Start with the 15-Day Operating Read

FOR PORTFOLIO COMPANIES

Operating baseline and KPI dashboard in Days 4–6
Value Map: EBITDA and cash moves ranked and sized in dollars
Three moves with owners, KPIs and a 90-day plan the CEO and sponsor both see
At least $100k, or 1% of annual revenue up to $1M, whichever is greater. Annual revenue means your most recent completed fiscal year. EBITDA items count at annualized run-rate; cash items count as one-time cash released within 12 months; no item counts twice. Your CFO signs off on the opportunity and the math, not a forecast or a commitment to act.
CFO sign-off means your CFO agrees the opportunities exist and the math holds. It does not depend on execution.
If your CFO declines, they give written reasons within 5 business days of the readout, item by item, showing that an item doesn't exist or its math doesn't hold. A decision not to act on an item isn't a reason. Items not disputed this way count toward the guarantee. With no written reasons in that window, sign-off is deemed given and the second half is due.

See the Operating Read

When to bring me in.

Performance is behind the investment plan.
Growth is not translating into operating profit.
Management needs help executing critical priorities.
An executive transition requires accountable leadership.

Which moment are you in?

The Read is the same 15 days and $15,000. What it hunts for depends on where the company is.

What usually breaks

Two quoting, scheduling and reporting systems. Integration has no owner; the next deal is already coming.

What the Read delivers in 15 days

Dollar-ranked integration priorities. What to combine now, one scorecard and a 90-day plan.

Why me

I've led M&A on both sides, including selling my own company, Persona, to Nokia.

Scaled companies of every size · raised capital from venture and PE · M&A on both sides · IPO experience.

Book a fit call

Relevant operating evidence.

LaunchX

Ownership: Founder-founded
Role: Interim CEO
Mandate: Operating reset
Period: 12 months
Outcome: +85% EBITDA

A company result, delivered by the LaunchX team with Shawn as interim CEO.

Details

Sixgill

Ownership: Venture-backed (DRW Capital, lead investor)
Role: Operating role
Mandate: Revenue growth and financing
Period: 20 months
Outcome: Revenue +500%; $27.9M Series B closed

A company result, delivered by the Sixgill team. The Series B is capital raised, not revenue.

Details

Traffic.com

Ownership: PE-backed (Baker Capital)
Role: Operating role
Mandate: Growth through public listing and sale
Period: Through 2006–2007
Outcome: 2006 NASDAQ IPO; 2007 sale to NAVTEQ

Shawn held an operating role; the IPO and sale were company outcomes.

Details

Operating roles at a growth-equity-backed AI security leader with 400+ employees and PE-backed Traffic.com (Baker Capital), through its 2006 NASDAQ IPO and 2007 sale to NAVTEQ.

OPERATED AT / ADVISED

Hearst

Greenwald Doherty

Book a fit call 15 DAYS · $15K · CREDITED TO MONTH 1

Recent Operating Reads

Confidential AI security leader

400+ employees · 9 countries

15-Day Operating Read

Readout delivered · results shared on a fit call

Impact4Good

Day-to-day operations

15-Day Operating Read

Readout delivered · results shared on a fit call

Greenwald Doherty

Law firm · AI-enabled operations

15-Day Operating Read

Readout delivered · results shared on a fit call

Names shared with permission. The AI security company is confidential.

Book a fit call

From operators who have hired him.

Shawn helped us see where the business could go next. He mapped which new markets were worth entering, where digital content could become real revenue, and which acquisitions actually fit. Then he turned that into a plan our team could run. I'd put him in the room on any decision that matters.

— Bill B., VP, Hearst Business Media

Every operator says they've done it before. Shawn had actually carried the P&L, actually done the deal, and it showed in how fast he got to the real question. He's the call I make before I sign anything.

— Rafay K., CEO, Moove AI

An agreed mandate. Clear accountability.

1. Establish the financial and operating baseline.
2. Agree priorities, decision rights and measures.
3. Lead execution alongside management.
4. Report progress, risks and decisions to the sponsor.
5. Transfer ownership so improvements can endure.

“Is this PE experience, or something else?”

LaunchX is founder-founded; Sixgill is venture-backed. The PE and growth-equity roles are labelled above.

Management stays in charge. Decision rights, reporting and handoff are agreed in writing before work starts. If the CEO seat is open, see interim leadership.

An illustrative operating scorecard.

Illustrative · sample data only

Illustrative operating scorecard with sample data only
Measure	Baseline	Target	Current	Owner	Next decision
EBITDA margin	9%	14%	11%	CFO	Approve pricing changes on top 20 accounts
Gross margin	41%	46%	43%	COO	Select vendor for consolidation
Net revenue retention	96%	105%	99%	CRO	Fund customer-success hire
Cash conversion	62%	80%	70%	CFO	Set new collections terms

Start with the 15-Day Operating Read.

An introduction: your business, the numbers and the leadership team. Together we decide whether there's a fit. No diagnosis or prep.

Book a fit call

When the investment thesis needs an operator.

Start with the 15-Day Operating Read

When to bring me in.

Which moment are you in?

Relevant operating evidence.

LaunchX

Sixgill

Traffic.com

Recent Operating Reads

Confidential AI security leader

Impact4Good

Greenwald Doherty

From operators who have hired him.

An agreed mandate. Clear accountability.

“Is this PE experience, or something else?”

An illustrative operating scorecard.

Start with the 15-Day Operating Read.