HoldCo Builders The Private Equity Bubble? | Inside a Private Equity Firm Built for What Comes Next
Nov 9, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Joel Mathew, the Head of Originations at Woodson Equity, shares his entrepreneurial journey leading to private equity. He outlines Woodson's unique focus on diversified industrials and emphasizes the importance of control investments and hands-on operations. Joel reveals his playbook for sourcing over a thousand deals annually, the significance of company culture, and strategies for effective value creation. He also discusses the excitement in lower middle-market opportunities stemming from current market volatility.
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Thesis-Driven Narrow Focus
- Woodson is "inch wide, mile deep" and focuses narrowly on sectors where they have deep operational expertise.
- They prioritize operational experience over pure financial engineering to transform companies quickly.
Choose Deals By Effort-to-Return
- Target deals where the effort-to-return ratio scales favorably; Woodson prefers larger lower-middle-market companies.
- Be patient and allocate resources to opportunities that yield the most upside for time spent.
Buy Control And Be Hands-On
- Do control investments and embed operational teams to drive change quickly after acquisition.
- Be present on the ground, empower management, and remove bureaucracy to accelerate decisions.
