Where does $1,500 of an expert call actually go?
An insider's look at the unit economics of the expert network industry - and what the invoice isn't telling you.
Mark Pacitti
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8 min read
Mark Pacitti
The PE Exit Readiness Playbook: How to Diligence Your Own Portfolio for 2026 Exits
A practical framework for PE deal teams to stress-test portfolio companies before going to market — using primary research to close the commercial readiness gap buyers will exploit.
Mark Pacitti
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13 min read
Primary Research for Hedge Fund Analysts: The Complete Guide to Expert Calls, Surveys & Channel Checks
A practitioner's guide to designing, executing, and synthesising primary research programs — expert calls, B2B surveys, and channel checks — to build conviction and generate alpha in public equity investing.
Mark Pacitti
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15 min read
Primary Research for Commercial Due Diligence: A Practical Guide for Consulting Teams
How management consulting teams can design and execute better primary research — expert interviews, surveys, and channel checks — to deliver faster, higher-quality commercial due diligence for PE clients.
Mark Pacitti
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14 min read
Private Equity Due Diligence: A Practical Guide for Deal Teams in 2026
A practical guide to PE due diligence in 2026 — covering how to structure workstreams, avoid common pitfalls, and use primary research to build genuine conviction before committing capital.
Mark Pacitti
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12 min read
Primary Research for Private Equity Due Diligence: The Complete Guide
How PE deal teams should use expert calls, B2B surveys, and channel checks to run rigorous commercial due diligence, build conviction, and avoid costly mistakes before committing capital.
Mark Pacitti
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13 min read
The PE Deal Team's Guide to Commercial Due Diligence & Primary Research in 2026
How PE deal teams use expert calls, B2B surveys, and channel checks to validate investment theses, build conviction, and create value — with practical frameworks for every stage of the deal lifecycle.
Mark Pacitti
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17 min read
Lilly's CrossBridge Bet: Does a $300M Dual-Payload ADC Deal Signal Obsolescence Risk for Today's TROP2 Leaders?
Eli Lilly pays up to $300M for a pre-clinical startup with zero human data. We are launching primary research to determine what that price tag reveals about the competitive ceiling on single-payload TROP2 ADCs from AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, and Gilead.
Mark Pacitti
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12 min read
Primary Research for Hedge Funds: How to Use Expert Networks, Surveys, and Channel Checks to Build and Challenge Investment Theses
A practical guide for hedge fund analysts on structuring primary research — expert calls, surveys, and channel checks — to build conviction, challenge theses, and generate alpha in an increasingly competitive market.
Mark Pacitti
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15 min read
Commercial Due Diligence for Private Equity: The Definitive Guide for 2026
A practical guide to commercial due diligence in PE — covering the CDD process, the role of primary research, common pitfalls, and how deal teams can build real conviction before committing capital.
Mark Pacitti
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13 min read
How Consultants Can Use Expert Networks to Win and Deliver Commercial Due Diligence Mandates
A practical guide for consulting teams competing for PE commercial due diligence work. Learn how to scope expert programmes, design discussion guides, and deliver PE-grade primary research — even with a lean team.
Mark Pacitti
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15 min read
Primary Research & Commercial Due Diligence for Private Equity: The Practitioner's Guide
A practitioner's guide to using primary research—expert interviews, customer references, channel checks, and surveys—to build conviction in PE deals faster and with greater accuracy.
Mark Pacitti
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10 min read
How to Assess AI Disintermediation Risk in Private Equity Due Diligence
A practical guide for PE deal teams on evaluating whether a target's business model will be disrupted or strengthened by AI — including frameworks, red flags, and the primary research methods that separate real moats from marketing.
Mark Pacitti
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14 min read
Q1 2026 Bank Earnings: Will NII Guidance Confirm the Deceleration or Reveal the Floor?
We are launching primary research to determine whether JPMorgan's, Wells Fargo's, and Citigroup's NII guidance today signals that the consensus earnings deceleration from 15.1% to 2.6% is already priced in, or whether the out-quarters need to be revised lower.
Mark Pacitti
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12 min read
The S&P Global 2026 PE Survey Decoded: What the Operational Pivot, Mid-Tier Shake-Out & AI Gap Mean for Investment Research Teams
S&P Global's 2026 PE survey reveals 72% of GPs now rank operational improvements as the top value creation lever — but critical data gaps undermine execution. We break down what the numbers mean for deal teams and analysts.
Mark Pacitti
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9 min read
When Wall Street Builds a Short: What the S&P CDX Financials Index Means for Private Credit
The S&P CDX Financials Index gives investors a new way to hedge private credit risk. We break down the product mechanics, the redemption crisis driving demand, and why primary research is the edge in this environment.
Mark Pacitti
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9 min read
Building Pre-LOI Conviction With Primary Research: The Thematic Deal Sourcing Edge
How leading PE deal teams use primary research — expert surveys, channel checks, and B2B interviews — to turn thematic sourcing into IC-ready conviction before signing an LOI, moving faster and winning better deals.
Mark Pacitti
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11 min read
Rowan Digital Infrastructure: Is Blackstone's 49% Stake a Letter of Intent?
Blackstone acquired a 49% stake in Rowan Digital Infrastructure at a reported $3.8 billion valuation excluding debt. We are launching primary research to determine whether Rowan's power-first model can convert development-stage pipeline into contracted revenue at scale.
Mark Pacitti
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12 min read
Blackline Safety's $850M Take-Private: Is Francisco Partners Buying a Platform Transition or Paying for Proven Growth?
We are launching primary research to evaluate whether Blackline Safety's G8 platform transition will accelerate recurring revenue growth or expose execution risk that the $9.00 take-private price fails to compensate minority shareholders for.
Mark Pacitti
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10 min read
Samsung Electronics: Has the AI Memory Supercycle Already Peaked, or Is This Just Mid-Cycle?
We are launching primary research to determine whether Samsung's record Q1 profit reflects a sustainable structural shift in memory economics or the peak of a cyclical price spike that will compress in the second half of 2026.
Mark Pacitti
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11 min read
Splitview and Real-Time Notifications Now Live on the Woozle Platform
Woozle's primary research platform now includes splitview for survey review and real-time email and in-app notifications across project milestones.
Mark Pacitti
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2 min read
How Management Consultants Can Use Expert Networks to Win Commercial Due Diligence Mandates from PE Firms
PE deal activity is rebounding, but consulting sentiment remains cautious. This guide shows how management consultants can use faster, higher-quality primary research to win competitive commercial due diligence mandates from private equity firms.
Mark Pacitti
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10 min read
What AI Can't Tell You: Where Primary Research Still Wins in Investment Due Diligence
AI is transforming deal workflows, but it can't replace primary research where it matters most. This guide maps the specific gaps in AI-driven diligence and shows where expert calls, surveys, and channel checks still build real conviction.
Mark Pacitti
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7 min read
How to Run Commercial Due Diligence on AI and Machine Learning Companies
A practical framework for PE deal teams and investment professionals running commercial due diligence on AI/ML acquisition targets — including the expert call questions that separate real moats from marketing decks.
Mark Pacitti
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10 min read