PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Allan Bee. Smithee
TI  - Down and Dirty Due Diligence
AID  - 10.3905/jpe.2001.319991
DP  - 2001 May 31
TA  - The Journal of Private Equity
PG  - 5--12
VI  - 4
IP  - 3
4099  - https://pm-research.com/content/4/3/5.short
4100  - https://pm-research.com/content/4/3/5.full
AB  - The pseudonymous Mr. Smithee, as a due diligence hired gun, describes the weapon in his work for “lucky and smart business people” as “an unhealthy dose of cynicism.” The lessons he demonstrates here include: Challenge everything that doesn't fit. Get face to face with the raw data. Respect everyone; be intimidated by no one (the meek shall avoid all bad deals). To evaluate investments in a company or a process, he provides ten-plus-a-bonus down and dirty tactics for your own on-site visits, ending with: “the dumber you look, the smarter you are…I cannot think of an instance when I pushed forward after an insult that I did not find the manager was flat wrong or had exceedingly little to back him up.”