--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We really wake up every day trying to…" description: "\"We really wake up every day trying to build businesses. That is the goal of private equity. It's a misnomer out there that private equity profits by sh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/stephen-pagliuca-22316_build_we-really-wake-up-every-day-trying-to-bu_746717.jpg" --- # We really wake up every day trying to build businesses… ![“We really wake up every day trying to build businesses. That is the goal of private equity. It's a misnomer out there that private equity profits by shrinking companies. In fact, it's just the opposite. Private equity creates value by growing great companies.” quote by Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/stephen-pagliuca-22316_build_we-really-wake-up-every-day-trying-to-bu_746717.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/stephen-pagliuca-22316_build_we-really-wake-up-every-day-trying-to-bu_746717.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/stephen-pagliuca-22316_build_we-really-wake-up-every-day-trying-to-bu_746717.jpg) > “We really wake up every day trying to build businesses. That is the goal of private equity. It's a misnomer out there that private equity profits by shrinking companies. In fact, it's just the opposite. Private equity creates value by growing great companies.” [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Private equity aims to build and expand businesses, not shrink them; value comes from growth and improvement. **In simple terms:** Private equity grows companies, creating value. Key Takeaway Focus on growth, not cost‑cutting. Themes business growth value creation Mood optimistic analytical Type business strategic When to use this quote - startup scaling - turnaround projects - portfolio management - investment decisions Key Concepts private equity strategic investment Questions to Reflect On - How can you add value to a struggling company? - What growth metrics matter most? A Different Perspective Growth can be limited by market conditions and operational risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Businesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/businesses/) [Companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Equity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equity/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Private equity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/private-equity/) [Profits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profits/) [Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value/) [Wake up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wake-up/) ## Related quotes > [“My life, on the other hand, would increase in value, growing wiser, and richer in experience the longer I survived. I was an investment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pepper-winters/my-life-on-the-other-hand-would-increase-in-value-growing-wiser-and/) [Pepper Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pepper-winters/) > [I've probably done more venture capital deals and expansion financings than I have done private equity deals. But both are the same. Private equity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/i-ve-probably-done-more-venture-capital-deals-and-expansion/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [It's quite astonishing how much money people make in the hedge fund business and in the private equity field, and how well-off affluent families…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-rogoff/it-s-quite-astonishing-how-much-money-people-make-in-the-hedge-fund/) [Kenneth Rogoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-rogoff/) > [Hedge funds, private equity and venture capital funds have played an important role in providing liquidity to our financial system and improving the efficiency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-reed/hedge-funds-private-equity-and-venture-capital-funds-have-played-an/) [Jack Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-reed/) > [Infrastructure done right can help working people; infrastructure done wrong is just more money for private equity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perez/infrastructure-done-right-can-help-working-people-infrastructure-done/) [Tom Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perez/) > [Let's face it, we're skunk drunk and it's because of money. It's almost like we all need to enter Betty Ford Clinic 2.0 together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-rubel/let-s-face-it-we-re-skunk-drunk-and-it-s-because-of-money-it-s-almost/) [Steve Rubel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-rubel/) > [Some of the very best private equity people, in my experience, are people who start out as stock pickers - people who really understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bonderman/some-of-the-very-best-private-equity-people-in-my-experience-are/) [David Bonderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bonderman/) > [Nobody in my generation ever started out in private equity. We got there by accident. There was no private equity business - actually, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bonderman/nobody-in-my-generation-ever-started-out-in-private-equity-we-got/) [David Bonderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bonderman/) > [“U.S. Bancorp & Capital Trust is a licensed Investment Bank and Statutory Trust specialized in assisting entrepreneurs and businesses across the world with equity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/us-bancorp-capital-trust/u-s-bancorp-capital-trust-is-a-licensed-investment-bank-and-statutory/) US Bancorp & Capital Trust > [In our equities business, 49 of the 50 most important Lehman clients are back doing business with us. The flows are 75 to 80…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-diamond/in-our-equities-business-49-of-the-50-most-important-lehman-clients/) [Bob Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-diamond/) > [I delivered lectures, and I was also a consultant for international companies in finance, both private equity and big venture capital funds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-barak/i-delivered-lectures-and-i-was-also-a-consultant-for-international/) [Ehud Barak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-barak/) > [People in private equity complain that they have so much capital and so few places to invest. But you have lots of entrepreneurs trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/people-in-private-equity-complain-that-they-have-so-much-capital-and/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [I've heard that one-half of the students at elite schools want to go into private equity or hedge funds. They want to keep up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-ve-heard-that-one-half-of-the-students-at-elite-schools-want-to-go/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Not all private equity people are evil. Only some.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/not-all-private-equity-people-are-evil-only-some/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [It's important that we educate Americans about how hedge funds and private equity play completely different roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-a-schwarzman/it-s-important-that-we-educate-americans-about-how-hedge-funds-and/) [Stephen A. Schwarzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-a-schwarzman/) ## More by Stephen Pagliuca > [The whole tax code should be looked at, all the way from farm subsidies to carried interest to - to corporate loopholes, because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/the-whole-tax-code-should-be-looked-at-all-the-way-from-farm/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [I love Indian food. London also has great Indian food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/i-love-indian-food-london-also-has-great-indian-food/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [We need someone in Washington who knows how to build jobs from the ground up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/we-need-someone-in-washington-who-knows-how-to-build-jobs-from-the/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [I've made it clear that I'm not taking special interest PAC money or accepting donations from lobbyists - ever. I want to represent the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/i-ve-made-it-clear-that-i-m-not-taking-special-interest-pac-money-or/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [Instead of being a teacher, I got a job with a company called Bain & Co., consulting firm, and they taught me how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/instead-of-being-a-teacher-i-got-a-job-with-a-company-called-bain-co/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [One place I haven't made it to - mainly because it's so far away - is Australia, so I'd love to go there. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/one-place-i-haven-t-made-it-to-mainly-because-it-s-so-far-away-is/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [I've probably done more venture capital deals and expansion financings than I have done private equity deals. But both are the same. Private equity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/i-ve-probably-done-more-venture-capital-deals-and-expansion/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [I think business, government and unions have to work together, and the common enemies to the global economy. We're being beaten by the global…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/i-think-business-government-and-unions-have-to-work-together-and-the/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [I was an international tax specialist. Yeah, I was an international man of mystery and tax specialist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/i-was-an-international-tax-specialist-yeah-i-was-an-international-man/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [I'm not for a temporary war tax. We're putting actual dollars in one way or the other, and so if we're gonna look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/i-m-not-for-a-temporary-war-tax-we-re-putting-actual-dollars-in-one/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [My father was a veteran and my mother a schoolteacher. They taught me the value of a good job and an honest day's work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/my-father-was-a-veteran-and-my-mother-a-schoolteacher-they-taught-me/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) > [I gave Mitt Romney some donations for his campaign because he was a friend, and friendship came first. 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The No. 1 problem is PAC and special-interest money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pagliuca/i-think-we-have-to-look-at-the-whole-way-campaigns-are-financed-the/) [Stephen Pagliuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) [Explore all 27 Stephen Pagliuca quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pagliuca/) ## More Build quotes > [It's really fun and challenging to build things that have never been built before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/it-s-really-fun-and-challenging-to-build-things-that-have-never-been/) [Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/) > [I build on Christ, the rock of ages; on his sure mercies described in his word, and on his promises, all which I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/i-build-on-christ-the-rock-of-ages-on-his-sure-mercies-described-in/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [The way you get wickets is, you've got to build pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-arthur/the-way-you-get-wickets-is-you-ve-got-to-build-pressure/) [Mickey Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-arthur/) > [For rich children, it'd be very easy and convenient never to take any steps to build an identity outside of your association with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-johnson/for-rich-children-it-d-be-very-easy-and-convenient-never-to-take-any/) [Jamie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-johnson/) > [The millennials were raised in a cocoon, their anxious parents afraid to let them go out in the park to play. So should we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/the-millennials-were-raised-in-a-cocoon-their-anxious-parents-afraid/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [You have to build what the market needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-s-miller/you-have-to-build-what-the-market-needs/) [Jamie S. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-s-miller/) > [I oppose any proposal for the federal government to build and operate a nationwide 5G network.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/i-oppose-any-proposal-for-the-federal-government-to-build-and-operate/) [Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/) > [“Create with the heart; build with the mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/create-with-the-heart-build-with-the-mind/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Since, however, it is immaterial whether the work is done by assistants or a machine, I decided to build a machine equivalent to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/since-however-it-is-immaterial-whether-the-work-is-done-by-assistants/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For 'Inhuman,' it's a 'chess game' series. You have a lot of pieces moving different ways at once, and it's about what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/for-inhuman-it-s-a-chess-game-series-you-have-a-lot-of-pieces-moving/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [What we need to make sure we do as a team is build the quickest car on the grid - if we have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valtteri-bottas/what-we-need-to-make-sure-we-do-as-a-team-is-build-the-quickest-car/) [Valtteri Bottas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valtteri-bottas/) > [Always build. If you start at fever pitch, there's nowhere to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goldman/always-build-if-you-start-at-fever-pitch-there-s-nowhere-to-go/) [Jane Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goldman/) > [I have spent my career helping to build and grow businesses, and if I've learned one thing, it's that being pro-business and pro-consumer are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-phillips/i-have-spent-my-career-helping-to-build-and-grow-businesses-and-if-i/) [Dean Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-phillips/) > [If you can build it, you can unbuild it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-pitts/if-you-can-build-it-you-can-unbuild-it/) [Jake Pitts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-pitts/) > [You don't build your character by doing what everybody else is doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ghosn/you-don-t-build-your-character-by-doing-what-everybody-else-is-doing/) [Carlos Ghosn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ghosn/) Browse all 1,564 Build quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We really wake up every day trying to build businesses. 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