The Future of EtA, as described by AJ Wasserstein

intern profile

November 15, 2023

by an member from Yale University in United States

I'm curious what you all think about this?

https://yale.app.box.com/s/483xde2yvszo4wjo7d5pnxcevfy366td

Conclusion It is not our intention to actively dissuade prospective entrepreneurs or investors from wading into the ETA pool. Rather, we just want participants to enter with cognizance and eyes wide open. Whatever ETA was at its inception, it is no longer that today, and it will change further in the future. The word more is the best way to describe ETA’s next era. More activity, more investors, more capital, more competition, more democratization, more models, more specialization, more cultural disharmony, more geography, and more schools. The only exception we can think of is returns, where we will see less. These dynamics will cause some to bemoan what was a golden moment for ETA. We understand that, but change and evolution rumble on, and trying to halt the unavoidable is a fool’s errand. Instead, savvy aspiring entrepreneurs and investors should be thinking about how to shape the coming change to suit their needs and preferences and how to adapt to the transformations as best as possible. ETA will assuredly feel different, but entrepreneurs and investors will still enrich themselves and even enjoy intellectual and emotional rewards – no different than in the private equity and venture capital asset classes that morphed from clubby cottage habitats into fully professionalized and transactional behemoths. We wish entrepreneurs and investors good luck and success navigating ETA’s unpreventable – but still exciting – metamorphosis!

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Reply by a searcher
from Columbia University in Melbourne VIC, Australia
Small business acquisition is hard to professionalise, ultimately the differentiator is usually going to be the ability to manage and build relationships with employees/customers/suppliers/etc. and this is hard to institutionalise. While more bidders means asset prices go up, the returns are usually going to come from the value added during the hold period rather than what price you paid on entry.

Agree with the conclusions but don't think outsized returns are going away anytime soon for the right operator regardless of capital flowing into the space.
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Reply by a searcher
from University of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh, PA, USA
1,000% true. I was first exposed to search/ETA about 15 years ago and then got re-acquainted about a year ago -- what a change! More change is inevitable. There is no way that this much value can be identified and NOT attract a lot more attention and activity. FWIW - I do think general returns will go down, but opportunities for the savvy will only increase.
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