Private Equity Value Creation Podcast Ep. 110: Scott Adams, Soul Street | Scaling Companies with Efficiency and Prioritization
Feb 3, 2026
Scott Adams, co-founder and managing partner at Soul Street and former robotics founder-operator, shares hands-on strategies for scaling with capital efficiency. He discusses common growth mistakes like overhiring and product perfection, using runway framing to force trade-offs, pinpointing true revenue drivers, and practical tech and AI levers to tighten operations and shorten sales cycles.
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Founder Bet On Robotics Then Exited
- Scott invested his net worth in a robotics startup that cleaned rail tank cars and exited to a public company after ~5 years.
- That hands-on founder/operator experience shaped Soul Street's approach to working closely with portfolio companies.
Diminishing Returns On Product Perfection
- Founders often overspend on product polishing that yields diminishing returns compared to A-minus work that is 'good enough'.
- Superior go-to-market can beat better product when execution and sales motion are stronger.
Force Smart Urgency With Shorter Runway
- If a company has 24 months runway, force decisions by asking what you'd do with only six months to instill smart urgency.
- Preserve cash and make trade-offs; bootstrap mentality prevents wastes from abundant capital.
