Zoe Diagnostics
Join the Waitlist
Blog

Field notes from
operational diligence.

Long-form essays on what financial diligence misses, how to score operational health, and what we learn from running diagnostics on real companies.

Latest

The most recent post.

Due Diligence · PE · Checklist

The Operational Due Diligence Checklist PE Firms Actually Use

Forget generic due diligence templates. This is the 25-point operational checklist that separates firms who spot problems pre-close from those who inherit them.

Read essay Apr 2, 2026 · ~5 min read
operational dd checklist pe firms
The Library

Every essay, organized.

Filter by topic to find what you need.

culture clash ma case studies
Culture · M&A · Case Studies

3 Culture Clashes That Destroyed Billion-Dollar Mergers

Daimler-Chrysler. AOL-Time Warner. HP-Autonomy. Three deals worth over $200 billion combined — all undone by cultural incompatibility that was visible before close, if anyone had looked.

April 2, 2026Read →
early warning signals portfolio companies
Portfolio · Early Warning · Signals

The 6 Early Warning Signals That Predict Portfolio Company Distress

Financial distress is a lagging indicator. These six behavioral signals surface 3-9 months before the numbers turn — if you know where to look.

April 2, 2026Read →
first 100 days post acquisition mistakes
Integration · PE · Mistakes

The 5 Integration Mistakes PE Firms Make in the First 100 Days

The first 100 days after close determine whether an acquisition creates value or destroys it. These five mistakes are the most common — and the most expensive.

April 2, 2026Read →
meeting load killing productivity
Meetings · Productivity · Organizational Health

Your Company Has a Meeting Problem. Here's the Data to Prove It.

The average manager spends 23 hours per week in meetings. The average IC spends 14. At some point, meetings stopped being a tool and became the entire job.

April 2, 2026Read →
key person risk pe deals
Key Person Risk · PE · Due Diligence

Key Person Risk: The $100M Blind Spot in PE Deals

Financial diligence does not measure whether the company falls apart when one person leaves. Behavioral data does — and what it reveals is often the biggest unpriced risk in the deal.

April 2, 2026Read →
ai due diligence vs consulting firms
AI · Consulting · Comparison

AI Due Diligence vs. Big 4 Consulting: Speed, Cost, and What Each Misses

AI-powered due diligence delivers results in 24 hours at a fraction of the cost. Traditional advisory brings relationships and judgment. Here is an honest comparison of what each does well — and where each falls short.

April 2, 2026Read →
Newsletter

Get the next essay in your inbox.

One long-form essay every other week. No fluff, no growth-hacking, no AI-written filler. Unsubscribe anytime.

Join 200+ firms on the waitlist