What Billion-Dollar Investors Actually Look For (It’s Not Your Numbers) | Greg Dugard

<p>What do billion-dollar investors and donors actually care about?</p><p>It’s not your pitch deck.</p><p>It’s not your financial model.</p><p>And it’s definitely not your IRR slide.</p><p>In this episode of <em>Commercially Speaking</em>, we sit down with <strong>Greg Dugard</strong>, COO of <strong>Seder Grove Holdings</strong>, who previously helped raise <strong>over $5 billion</strong> during Notre Dame’s historic capital campaign.</p><p>Greg breaks down what he learned from raising billions, working with ultra-high-net-worth families, and now partnering with founders through <strong>permanent capital</strong>, a long-term investment approach that rejects forced exits, short-term incentives, and five-year flip cycles.</p><p>We explore:</p><ul><li>What investors actually look for before wiring money</li><li>Why time horizons destroy more value than bad deals</li><li>Permanent capital vs private equity and venture capital</li><li>How misaligned incentives quietly ruin partnerships</li><li>Why selling too early kills compounding</li><li>The difference between IRR and long-term wealth creation</li><li>How founders should evaluate partners before signing</li><li>Why trust beats returns in the long run</li><li>What “life’s work” really means for a founder</li></ul><p>If you’re a founder, investor, or operator thinking about taking on capital, this conversation might save you years of regret.</p><p>🎧 Learn more about Greg &amp; Seder Grove:</p><ul><li><a href="https://sedergrove.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://sedergrove.com</a></li><p><br></p></ul><p><strong>Thanks To Our Sponsors</strong></p><ul><li>💰🏙️ CRE Investor Coach: <em>No Guess Work, No Wasted Time</em> — <a href="https://cre-investor-coach.mykajabi.com/a/2148133410/9YMWzNXy">https://cre-investor-coach.mykajabi.com/a/2148133410/9YMWzNXy</a></li><li>🤖 Superpowers HQ – <em>Need a CRE executive assistant? Get one here</em>: <a href="http://superpowershq.com/commerciallyspeaking">superpowershq.com/commerciallyspeaking</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p>📺 Subscribe for more conversations about real estate, investing, leadership, and building things that last.</p><p>And Barbara Corcoran… permanent capital only. We’re ready.</p><p><strong>00:00 – What Billion-Dollar Investors Really Want</strong></p><p>Why numbers aren’t the point</p><p><strong>04:10 – Raising $5B Without a Med School</strong></p><p>How Notre Dame broke records</p><p><strong>09:40 – Why Most Capital Destroys Value<