The Go-to-Market pillar/COE inside a Portfolio Ops team has solidified itself across the middle market.  It remains a very hot area for my headhunting practice because growth is so inherent in every thesis.  That said, it’s complicated and still has some art mixed in with the science.  But like everything else, as the enterprise continues to digitize, more and more science drives the value.  Pricing arbitrage is a great example of a critical lever to effectively manipulate.

I’m starting a new feature for the Blog where I sit down with industry experts who I’ve encountered over the years to get their take on various elements of an Operating Partner’s VCP.  Today marks our first installment and I’m thrilled to sit down with Matt Busch from INSIGHT2PROFIT.  Matt is the Senior Vice President of Private Equity at the firm, where he partners with PE shops to drive measurable financial impact through data-backed pricing strategies.  I’ve known the I2P guys for a long time now and have watched their business flourish.  I’m excited to take this step with them.

CC: Let’s talk about what Pricing is—and what it isn’t.  Can you help clarify for us?

MB: Pricing is not just about raising prices, passing on cost increases, or a once-a-year effort; it is a strategic lever that captures the economic value created by a business. It’s about understanding willingness to pay, competitive positioning, and market dynamics. Effective pricing strategy balances profitability with customer retention, while poor pricing execution can lead to margin erosion or loss of market share.

CC: Tell us about some industries that historically excelled at Pricing—and why.

MB: Industries such as airlines, hospitality, and consumer packaged goods have long been at the forefront of strategic pricing. These sectors developed dynamic pricing models, leveraging demand elasticity, seasonality, and competitive benchmarking to maximize margins. Their success stems from disciplined data usage, structured price offerings, organizational governance, and adoption of analytics and technology.

CC: What about the role of technology in Pricing evolution?

MB: Advancements in AI, machine learning, and automation have transformed pricing from a manual, reactive process into a dynamic, predictive function that creates and captures incremental enterprise value. Companies now leverage real-time analytics, competitive intelligence, and scenario modeling to refine their pricing strategies and capture hidden margin opportunities.

CC: What is INSIGHT2PROFIT seeing today?

MB: Middle Market Applicability: Middle-market companies historically lacked the pricing sophistication of larger enterprises but are now investing resources and leveraging data-driven insights to drive growth and gain a competitive edge.

Product/Service Models: Companies are increasingly adopting value-based pricing, bundling, and subscription models to optimize revenue streams while maintaining customer loyalty.

CC: It seems that there would be some threshold levels of data necessary in order to get meaningful Pricing improvements.

MB: At a minimum, companies need:

• Transactional sales data (SKU/project and, customer-level pricing trends)
• Cost structure insights (ideally with the ability to understand end to end price waterfall / pocket margin)
• Ideally, this can be enriched with competitive pricing intelligence, customer segmentation, product/service hierarchies and relationships

Without some of these foundational data points, pricing changes can be speculative rather than strategic.

CC: What are some of the risks associated with taking Price and can we mitigate them?

MB: Taking price without a structured approach can lead to:

• Customer pushback and churn
• Competitive displacement
• Channel conflict
• Margin dilution if improperly executed 

To mitigate these risks, companies must be strategic and practical, communicate value effectively, establish process and governance, and implement pricing changes gradually while monitoring and measuring impact.

CC: How does I2P stay at the cutting edge of Pricing strategy?

MB: At INSIGHT2PROFIT, we continuously refine our methodologies by incorporating:

• AI-driven analytics for price optimization
• Competitive benchmarking through real-time data feeds
• Advanced segmentation techniques to tailor pricing by customer and product type
• Ongoing research into behavioral economics and its impact on pricing psychology

CC: And stepping back, what is the role of the Pricing offering in INSIGHT2PROFIT’s overall business?

MB: Pricing is at the core of our value creation model, driving a significant portion of our engagements. Clients consistently see double-digit EBITDA improvements through our structured pricing strategies.

CC: That being said, when should a PE Firm reach out on this topic?

MB: Private equity firms should engage on pricing early—ideally pre-acquisition or within the first 100 days of ownership. Pricing opportunities can be quantified in diligence and implemented as a foundational pillar of the value creation plan.

CC: This is excellent, Matt. I really appreciate your thoughts.  Lastly, what’s the best way for folks to reach out and talk further with you about this initiative?

MB:  That’s the easy part… just shoot me an email at mbusch@insight2profit.com.  We can pick up the dialogue from there.

About INSIGHT2PROFIT

For nearly two decades, private equity leaders and company executives have trusted INSIGHT2PROFIT to identify and implement EBITDA growth opportunities. Trusted by 200+ PE firms, we understand the urgency required for high-quality investment decisions and offer proven strategies to maximize enterprise value at every stage—buy, hold, or exit.

Our in-the-trenches approach uniquely differentiates us, leveraging data-backed intelligence to accelerate growth outcomes and drive both immediate and sustainable profit growth.