Diligence on how a target actually <em>runs</em> — its operations, systems, organization, and ability to deliver the plan — distinct from financial or commercial DD.
Growing profit as a share of revenue — lifting margins through pricing, cost, and mix so earnings rise <em>faster</em> than the top line.
The percentage of recurring revenue retained from existing customers after churn and downgrades, <em>excluding</em> expansion — a measure of how leaky the base is.
The ongoing tracking of portfolio companies' performance against plan after close — collecting KPIs, financials, and value-creation progress through the hold.
Systematically improving how a business prices — lifting realized price through better strategy, packaging, and discipline — a high-return <em>lever</em> for margin.
Grouping customers by when they were acquired and tracking each group over time — revealing the true <em>retention</em> and economics behind headline growth.