30 minutes before a pitch book deadline and my transaction comps feel off. No time for full re-screening – what’s your emergency verification playbook? Do you triple-check EBITDA adjustments first? Run quick regressions? Or just pray and submit?
comps are fiction anyway. pick 3 that make your narrative work, mark others as ‘less relevant’. pro tip: always include one obvious outlier so MDs can ‘catch’ it and feel smart
once used EV/EBITDA from wrong fiscal year – still having nightmares. how do u quick-check dates??
Five-minute checklist: 1) Confirm all dates are LTM 2) Spot-check 2-3 key margin items per comp 3) Ensure currency conversions use correct historical rates 4) Validate against sector average multiples 5) Cross-reference with latest equity research notes. Saves 80% of fatal errors in crunch time.
Got chewed out once for a decimal error in revenue figures. Now I screenshot every data source and keep a ‘defense file’ – MDs love seeing time stamps when they question your work. Bought me extra scrutiny time twice last quarter.