- GTM Acceleration
- 21 Oct 2025
In private equity, time is the most valuable asset. The clock starts ticking the moment a deal closes — and what happens in the first 90 days often determines what’s possible in the next five years.
Too many leadership teams enter post-close without a clear roadmap. They inherit legacy systems, cultural friction, and unclear priorities, and instead of executing toward value creation, they spend months reacting. That’s why the first 90 days aren’t just about onboarding a new CEO or defining a plan — they’re about setting the rhythm, structure, and accountability that drives results for the entire hold period.
Why the First 90 Days Matter
The first 90 days are the moment of maximum leverage and minimum inertia. Teams are alert, investors are engaged, and change feels possible. Yet without structure, that energy dissipates.
In these early weeks, three forces are at play:
-
Clarity — defining where value will come from.
-
Alignment — ensuring leadership, investors, and teams share the same priorities.
-
Cadence — establishing the operating rhythm that keeps execution on track.
When these forces work together, value creation compounds. When they don’t, even strong investments lose momentum.
The Five90 Framework
At Five Experts, we designed the Five90 Framework to help portfolio companies and first-time CEOs move from uncertainty to execution within a structured, measurable system.
Each 90-day engagement focuses on:
-
Mapping the Value Levers: Identifying the top three drivers of growth and margin expansion.
-
Building the Operating Rhythm: Establishing KPIs, dashboards, and weekly/quarterly review cycles.
-
Executing Quick Wins: Delivering visible results in revenue, retention, or efficiency to build trust and momentum.
-
Laying the Foundation for Scale: Preparing processes, people, and systems for sustained growth beyond the sprint.
The result is a clear playbook that leadership teams and investors can align around — turning the first 90 days into a launchpad rather than a lag.
Why Structure Wins Over Speed
Speed without alignment leads to churn; structure without speed leads to stagnation. The Five90 Sprint is built to do both. By pairing proven fractional operators with new or transitioning leadership teams, companies gain immediate capacity, clarity, and control.
Instead of building the plane mid-flight, Five90 helps teams fly with precision — guided by data, grounded in discipline, and focused on measurable outcomes.
The Compounding Effect of Early Execution
Every hold period has a compounding curve. The companies that invest in operational rhythm and measurable progress in the first 90 days consistently outperform. They hit growth milestones sooner, attract stronger talent, and maintain investor confidence when markets shift.
It’s not just about a strong start — it’s about creating an execution advantage that lasts the full investment cycle.
