8-Stage Claude Skill Set for Private Equity, Inspired by Blackstone-Grade Investment Rigour
Eight Claude skills covering the full private equity deal cycle. From deal screening and CIM teardown through commercial diligence, IC memo drafting, and exit preparation, each skill brings named PE methodology to Claude.
Free skills and prompts for Claude and strategy work
Templates for Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity — from diagnostics to board-ready decks.
Independent and unaffiliated. The skills and frameworks referenced on this page are not created by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Blackstone or any other alternative asset manager. They are built on publicly available frameworks and ways of working Blackstone or any other alternative asset manager is known for, and are inspired by how those approaches are used to tackle complex business problems.
What this is
8 standalone Claude skills for private equity deal teams, structured as the eight stages of a full deal cycle. Each skill is a small, uploadable workflow that teaches Claude how to run one high-value PE task with a named, repeatable method: QoE analysis, LBO structuring, Porter's Five Forces, DDQ generation, IC memo drafting, and more.
The framework is inspired by the investment rigour of the leading global alternative asset managers. The skills encode the analytical standards that top-tier PE firms apply at every stage of the deal process: MECE risk framing, bottom-up market sizing cross-checked against top-down, EBITDA bridges that hold up under QoE scrutiny, and IC memos written to survive partner-level cross-examination.
The set covers the complete deal lifecycle: screen the opportunity, tear apart the CIM, architect the diligence workplan, run commercial analysis, model the returns, draft the IC memo, build the post-close value creation plan, and prepare for exit. Each skill runs independently. Use one or load all eight.
Prefer a different professional context? See the companion 21 Bain-style strategy skills for Claude and 21 McKinsey-style strategy skills for Claude.
Download all 8 skills
One zip, one folder per skill. Free, no signup.
The 8 stages of the PE deal cycle
The skills run in the order a real deal does, from first screening note through exit process. Each stage builds on the outputs of the previous one. Run them end-to-end across a deal, or load only the stages relevant to where you are in the process.
The 8-stage private equity deal cycle
Stage 1
Deal Screening
Triage proprietary pipeline with a structured scoring rubric. Tests sector fit, scale fit, and return profile, then flags hard stops before any diligence resource is deployed.
Use when: An inbound teaser or proactive target needs a rapid go/no-go decision
Output: Screening note with thesis fit, TAM cross-check, quality scorecard, and recommended next action
Stage 2
CIM Teardown
Convert a 60-120 page marketing document into a structured analytical brief. Extracts deal thesis, reconstructs the EBITDA bridge, and builds a management assertions tracker as the backbone of the DDQ.
Use when: A CIM has arrived and the deal team needs a structured analytical brief before the first management meeting
Output: Teardown memo with thesis pillars, EBITDA bridge, management assertions tracker, and ordered diligence priority list
Stage 3
Diligence Architecture
Build the workplan that coordinates all diligence workstreams. Generates a tailored DDQ, a key-man risk checklist, and a live issues log that feeds directly into the IC memo.
Use when: The deal team needs a coordinated workplan across financial, commercial, legal, and technical workstreams
Output: Workplan with workstream owners and deliverables, DDQ by workstream, management risk checklist, and risk-ranked issues log
Stage 4
Commercial Analysis
Stress-test the growth thesis with rigorous market analysis. Applies top-down and bottom-up TAM sizing, Porter's Five Forces, customer concentration analysis, and growth driver decomposition.
Use when: The investment thesis depends on market growth, competitive positioning, or expansion into adjacent markets
Output: Commercial memo with TAM/SAM/SOM sizing, Porter's Five Forces conclusion, customer concentration analysis, and ranked commercial risks
Stage 5
Financial Scenario Modelling
Structure the LBO returns analysis with transparent scenario logic. Defines bear, base, and bull operating assumptions, computes MOIC and IRR, and stress-tests covenant headroom in the downside.
Use when: The deal team needs bear/base/bull returns analysis and a defensible bid ceiling before an indicative or final bid
Output: Sources and uses, operating assumptions by scenario, LBO returns (MOIC/IRR), sensitivity analysis, and covenant headroom assessment
Stage 6
IC Memo Drafting
Draft an IC memo that survives cross-examination. Structures the full committee document in institutional investment prose: deal thesis, diligence findings, risk matrix, returns, and a direct recommendation.
Use when: Diligence is substantially complete and the deal team needs to write the investment committee recommendation
Output: Full IC memo with executive summary, diligence findings by workstream, risk matrix, returns analysis, and recommendation
Stage 7
Portfolio Value Creation
Build the post-close operating framework. Structures the 100-day plan, decomposes the EBITDA bridge lever by lever, designs value creation workstreams with owners and KPIs, and builds the board monitoring dashboard.
Use when: The deal has closed and the deal team needs a 100-day plan, EBITDA bridge, and KPI dashboard to present to the board
Output: 100-day plan by category, EBITDA bridge with lever-by-lever contribution, value creation workstreams with owners and milestones, KPI dashboard structure
Stage 8
Exit Preparation
Prepare for a premium exit. Identifies VDD gaps before the buyer does, maps the strategic and financial buyer universe, refines the equity story, and structures the management presentation and sale process timeline.
Use when: The fund is 12-18 months from a planned exit and needs to assess readiness and maximise sale value
Output: VDD readiness assessment, buyer universe map, equity story framework, management presentation structure, and process timeline
Stages 1-3 cover opportunity identification and diligence planning. Stages 4-6 cover the analytical and documentation work that leads to an IC decision. Stages 7-8 cover the post-close period from 100-day plan through exit.
Setup guide
Download the skills pack
The zip contains all 8 skills, one folder per stage. Each skill is a single SKILL.md file. Unzip it anywhere. Use all eight or pull out the stages you need.
Create a Claude Project
Go to claude.ai, open the left sidebar, click Projects, then Create Project. Name it by deal or by fund (for example, "Project Falcon" or "PE Deal Assistant").
Add the skills as Project Knowledge
Inside your project, open Project Knowledge, click Add Content, and upload the .md files. Load the full eight stages for an active deal, or load only the stages relevant to your current phase.
Start using the skills
Open a new conversation inside the project, paste in your source material (teaser, CIM section, financial data), and name the skill you want Claude to run.
Tip
Refer to the skill by its folder name in your prompt. Phrases like "Use the deal-screening skill to evaluate this teaser" or "Run the cim-teardown skill on this executive summary" point Claude at the right framework immediately.
Example prompts
- "Use the deal-screening skill to evaluate this inbound teaser: [paste teaser]."
- "Run the cim-teardown skill on this executive summary and identify the top 10 diligence priorities."
- "Use the financial-scenario-modelling skill with a 12x entry, $15M QoE EBITDA, and 5x leverage. Show bear/base/bull returns."
- "Run the ic-memo-drafting skill. Here are the QoE findings and commercial diligence conclusions: [paste]."
How to choose a skill
Each skill maps to a specific deal phase need. Find the row that matches your situation and load that stage. For a broader view of using Claude for professional financial work, see our Claude skills for investment banking.
The quality bar
Every skill is designed to push Claude toward outputs that would pass scrutiny at an investment committee, not just produce a plausible-sounding analysis. The standard applied is the one a VP or principal would apply before sharing a memo with a partner.