AI Has a Seat at the ETA Table. Are You Using It?

This Week in ETA:

Searchers: Last week, I shared how I used AI to build out a searchable archive of the Acquiring Minds podcast - episode summaries, guest names, topics covered - mostly as a fun side project. I was genuinely surprised by the response I received: Many people wanted exactly that kind of resource and didn't know how to build it themselves. That reaction stuck with me. AI fluency in this space is unevenly distributed, and that gap is an opportunity.

AI is showing up across the search process, and we're still in the early innings of understanding what it actually changes.

At Entrepreneurial Capital, we're actively exploring how to use AI in diligence and lead sourcing. We're not alone in thinking about this. The Forbes Finance Council recently made the case that "boring" B2B service businesses, like accounting firms, medical billing providers, and compliance shops are actually prime AI targets precisely because they're rule-based, running on legacy tech, and largely untouched by automation. The upside opportunity is real.

On the diligence side, the promise is speed and depth: AI compressing months of document review into days, surfacing anomalies in financials, and flagging compliance risks before they surface at closing. On the sourcing side, AI can analyze datasets that no human team could reasonably process.

But the insight I keep coming back to is this: AI doesn't replace the acquisition entrepreneur, rather it shifts the role they play. Less time as a human spreadsheet, more time on relationships, cultural fit, and strategic vision. The searchers who figure out how to partner with these tools early will have a real edge.

So I want to hear from you: How are you using AI across your search process? And what problems do you wish AI could solve for your search, but haven't figured out how to do yet? Hit reply and let us know.

Plus:

• Leveraging a third party partner to help you find a business to buy? Expect to pay a finder’s fee. Here is a list of what’s standard.

• The team at Pioneer Capital Advisory developed a new tool called the SBA 7(a) Analytics Platform. It allows you to tap into historical lending data across the country, and to see historical trend analysis across multiple fiscal years. Best of all, it’s free to use. Check it out!

• Struggling with deal flow? Fellow searcher Jed Morris announced his upcoming AI Deal Flow Mastery class, starting tonight (Friday) at 5 PT. He plans to cover the ins and outs of how he has used AI to master off-market outreach.

Question:

Hit reply and tell us - How are you using AI across your search process? And what problems do you wish AI could solve for your search, but haven't figured out how to do yet?