When handled well, however, founder-PE partnerships can yield outsize results. In private equity–backed environments, companies with deeply involved founders can outperform nonfounder-led companies significantly, delivering faster and greater value creation. In fact, a Bain study revealed that companies with deeply involved founders performed three times better than nonfounder-led companies over a 15-year period. But generating this level of performance over the deal cycle is no small feat. It requires navigating relational challenges that arise throughout the holding period.