Best way to start ETA early?

January 23, 2026

by an member in London, UK

For those who started young (or advised younger searchers), what’s the best way to build the right foundation early if ETA is a long-term goal? How did you approach building credibility and overcoming the “too young / inexperienced” perception early on? Appreciate any advice or pointers.

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Reply by a searcher
from Bard College in San Francisco, CA, USA

There's two skillsets you need: (1) operating a business, (2) searching. The reason people keep putting you into the "too young / inexperienced" box is because it's true. Both searching and operations contain multitudes of skills which are gained only through reps, lots of scar tissue, and costly mistakes. I say this as someone who was / is currently there. See my post about breaking into manufacturing (some great and helpful responses there) to see what I mean: https://searchfunder.com/article/viewarticle/57743 The solution I've found to this problem is to apprentice myself to someone who already has these skills and is actively operating in the space. In my case, I interned (offered to work for free) with a small private equity firm to get reps in deal sourcing, analysis, and due diligence and learned a lot in a short period of time. I got to work on live deals and analyze real financials, while the fact that I would do a lot of the rote model and analysis work saved a lot of time for the Managing Director, and the MD would meet with me and walk me through his exact thinking on why he was saying yes/no specific investments. He has the "eye" from seeing hundreds of deals, and I was learning to see what he saw---which made me a better analyst and will make me a better searcher later. Everybody wins. That gig led to an Associate's job where I am assisting both with the sourcing side and the operations side of the firm's investment portfolio, and there's a possibility I might be embedded inside an acquisition in the future to learn operations, value creation, and P&L ownership much more directly. My path may not be exactly replicable, but my recommendation would be to find a mentor in the business/space you want to search in, or find an institutional player (ETA firm, PE firm, family office, other investment vehicle) which does lots of deals in the space. Be aware that searching and operating are two distinct skillsets, and you need to develop both consciously to succeed. Hope this helps!

Reply by a searcher
from Harvard University in Toronto, ON, Canada

I don't know what your past experience is, but would say work / intern with ETA businesses to build some credibility and to understand the unique opportunities and challenges in small businesses.

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