Mark’s Scale Up Essays

When Leaders Get Defensive, Value Walks Out the Door

Why mastering defensiveness is the hidden driver of trust, speed, and enterprise value

Nov 9 • 

Mark Farrer-Brown

October 2025

Stop Writing Job Descriptions. Start Writing ValueContracts

Why Job Descriptions Still Matter — But Should Never Be Step One.

Oct 19 • 

Mark Farrer-Brown

1

September 2025

The £3.2 Million Interview: The ROI Leaders Ignore

How elite hiring discipline compounds returns faster than most operational levers

Sep 28 • 

Mark Farrer-Brown

1

August 2025

Hiring for Attributes Over Experience: Why Yesterday's Playbook Fails Tomorrow's CEOs

How PE firms can escape the false comfort of "been there, done that" and hire leaders ready for the challenges ahead

Aug 31 • 

Mark Farrer-Brown

July 2025

PE’s Real Game: Winning Short, Compounding Long

How PE firms can hit EBITDA targets while building lasting value

Jul 13 • 

Mark Farrer-Brown

1

June 2025

The Opposite Test: Why 90% of Your Strategy Isn't Strategy

Operating imperatives aren't strategic choices—and that's costing you millions.

Jun 22 • 

Mark Farrer-Brown

1

You Already Have a Strategy (You Just Don't Know What It Is)

The strategy that kills your valuation is the one you're already following

Jun 1 • 

Mark Farrer-Brown

1

April 2025

Talent As The Multiplier: Why Human Capital is Private Equity’s Biggest Untapped Alpha

CEO Alpha is undervalued in PE, resulting in lower returns, longer hold periods and disengaged leadership.

Apr 6 • 

Mark Farrer-Brown

1

February 2025

Why Private Equity Needs to Rethink the Playbook Approach

Why do successful playbooks that transformed two portfolio companies lead to disaster in the third? The answer lies in complexity.

Feb 23 • 

Mark Farrer-Brown

January 2025

Six Essential Tips To Maximise Your PE-Exit

Limited Partners (LPs) are growing impatient with stagnant exits, discover how to position your PE-backed business for a premium valuation in today's…

Jan 19 • 

Mark Farrer-Brown

November 2024

To Thrive PE Houses Need To Shift From Being Deal Shops To Value Creation Masters

Discover the blueprint for successful and sustainable Value Creation in Private Equity

Nov 3, 2024 • 

Mark Farrer-Brown

September 2024

Beyond Skill Sets To Capacities: A CEO’s Guide To Transformative Leadership In Complex Times

Discover the map of how leaders transcend conventional business thinking and achieve success in the VUCA and BANI world.

Sep 29, 2024 • 

Mark Farrer-Brown