PLAN THE DEAL
Build the Path Forward
Understand the strategic, operational, and technical decisions that shape deal value.
THE DEAL IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
Deals are negotiated in boardrooms. They succeed—or fail—in execution.
Most M&A books explain the deal. This one explains how to make it work—by treating technology as the operating infrastructure behind continuity, control, compliance, productivity, and value.
IT M&A Strategy and Execution
A Practitioner’s Deal-Tested Playbook for Technology Leaders
COMING SOON: Hardcover · $49.99
For technology leaders accountable for acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, integrations, separations, and TSA exits.
WHAT THIS BOOK HELPS YOU DO
EXECUTE WITH DISCIPLINE
Move from Plan to Action
Translate the deal strategy into governance, workplans, decisions, and measurable outcomes.
PROTECT DEAL VALUE
Avoid Costly Surprises
Anticipate the risks, dependencies, and execution failures that derail technology transitions.
END TO END TRANSACTION JOURNEY
From Deal Strategy to Value Realization
From deal strategy through diligence, planning, execution, stabilization, and TSA exit, the playbook connects technology decisions to the disciplines required to protect and deliver value.
Strategy
Deal thesis and technology implications
Diligence
Risk, cost, complexity, and readiness
Planning
Day 1, operating model, and roadmap
Execution
Integration or separation delivery
Stabilization
Operational control and issue closure
Value Realization
TSA exit, optimization, and outcomes
PRACTICAL. COMPREHENSIVE. DEAL-TESTED.
Built for the Realities of IT M&A
Practical guidance for technology leaders accountable for delivering value across the entire transaction lifecycle.
End-to-End Lifecycle
Navigate diligence, Day 1, integration, separation, TSA execution, and exit through one connected framework.
Deal-Tested Frameworks
Turn strategy into action with practical governance models, decision tools, checklists, and execution disciplines.
Built for Technology Leaders
Lead with greater clarity across business, legal, finance, cyber, infrastructure, applications, data, and vendors.
THE ARGUMENT
TECHNOLOGY IS NOT A SUPPORTING WORKSTREAM
It is the operating infrastructure through which the deal delivers—or destroys—value.
Business continuity, financial control, customer service, regulatory compliance, data protection, employee productivity, and synergy realization all depend on technology execution. Treating IT as a downstream technical exercise is how manageable risk becomes damage.
THE PROMISE
Bring discipline to ambiguity. Expose risk before it becomes damage. Convert transaction strategy into executable technology outcomes.
EXECUTION—NOT THEORY
A field-tested execution system for technology across the entire deal lifecycle.
More than a checklist, the book connects deal intent to the fact base, decisions, controls, deliverables, economics, and critical-path dependencies required to protect value—from diligence through Day 1, integration or separation, TSA exit, and stabilization.
Diligence & Deal Protection
Reveal technology, cyber, data, contract, cost, and operating risks—and connect them to valuation, deal protections, TSA needs, and the decision to proceed.
Operating Model & Governance
Build the dedicated team, roles, decision rights, governance forums, escalation paths, capacity, and SMO/IMO cadence required to execute.
Dependencies & Entanglements
Map applications, data, infrastructure, identities, people, vendors, contracts, interfaces, and shared services into a defensible fact base and Application Data Book.
Day 1, Cutover & Hypercare
Set minimum operating conditions, readiness gates, cutover command, continuity controls, issue management, and structured hypercare.
Integration & Separation
Translate the deal thesis into target-state choices, sequenced work, dependencies, milestones, budgets, risks, synergies, and measurable outcomes.
TSA Lifecycle & Exit
Manage service definition, pricing, performance, change control, extension economics, exit readiness, termination, reconciliation, stabilization, and handoff.
WHO IT IS FOR
FOR THE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE WHEN EXECUTION GETS REAL
The book you want within reach when the clock starts.
Built for leaders who need a practical reference, a common language, and a disciplined way to move from incomplete information to defensible decisions.
- CIOs and technology executives
- IT M&A, IMO, and SMO leaders
- Corporate development and deal teams
- Enterprise architects and workstream leads
- Transaction advisors and functional partners
IT M&A STRATEGY AND EXECUTION
Make execution a source of deal confidence—not deal risk.
A Practitioner's Deal-Tested Playbook for Technology Leaders
EXTEND THE VALUE OF THE BOOK
The book is the foundation. These resources help put it to work.
BOOK DIAGRAMS
View the book's diagrams at full size.
View and download selected diagrams, matrices, and reference visuals from the book, organized by chapter as a practical learning aid.
TEMPLATE LIBRARY
Start with the work products practitioners actually need.
Professional, customizable work products available for purchase as instant digital downloads—ready to adapt to your transaction.
Examples of planned downloads include: Master plans · diligence workbooks · Day 1 readiness checklists · integration and separation plans · TSA schedules · budget models · governance tools
PRACTITIONER COMMUNITY
EXPERIENCE SHOULD COMPOUND
Learn from practitioners. Share what works. Protect what’s confidential.
Contribute anonymized templates, ask execution questions, and learn from practitioners working through complex integrations, separations, and TSAs.
THIRD AVENUE VENTURES
TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY
When the deal calls for experienced guidance.
Advisory support for IT due diligence, carve-outs, integration, separation strategy, TSA execution, stand-alone readiness, and transition governance.