Josh Emington

Martec Partner Invited on DeskTalks Podcast to Talk VOC

Segmentation & Persona Development, Voice of Customer

Martec Partner Josh Emington recently joined the DeskTalks podcast to cover everything from data overload to the "research graveyard" to what separates organizations that truly embed VOC into strategy from those that merely collect feedback and file it away.

The Feedback Loop is the New Alpha

Customer Experience & Journey Mapping, Innovation Research, Automotive & Mobility, Consumer & B2B2C, Food & Beverage

There is a quiet arms race happening in product development right now, and it has nothing to do with who has the best model, the biggest engineering team, or the most advanced tech stack. The teams pulling ahead, the ones building products that customers actually love, are winning on something deceptively simple: the speed and frequency of their user feedback cycles.

The Impact of AI on Commercial Due Diligence

Commercial Due Diligence, Market Sizing & Opportunity Assessment, Private Equity

This latest installment in our series on CDD is about drawing the line clearly: where AI accelerates CDD, where it creates risk, and where the frontier is heading. Because the firms that get this right will have a genuine edge. And the firms that outsource diligence to a chatbot will learn the hard way that LLMs (Large Language Models) don't have deal judgment, real-time human input from primary research, or accountability to a consultant who is proud to stand behind their conclusions, recommendations, predictions, and advice.

Competitive Intelligence in Commercial Due Diligence

Commercial Due Diligence, Competitive Intelligence, Private Equity

Competitive analysis, benchmarking, and positioning are critical building blocks underpinning effective commercial due diligence. Without the context of other players' share, growth trajectories, capabilities/resources, intellectual property, and go-to-market strategies, growth estimates and feasibility assessments are likely inaccurate. Simply put: you cannot understand a company without understanding the field on which it plays.

Post-Close Value Creation: Why the Real Work Starts After the Deal Closes

Commercial Due Diligence, Market Sizing & Opportunity Assessment, Strategic Planning, Private Equity

The highest-performing PE teams don’t treat value creation as a separate phase from diligence. They connect them. They use diligence not just to decide whether to buy, but to build the first actionable roadmap for what to do once they own. Post-close is where the investment thesis either becomes a repeatable plan or gets buried in PowerPoint promises.

Market Intelligence in Commercial Due Diligence

Market Sizing & Opportunity Assessment, Private Equity

Market analysis remains the most requested module of commercial due diligence for private equity investors. The right approach provides far more than a sizing exercise — it creates transparency, accuracy, and confidence for investment committees.

Customer Intelligence as Part of Commercial Due Diligence (CDD)

Commercial Due Diligence, Private Equity

Customer Intelligence in the CDD realm applies a methodology known in the market research world as “Voice of Customer,” or VoC, which is important to understand and leverage when evaluating target acquisitions and their viability or upside.

Customizing Commercial Due Diligence to Align with Target and Market-Specific Objectives

Commercial Due Diligence, Private Equity

Tailoring the Commercial Due Diligence process to the specific nuances of a target and its market ensures that investors gain a truly comprehensive and actionable understanding.

What’s in Traditional Commercial Due Diligence: The Five Pillars

Commercial Due Diligence, Private Equity

Commercial Due Diligence (CDD) isn’t just a box to check in the private equity dealflow process—it’s one of the most decisive steps in shaping conviction around a deal. This article outlines what’s inside the envelope of a standard CDD engagement, when it happens, and how we structure our work at Martec around five core pillars.

Clarity Counts: Deal-Making Hypotheses

Private Equity

When executed effectively and exhaustively, the resulting intelligence gleaned from thorough CDD provides a clear map to avoid risk, increase volume, enhance margins, and explore numerous other ways to increase the total returns an investor can capture with a specific target. 

Navigating Risk and Unlocking Value

Commercial Due Diligence, Market Sizing & Opportunity Assessment, Private Equity

Commercial due diligence (CDD) plays an essential role in the deal-making process, providing a deep dive into a target’s market, competitive landscape, and growth potential. Now more than ever, engaging in CDD can significantly improve the investment decision-making process and drive higher returns…quickly, efficiently and reliably.

Three Insightful CX Takeaways from TMRE

Customer Experience & Journey Mapping

Commercial Due Diligence Benefits Deal Making

Commercial Due Diligence, Private Equity

Commercial due diligence (CDD) provides buy-side due diligence insights including commercial position, competitive dynamics, future cash flow, market dynamics, and much more.

Franchisor Advantages and Disadvantages: What’s New