, but a mindset. Begin by setting the intention to own your pipeline, not just manage someone else’s.
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Learn how to reconcile your identity as a technician with your future as a commercial leader. We’ll guide you in navigating the self-doubt and ambiguity that often plague new originators.
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It’s not just about deals—it’s about the right deals. Learn to reverse-engineer what your IC actually wants to fund, so you stop wasting cycles on dead-end opportunities.
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Identify the thematic edge you can credibly own. You don’t need to know every banker—you need to know the right bankers, founders, and ecosystem players within your niche.
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Build and broadcast your “Deal Archetype” with clarity and conviction. You’ll leave with a communication framework that activates your network, not just adds to it.
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Adopt a metrics-driven approach to deal origination. Learn how to track inputs, monitor momentum, and build a sourcing engine that compounds over time.
Why It Matters
Partner is a commercial role. Full stop.
You don’t get promoted for “being solid.” You get promoted when you become a credible deal source. And yet—no one hands you a roadmap. Your feedback is vague. The expectations are sky-high. You’re left to “figure it out.”
This module changes that.
You’ll leave with a sourcing strategy that’s not only tailored to your strengths and sector—but one that earns respect at IC and builds long-term credibility within the firm.
Because sourcing isn’t luck, and it isn’t magic.
It’s a learned discipline. And now—it’s yours to master.
Month Four:
Developing and Leading Associates for Optimal Leverage and Long-Term Loyalty
As a Principal, your value is no longer measured by the number of models you build—but by how effectively you lead and scale others. You can’t afford to burn hours doing associate-level work, yet you still find yourself reworking materials, frustrated by subpar outputs, and unsure how to course-correct without micromanaging.
This is not just a time drain. It’s a leadership signal.
Partners don’t just produce great work—they develop people who produce great work.
In Month Four, we show you how to transform your associate relationships into one of your greatest leverage points. You’ll learn to lead from a place of expectation and empowerment—not exhaustion.
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Explore why even high-performers feel blocked when associates don’t meet the mark—and how to replace frustration with a coaching-forward leadership model that elevates performance.
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Learn to tune into different working styles, developmental needs, and unspoken anxieties. Discover how to tailor your communication and delegation strategies for optimal impact.
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Design a simple, powerful tool to clearly define expectations, accountabilities, and stretch goals for each associate. Use it as a quarterly compass to drive progress, accountability, and feedback.
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Learn the art of holding high expectations while also fostering trust and psychological safety. You’ll develop the leadership presence that pushes for excellence and nurtures long-term growth.
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Replace reactive, perfectionist rework with proactive developmental dialogue. Practice staying out of the weeds—and lifting your team out of theirs.
What We Cover
The Intentional Shift: From Doer to Dealmaker
Understand why sourcing is not a task, but a mindset. Begin by setting the intention to own your pipeline, not just manage someone else’s.
A repeatable framework for developing top-tier associates
Custom one-page development plans for 1–2 members of your team
Strategies to manage, coach, and inspire without descending into micromanagement
Greater emotional control, more bandwidth, and a culture of upward accountability
What You’ll Walk Away With
Why It Matters
Your ability to lead associates is a direct reflection of your readiness for Partnership. Senior leaders are watching: Are you multiplying impact, or merely managing tasks?
This module reorients you from “doer with help” to “leader with leverage.”
Because the path to Partner is paved not just by the deals you close—but by the people you elevate along the way.
Month Five:
Communicating with Senior Leadership to Shape Perception and Drive Sponsorship
As a Principal, you’re no longer evaluated solely on performance. You’re being appraised—often silently—on your promotability.
Your senior partners are your most important stakeholders. In fact, they’re your internal shareholders. You may control your personal earnings power through work ethic and output, but they set your internal valuation. Their perception of your potential determines your trajectory—your “trading multiple,” so to speak.
Yet unlike formal reviews or deal outcomes, this perception can feel murky. Vague. Even political.
In Month Five, we shift that dynamic.
This module is about stepping into the driver’s seat of your own narrative—communicating upward with clarity, intentionality, and strategic timing. You’ll learn how to influence the perceptions that matter, and cultivate the internal momentum required for promotion to Partner.
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Understand the psychological and structural dynamics between you and your senior partners. Begin seeing them not as distant evaluators—but as internal investors whose confidence you must regularly earn and expand.
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Just like investor relations in a public company, you’ll build a rhythm and strategy for how and when to communicate key milestones, progress, and wins to your firm’s leadership.
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Identify what your partners really care about—then craft language and stories that reinforce your credibility, strategic thinking, and leadership readiness in their eyes.
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Learn the art of signaling impact without self-promotion. Build executive presence that earns confidence without trying to “sell” yourself.
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Develop a personalized communication cadence to highlight progress, recalibrate perceptions, and keep your name circulating positively in partner conversations—even when you’re not in the room.
What We Cover
What You’ll Walk Away With
A strategic framework for managing upward communication like an IR pro
Language tools to reframe your value in terms your leadership cares about
A customized communication map to track, update, and reinforce internal sponsorship
Elevated confidence in shaping how senior stakeholders view your promotability
Why It Matters
Firms don’t promote Principals simply for working harder.
They promote those whose strategic value is seen, felt, and sponsored.
This module teaches you how to ensure the right people understand who you are, what you bring, and where you’re headed—long before your next review cycle.
Because the conversation about your promotion has already begun.
It’s time you started shaping it.
FAQ
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A: We will meet monthly for 90 minutes and cover a topic in depth. We will present your problem, reveal a fix and help you practice how you can pivot your style to authentically be more effective.
For several of the months, we will have interim 60 minute group check-ins to debrief on how participants are progressing on the monthly skill. We may also bring in guest speakers to help you understand the journies of successful Partners when they were in your shoes.
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A: The current anticipated schedule is Mondays at 6pm ET.
August 4th, 90 minutes
August 18th, 60 minutes
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September 8th, 90 minutes
September 22nd, 60 minutes
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October 6th, 90 minutes
October 20th, 60 minutes
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November 3rd, 90 minutes
November 17th, 60 minutes
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December 8th, 90 minutes
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January 12th, 90 minutes
January 26th, 60 minutes
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A: Today, I only work with Corporate Sponsored MDs and Partners in year-long 1x1 engagements. Annual retainers range from $100-250k.
In an effort to help non-corporate sponsored Principals develop as the next generation of Partners, we have created an economically reasonable, but high-impact training. In addition, Principals are all facing a common set of problems. In a group of your peers, you'll come to see that the most ambitious people are trying to figure it out — just like you.
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A: You will learn the majority of the content in the session. Your homework is to take what we talked about and put it into practice in the workplace. We expect you to return to the interim check-ins with reflections on what went well and where you're still getting stuck.
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A: No. When you sign up, you are committing to make time to join the group on a consistent basis.
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We will consider a senior VP assuming they are of similar experience to the Principals in the cohort. (If your firm doesn’t have the VP title, we will consider a senior associate who’s in line to be promoted to Principal).