Our thoughts on attending the HBS ETA Club Conference

Lui Pangiarella, my business partner and Co-Founder at Second Squared in Australia,  and I attended the EtA conference at HBS this past weekend. 

As 2 of over 300 delegates we were blown away by the depth and breadth of knowledge and experience that the USA has amassed in a few short years of building the Search Fund concept. 

We got to meet with: 
- MBA students aspiring to be CEOs via Search, 
- Searchers hard at work looking for “that” company to buy and build value in, 
- Private investors who have been backing Searchers for well over a decade, amassing broad portfolios of diversified, fast growing businesses, and yielding incredibly healthy returns year on year, 
- Funders and bankers who have built a reputation for backing the new, young entrepreneurs of today in their ventures, 
- Accelerators that enable and fast-track searchers to find and fund their acquisitions 
- A very healthy eco-system of supporting professional services including lawyers, accountants, who all have an intimate understanding of the specific nuances, challenges and opportunities that Search Funds offer. 

Key observations include:

- An eco-system that is not just thriving, but growing exponentially
- An environment where all players are keen to listen first, learn and share - true marks of a Community
- A wealth of stories and experiences that are inspiring and display the energy, creativity, and commitment that entrepreneurs in this space must have to be successful.

If we had any doubts that Search Funds are a proven, tested and well established form of wealth creation for aspiring CEOs/entrepreneurs and investors, as well as a vehicle for enabling 100s of maturing business owners transition their legacy into caring hands, we certainly doubt no more.