E287: What Separates Top Decile Managers from Everyone Else

What separates enduring investment firms from those that quietly break as they scale? In this episode, I talk with Chris Brimsek, Managing Director of CAB Advisory, about the unseen mechanics behind building durable alternative investment firms. Drawing from his experience as Chief of Staff to David Rubenstein and former COO of Carlyle’s $15B Infrastructure & Energy business, Chris explains why culture, judgment transfer, and succession—not deal mechanics—are the true bottlenecks to long-term performance. We unpack how elite leaders create environments without intellectual hierarchy, why forgiveness builds trust faster than perfection, and how emerging managers can avoid the most common traps as they scale.