Bill Canady explains how founders stop operating partners from micromanaging: give them clear variance data on a fixed schedule. When partners have the information they need, they stop intervening. A $6 million EBITDA shortfall costs roughly $60 million in enterprise value.
Here's what nobody expects. The micromanagement stops. That operating partner shows up with your operating reviews, isn't being controlling. He's managing an information deficit. He can't see inside the company, so he comes closer to look. Give him variance data on the fixed cadence and the deficit columns, and he goes away. You get your calendar back, which means you get to run the company, which is what you wanted anyway. Now let me put a number on it. Let's do the math. So here's what the 100 days is worth. Say your gap is $6 million of EBITDA. At your multiple, that's about $60 million of enterprise value. That's what your board is measuring, not your effort. They don't care about the effort. They care about results. And if you hold 1 to 3% of equity on a $500 million deal returning 2.5 times, your stake is somewhere between $3 and $9 million at exit.
