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People Behind the Product: John Bailye, The SidebySide Partnership

Written by CoInvestor | 19 November, 2019
       

John Bailye - Founder and Managing Director, The SidebySide Partnership

An Australian, who moved to the United States in 1987, John co-founded and assembled a team that grew a start-up to a billion dollars in market cap (formerly on Nasdaq: DRTE) with nearly 3,000 employees. He sponsored and co-founded the New Jersey Technology Council, now with circa 1,500 entrepreneurs as members, which is aimed at creating an exchange for entrepreneurs’ experiences and ideas. John has personally been investing in early stage companies for many years.

 

What is the most rewarding aspect of your role?

A great exit after working to develop a great company and market offering.

 

What is the most challenging aspect of your role?

Helping avoid the many manageable chicanes that can derail a young business because they did not plan ahead and adapt quick enough.

 

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"Our firm is run by ex-entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. We are not finance people, instead we are all operators and our aim is to grow commercial businesses.

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What makes your firm stand out?

  • High Touch Model: The SidebySide Partnership (SBS) self-limit to investing in only eight companies and meet with each portfolio company up to two days a month to ensure each company’s management team has regular access to relevant advice.

  • Competitive Fees: SBS has the highest performance hurdle in the market (160%) and then a second hurdle at 400%. This means SBS are entirely focused on only building the best companies in their portfolio and working to achieve the best returns for investors and founders together side by side.

 

What is the one thing that you would like advisers/investors to know about your firm? 
Our firm is run by ex-entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. We are not finance people, instead we are all operators and our aim is to grow commercial businesses.
 
What's one thing you'd like to change about the sector?
Open and regular reporting on the funds underlying investments to investors.

 

What are three things you look for when investing in a business?

  1. Hardworking smart and driven entrepreneurs
  2. A product or service that can change a market
  3. The use of technology to add value

 

What industry journalist/commentator do you regularly follow?

Bloomberg.

 

What trait helps you succeed in your role?

Only the paranoid survive.

 

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People Behind the Product is an interview series produced by CoInvestor that highlights the key people themselves behind the wide range of tax-efficient investment funds you can find on our platform. By showcasing the fund managers behind the product, we aim to provide greater insight to the expertise in the market and in doing so, help advisers and investors learn more about the tax-efficient sector. 

 

If you are interested in participating in the series, or would like to find out more, get in touch with Jessica at jessica.baker@coinvestor.co.uk.

 

About The SidebySide Partnership

 

              
The SidebySide Partnership (SBS) is a London venture capital firm, designed to support 'scale-up' technology businesses through the launch of their EIS fund, The SBS Later Stage EIS Fund. 
 
The SidebySide Later Stage EIS Fund specialises in taking proven high-potential companies, already with multi million pounds in revenues, and developing them into successful commercial businesses.
 
 

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