13_Charting Your Course: Industry Thesis Guide
13_Charting Your Course: Industry Thesis Guide
EtA Launch Hub (2026 cohort)
Meet & Greet and Orientation (Optional) - 1/31/26
Meet & Greet and Orientation (Optional) - 1/31/26
Session 1: Preparing – Clarify Your Fit & Story –2/7/2026
Session 1: Preparing – Clarify Your Fit & Story –2/7/2026
Session 2: Structuring – Design Your Search Model & Sourcing – 2/28/26
Session 2: Structuring – Design Your Search Model & Sourcing – 2/28/26
Session 3: Financing – Plan Your Personal & Deal Capital – 3/21/26
Session 3: Financing – Plan Your Personal & Deal Capital – 3/21/26
Optional: ETA PitchRef lab session– First Run & Early Assessment – 3/28
Optional: ETA PitchRef lab session– First Run & Early Assessment – 3/28
Session 4: Thesis & Negotiating – Sharpen Your Focus & Offers – 4/11/26
Session 4: Thesis & Negotiating – Sharpen Your Focus & Offers – 4/11/26
Optional: ETA PitchRef lab session – Rehearse & Get Written, Evidence-Based Feedback- 4/18/26
Optional: ETA PitchRef lab session – Rehearse & Get Written, Evidence-Based Feedback- 4/18/26
Session 5: Operating – Prepare for Day 1 & Beyond – 4/25/26
Session 5: Operating – Prepare for Day 1 & Beyond – 4/25/26
Session 6: Graduation & Pitch Day – Share Your Narrative & Roadmap – 5/9/2026
Session 6: Graduation & Pitch Day – Share Your Narrative & Roadmap – 5/9/2026
As you work through this guide (and as you watch related VAULT videos in Karen"s Curated Corner), notice what founders, CEOs, and investors reveal about:
How clearly they understand their own strengths (skill × enjoyment) and where those strengths actually move the needle.
Whether the businesses and industries they choose truly need those strengths—or would mostly want a caretaker CEO.
What genuine searcher–industry fit looks like in practice: language, prior exposure, credibility with sellers, banks, and investors.
How they think about augmenting a seller’s legacy rather than “burning it all down.”
For funded search: how they define “diamonds in the rough,” think about competition, and preserve levers for the next buyer.
For self‑funded search: how they discuss geo/size/industry, handle SBA risk, and choose a day‑to‑day life that actually fits them.
For a more detailed Checklist with reflection exercises, please click this link.