AI is reshaping the consulting industry faster than the internet or remote work ever did. Some say the industry's days are numbered. So why are Anthropic and OpenAI building PE-backed consulting firms of their own? And how will private equity firms and the companies they own feel the change?

We get into what AI is actually doing to the consulting industry, why it's hitting faster than any tech shift before it, and how consulting firms are using AI to transform themselves to stay ahead of their clients. If you're an investor, an operator, a consultant, or just trying to figure out where the AI transition leaves you, this episode separates the signal from the noise.

Joining Devin is Matt Umscheid, CEO of Investor Group Services, a consulting firm supporting hundreds of middle market private equity firms. Matt is a former consultant, operating partner, and three time PE-backed CEO so he's seen the consulting model from every seat that matters.

For more information, visit their website (https://igsinsights.com/) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/igsinsights/)

Artificial intelligence is changing the rules of software investing, forcing private equity firms to adapt quickly and carefully. In this episode, we're joined by the team from Code & Co., one of the leading AI and tech due diligence firms serving private equity investors, to discuss how AI is transforming the way software companies are evaluated before a deal closes. Jim sits down with Code & Co. Managing Partners Dan Bender and Lukas Ingelheim along with Head of North America Kirby Montgomery to explain why tech due diligence is no longer just a checkbox exercise.

Dan, Lukas and Kirby walk us through real-world examples of overengineered software, cloud optimization opportunities worth millions of dollars, and how PE firms can identify companies that are positioned to thrive rather than become the next commoditized AI feature. Whether you're a private equity investor, software executive, operating partner, founder, or technology leader, this episode offers a practical look at what separates durable software businesses from those at risk of being disrupted.

About Code & Co.:

Founded in 2016, Code & Co. has close to 1000 engagements behind them for more than 200 global funds. They are a global and fast-growing practice with offices in Berlin, London, Paris and New York. From a fast first read-through to post-close value creation, Code & Co. works across the full deal lifecycle on both the buy-side and sell-side. The companies covered range from deep AI software businesses to tech-enabled players, and they also run IT due diligence for non-technical companies. Every member of the team is an operator with hands-on tech, product, and AI experience. That experience helps them take a confident view on where AI is building a real moat versus just being a feature that gets commoditized away.

To learn more about Code & Co., check out their website (https://www.codeandco.com/) or visit them on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/codeandcogroup/).

You can also connect directly with Dan, Lukas, and Kirby on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedanbender/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingelheim/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirbymontgomery/

It's hard to execute today. Growth has slowed, and costs are up. If you own, advise, or operate a PE-backed company, this episode offers a behind the scenes look at some plays you can run to execute your way through the chop.

Paul Stansik and Jim Milbery cover sales training, customer support data, weekly go-to-market reporting, speed-to-lead, AI-assisted engineering, video marketing, release velocity, and other practical moves that are improving execution.

These are all moves you can make that we've seen make a difference. Try some out yourself and let us know how it goes.

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📋ABOUT US📋 We're your friends at ParkerGale Capital, a team that's invested a billion dollars buying and building founder-owned B2B software companies. We're a mix of investors and operators who work shoulder-to-shoulder with our management teams. We like to say we do private equity with you, not to you.

We started the FunCast 12 years ago, with 300+ episodes and 2 million downloads, to share what we've learned along the way. It's the field guide we wish had existed when we were starting out. So we made our own. We hope you like it.

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Everyone says they are one-shotting workflows with AI. We brought on the guy who can tell us what's actually happening in middle-market private equity companies. Kyle Roemer, Head of Data & AI at Accordion, has a unique view because his firm advises over 350+ private equity clients. He can see what's real and what's hype, and Accordion has the Ramp data to tell the difference. Kyle walks Devin through the rapid changes over the past year, function by function, so you can decide if you're ahead or behind. One prediction: the Office of the CFO will go through the biggest revolution over the next year, which they believe will "Make Finance Fun Again!"

Kyle Roemer is the host of Accordion's podcast "AI & PE: The Future of Value Creation"

For more about Accordion visit accordion.com and reach out to Kyle and his team at [email protected].

Also check out Accordion's latest AI white paper:

"AI in PE: Ahead of the market, behind the curve" in partnership with Ramp to see where AI adoption stands

How do you make the leap from the college quad to private equity? Associates Liz Xu and Niko Ivanisevic share their unexpected journey to the offices of ParkerGale. They get honest about imposter syndrome, the myth of the "perfect path," building a personal story beyond your resume, and why you should never chew gum in a job interview. Whether you're an undergrad planning your career or a junior banker wondering what's next, this episode is full of practical advice for how to break into the industry.

Most B2B sales reps are professionally trained to make you like them in 30 minutes. But when you're recruiting salespeople, likability doesn't guarantee success. Make the wrong hire and you can lose two years and a chunk of your growth plan. In this episode, Devin and Paul walk through the five qualities ParkerGale tests for (customer focus, structure, accountability, problem-solving, drive), the specific questions we ask in a panel interview, and the trick question that breaks through every rapport-building defense salespeople can muster.

Most private equity firms claim to use a leather-bound "value creation" bible nobody's allowed to touch. The truth? It's more of a Cheesecake Factory menu. In this episode, Paul and Jim break down what operating partners actually do once the deal closes — the three buckets that matter (revenue, cost, risk), why many software companies leave revenue on the table with their existing customers, and what "don't buy a company you can't sell" looks like in practice.

In 1995, the typical "PE operating team" was a few old-timer ex-CEOs. Today there are 20,000 of them. Cass and Paul from ParkerGale's ops team sit down with Devin to walk through how private equity operations actually evolved — from the "I got a guy" Rolodex era, to the captive consulting model, to today's proliferation of professional operators. Plus hot takes on the AI-specialist hiring boom, why a lot of operating teams will get skinnier, and how to know if you're helping or propping up a company.