Buysiders Institute

How a private fund really works, from the LPA to the last distribution.

Structures, fees, waterfalls, performance metrics and the pacing of a whole alternatives program.

The structureThe economicsManaging the program

The structure

8 min read

LPs, GPs and the LPA

The cast of a private fund, and the one document that governs all of it.

7 min read

Capital calls and the fund lifecycle

Why you never wire the full commitment on day one, and how a fund breathes over ten years.

The economics

8 min read

The distribution waterfall

Who gets paid, in what order, and why the structure is worth real money.

8 min read

IRR, MOIC, DPI and TVPI

The four numbers on every fund deck, what they hide, and how to compare honestly.

Managing the program

7 min read

The J-curve and pacing

Why early returns look negative, and how to build a program that smooths it out.

7 min read

Co-investment and secondaries

Two tools that let allocators shape cost, timing and exposure beyond the primary fund.