Graham Weaver is the managing partner of Alpine Investors, a $17 billion people-driven private equity firm that invests in software and services businesses. Graham founded Alpine on the belief that exceptional people create exceptional businesses. Alpine’s PeopleFirst approach includes hiring, training, and placing an army of CEOs in its portfolio companies. The strategy has led Alpine to be recognized by Prequin as the most consistent top-performing private equity fund manager.

Our conversation covers Graham’s early interest in self-help, his path to private equity, and launch of Alpine in 2001. We discuss his early mistakes, discovery of Alpine’s PeopleFirst approach, and the firm’s playbook focused on CEOs and M&A at portfolio companies. We close with Graham’s thoughts on teaching and enlightenment.