Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders

The buy-side has analysts that know your industry, so why don't you know the universe of buyers? Asset managers have different strengths and different strategies. Knowing the players will help you find the best investment partner for your business. It also helps to know what they're looking for. On this episode, Laird Bieger, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of the Discovery Fund at Baron Capital, gives us a peek behind the curtain of a successful fund. What makes them confident enough to invest in a business, and how can you position yourself to receive that investment?

Show Notes

The buy-side has analysts that know your industry, so why don't you know the universe of buyers? Asset managers have different strengths and different strategies. Knowing the players will help you find the best investment partner for your business. It also helps to know what they're looking for. On this episode, Laird Bieger, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of the Discovery Fund at Baron Capital, gives us a peek behind the curtain of a successful fund. What makes them confident enough to invest in a business, and how can you position yourself to receive that investment?

Highlights:
  • The blessing and the curse of investing in small-cap off-the-radar businesses (7:10)
  • Why the Discovery Fund focuses on specific subsectors (12:00)
  • Why Laird loves talking to middle management when researching a company (13:46)
  • The questions Laird asks to discern a company's growth potential (16:37)
  • What is a "shadow list" (17:53)
  • Why you should be more transparent when things are going poorly (19:30)
  • Why it can be beneficial to be conservative in your guidance estimates (20:52)
  • The importance of a bulletproof balance sheet (22:08)
Links:
ICR Twitter
ICR LinkedIn
ICR Website
Laird Bieger LinkedIn
Baron Funds
Baron Capital Group LinkedIn
Baron Funds Twitter

Mentioned in this Episode
Raven Industries
TradeDesk
Wingstop
HydraFacial
Floor & Decor
Tripadvisor
Sientra

Feedback:
If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, andrew@lowerstreet.co

What is Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders?

In the increasingly crowded and competitive corporate and financial ecosystem, it’s harder than ever for companies to break through the clutter and be heard. The media, investors, agenda-driven influencers, even customers and competitors, are defining your business story on their terms. Therefore, it is imperative that companies take control and proactively drive the conversation with stakeholders in an effort to build & maintain equity value.

In Welcome to the Arena from ICR, Co-Founder & CEO of ICR, Tom Ryan, interviews key business and financial players who influence the fate of public or aspiring public companies in the capital markets. As a former Wall Street Journal ranked sell-side equity analyst and the founder of one of the largest strategic communications firms in the world, Tom understands what it takes to navigate this complex environment.

This is a forum for CEOs, CFOs, institutional investors, sell-side analysts, financial journalists, private equity professionals and other financial community participants to share their stories and give advice in an open and candid conversation.

For more information, visit http://www.icrinc.com