Asking questions in sales calls is a great way of establishing credibilty. We want to build peer-level conversations by knowing the why behind every question, the market dynamics shaping answers, and exactly where Osmosis fits.
You're not selling software to IR heads, Capital Formation leads, or COOs—you are proving you understand their world, pressures, and language.
These questions are not a script; they show you care how their business actually works.
Knowing the market dynamics behind an answer is what makes you sound like a peer.
We capture the spoken signals that reveal allocator priorities—turning conversations into actionable intelligence.
These questions (h/t Lindsay Lee) are a great way to establish our credibilty: system-level thinking, liquidity flows, asset-class pressures, buyer intent, LP segmentation, and competitive threats.
Lead with these to sound like a peer, not a vendor. They show macro fluency, respect for their constraints, and curiosity about how they actually operate.
Use when the conversation is warm; these show deep context.
These five (plus one) alone make you sound like a peer, not a vendor.
Why this matters: Liquidity is the north star. Capital flows dictate who is thriving vs. struggling—and how intense the competition feels.
Capital is a river. Sources (LPs) → channels (GPs, consultants, platforms) → destinations (companies, assets, deals). Know where it's rushing vs. drying up.
Private Credit, Infrastructure (digital/AI), Secondaries. Yield, stability, and liquidity solutions are winning.
Venture (except AI), Traditional Buyout (slower), Real Estate (select pockets). Distributions and pacing are bottlenecks.
Banks pulled back post-2022; direct lenders filled the gap. AUM has exploded (~$1.5T+), with LPs chasing floating-rate yield and quarterly cash flows.
Ask: where spreads and structures are trending. Shows you know the squeeze.
Implication: Managers need differentiation; Osmosis surfaces LP preferences and risk concerns.
AI and energy transition are driving demand for data centers, power, and connectivity. Long-duration, inflation-linked cash flows keep LPs leaning in.
Stable cash flows, inflation protection, tangible assets, ESG/impact angle.
Digital infra (data centers, fiber, towers) outpacing traditional projects.
Ask how much demand is tied to AI infra. Shows currency and opens LP allocation talk.
LPs over-allocated and short on distributions need cash. Secondaries funds buy stakes (often at discounts) and GP-led continuation vehicles extend winners.
Liquidity in an illiquid asset class, seasoned portfolios past the J-curve, discounts to NAV create margin of safety.
Ask who is looking to sell and which GPs are exploring GP-leds. Osmosis helps surface both.
Post-2021 bubble, portfolios marked down, exits scarce, LPs over-allocated. Only top-tier and AI-focused funds are raising smoothly.
Outside the top tier, managers are scrambling for receptive LPs. Position Osmosis as the map of scarce VC appetite.
Mega-funds still raise, but timelines stretch. Distributions are down; LP pacing slows; denominator effect bites. First-time funds face headwinds.
Longer fundraises, more selectivity, fewer automatic re-ups.
Timing matters. Knowing who is allocating now is edge—prime Osmosis use case.
Rate shock, office pain, BREIT/SREIT redemption issues. Volumes down; LPs cautious and waiting for price discovery.
Industrial/logistics, data centers, multifamily, distressed/opportunistic plays.
LPs here are contrarian. Sector-specific positioning matters. Osmosis surfaces who is leaning in vs. out.
Private Credit, Infrastructure (digital/AI), Secondaries.
Competition rising—differentiation required.
Venture (except AI), Buyout (slower), Real Estate (selective).
Scarcity of receptive LPs—targeting is everything.
Differentiate where flows are hot; find rare pockets of appetite where flows are cold. Real-time allocator signals power both.
The market flipped: from seller's market to buyer's market. LPs have leverage, take longer, ask harder questions.
Empathy + positioning. Understand their stress to avoid tone-deaf pitches and highlight Osmosis as relief.
~15,000 PE firms globally (5k in 2010). More GPs chasing limited allocation growth.
12-24 months is normal; re-ups not automatic; first-time funds face brutal odds.
Deeper diligence, harder questions, fee pressure, co-invest rights—bar is higher.
Private valuations held while publics fell—LPs look over-allocated on paper.
No IPOs, muted M&A → LPs lack cash to re-commit. Pacing models break; commitments pause.
Timing is everything. LP readiness is volatile—knowing when they can move is critical.
Strategy convergence: “everyone is a credit manager now.” Crowded lanes require sharper positioning.
Gatekeepers control access. Approved lists and recommendations can make or break a raise.
Multi-strat giants cross-sell LPs and bring brand leverage. Mid-market feels squeezed.
New pool but product/marketing heavy. First-mover advantages (BREIT/BCRED) loom large.
Strong track record = easy re-raise. Re-ups automatic. Consultants quick to approve. 6-12 month cycles.
Every commitment scrutinized. Longer IC cycles. More asks: co-invest, fee breaks, transparency. 12-24+ months is normal.
We give GPs the informational edge to time outreach, answer harder questions, and stand out in crowded processes.
Where Osmosis lives day-to-day: reducing manual work so teams can sell better and faster.
Head of IR/Cap Form, 2-4 Directors/VPs, 2-6 Associates/Analysts. Lean teams covering a lot of ground.
Segmented by geo/strategy/LP type, plus dedicated consultant relations, RFP, and wealth teams. More resources, more complexity.
LP research, past interactions, news checks, tailoring pitches. 2-4 hours per meeting.
100-300 questions, partial reuse, always bespoke. 10-40 hours each.
Meeting notes, priorities, timelines—often incomplete or stuck in heads.
Conferences they can't all attend; intel arrives late and anecdotal.
Allocator quotes exist but are scattered across video/audio/transcripts.
Learning mandate shifts after competitors act.
Gut-feel routing of the scarcest resource: partner time.
Insights live in people, not systems. Turnover = lost intelligence.
We already captured what CalPERS said at ILPA. Alerts flip reactive to proactive. Prioritization becomes data-driven. Institutional memory becomes searchable.
Quantifies ROI; reveals priority (outreach, prep, competitive analysis, consultant coverage).
Finding LP commentary? CRM updates? Tailoring? Points to specific Osmosis workflows.
Exposes signal-to-noise pain; sets up allocator intent signals.
Turn scattered spoken intel into instant, structured briefs. Save hours; redeploy to higher-impact outreach.
LPs are not monolithic. Governance, speed, priorities, and geography change the motion—and the questions.
Board-driven, consultant-dependent, long cycles. Public commentary is abundant.
More CIO discretion, de-risking trend, faster decisions but shrinking checks.
Small, sophisticated teams; relationship-driven; heavy alts; mission alignment matters.
Huge checks, geo variance, direct investing ability; relationship access is key.
Regulated, yield/duration focused; private credit sweet spot; longer cycles.
Fragmented; speed varies; personal relationships drive outcomes.
U.S. institutional, European pensions/insurers, Middle East SWFs, Asian LPs, Australian Supers.
Currency, regulation, ESG tilt, geopolitical considerations, and speed all vary by region.
Osmosis captures allocator commentary globally—powerful for expansion conversations.
Segment-specific intelligence makes positioning sharper and outreach smarter.
The world is noisier, fundraising is harder, teams are stretched. Spoken allocator signals are the missing piece.
We capture the conversations that matter, synthesize into actionable intelligence, and deliver them in real time so teams act faster and smarter.
Show you know liquidity flows, competitive dynamics, and LP segmentation.
Identify timing, access, bandwidth, and positioning gaps Osmosis can solve.
Peer-level dialogue beats a pitch script. Questions are curiosity, not interrogation.
These questions are a framework for real conversations. If you know the context—liquidity, competition, operations, LP dynamics—you can improvise, follow threads, and build trust.
Ask for tailored talk tracks for specific personas (e.g., mid-market PE Head of IR vs. private credit COO).