Part 1
Introducing the Start Up Competition
The MIT
Enterprise Forum Poland has completed its second year. The main program focuses
on searching out innovative start ups around the globe. Last year Poland joined
the program. Five companies won the chance to attend an entrepreneurship boot
camp at the MIT Campus.
The MIT
Entrepreneurship program is extensive with business managers in each country
joined by academics and coaches from the MIT School for Business. In mid winter
2017, MIT selected 25 start ups from around Poland of varying businesses for
the chance to compete for 8 spots in the Start Up Boot Camp.
Last year I
attended the start up final presentation day and networked with many of the
start ups plus a man whom I will call my own mentor Adam de Sola Pool who has
spent the greater part of 20 years working in Poland as an American
Businessman. Now back in the States he has his own consulting company that
includes working with the best and brightest business talent here, abroad and
most especially with Poland. This year I was approached to be a mentor in their
Entrepreneurship program. Thrilled and daunted at the same time, how could one
refuse. Being an ardent supporter of Polonia in Boston (Creative Director of
Polish Fest Boston), this was a chance to connect with Polish companies from
Poland. After I was approved as a mentor (thank you Adam!), a list of
prospective companies was sent to each of us mentors. After a bit of jockeying
of which firm was best suited to my background in Interiors, Architecture and
Project Management, Zieta from Wroclaw was paired up with me.
Many of the
start ups are fledging but established firms who have successfully been in
business for several years in Poland. What they do lack is the experience with
US Business, Finance and the American business culture. Zieta has been
producing extremely lightweight but strong yet extremely lightweight steel that
is fabricated into furniture, support structures, displays as well as fine art.
Having 25 years of experience in design, architecture and furniture, the
prospect of me mentoring a company specializing in furniture in Poland was one
I wanted to snatch up. We have a common thread: the appreciation for design.
Prior to the
start of my mentoring, Zieta and the other start ups had “local” MIT business
managers to introduce them to the process and the competition. The Fundacja
Przedsiebiorczosci Technologocznej is located in Warsaw. Two of their Project
Managers are Maciej Gajewski and Joanna Misiewicz. The Start Ups were given by
MIT an outline in which there were self analysis problems and home work
assignments that the managers from MIT Warsaw would review. In short it’s a
crash course learning session done over 2 months. Each stage had a homework
assignments and check in with the MIT team. Not entirely too different from
class assignments in Grad School, each had to be turned in for evaluation. In
Poland the MIT Business Coach listened to their pitch, inquired about their
future business plans/strategies to secure future clients and attract
investors. After all these companies are start ups who gather their funding
from diverse sources such as University grants, Polish government or EU grants,
interested investors, etc.
So what was
my job as a mentor…we were left to our own creative devices since there were no
set rules or agendas for us. Our volunteer work was just that, to volunteer our
expertise, our advice for the company and their assignments. I shan’t give away
the secrets of my mentoring. If there are any businesses out there, just send
along a request and I’d be happy to entertain the option. What Zieta’s Strategy
manager Bartlomiej Czerniak and I did was spend a lot of time talking about
the furniture industry in Europe and US. The differences, the pluses, the
minuses and the expectations. Polish businesses are truly situated to explode
on the world market. Already Poland exports a substantial apple crop across the
globe. Most especially to Europe and the lesser so to the US they are exporting
food products. Poland is known as a furniture industry leader in Europe so
Zieta is in a perfect position to seize the local and international market.
Major world
banking (especially US banks) have increased their presence in Poland. Cottage
Industries such as video gaming is increasing in Poland. It all draws upon a
well educated and talented populace. Zieta fits squarely within their expanding
entrepreneurial nature of Polish Industry. Their ambition, talent and skill has
gotten them a foothold in the Milan Furniture Fair which draws a crowd from
around the world. With their moderate success in Poland, what then could I do
as a mentor to improve their business strategy?
With a basic
knowledge of Polish Language, plus many trips to the country to visit friends
and family, exhibiting my own artwork in Suwalki, my knowledge of the culture
is first hand experience and not clouded or jaded by being a former immigrant
which left a the former Soviet Bloc to seek a better life umpteen years ago. Up
until recently, the Polish business climate was a different place. Unlike today
where we have a government at odds with international business and European
norms, the political climate prior to today welcomed in the banking industry
and adopted many of its policies. As such the average person did not reap the
rewards and were ostracized. Yet it did
create the right climate for start ups like our 25 to flourish. Again, I was
left with the question, what was I a person with a foot in 2 cultures able to
teach a successful furniture company?
One could say
I was an Ambassador for American Business, its culture, expectations and ways
of thinking. With my direct knowledge of furniture manufacturers and their
product here in the States, I could give them empirical advice of what trade
fairs to participate in, what furniture reps to consider partnering with but
above all the difference between Queen’s English and American English. Poles
are taught the Queen’s English and get American English experience more so
through one of America’s most successful export, Media, Music and Pop Culture.
Knowing American Culture is not the same as understanding American Business
Culture.
The challenge
for any mentor is getting their advice understood and implemented. It’s got to
stick. After all our advice was free. The point of this experience in my mind
was for both parties to learn from the experience and grow into a better
understanding of each business culture. Therefore the mentees would gain
valuable experience and be prepared to be competitive in the US market. The
goal of most of these start ups is also to get networking with potential
investors and partnerships to increase their capital. The mentor thus gains a
greater understanding of the Polish Business point of view and its business
climate. A win for both sides.
Next Blog:
The Winners and Demo Day
More
information can be found at:
www.zieta.pl
https://www.linkedin.
This Post was edited on 8/6. Correction made to the spelling of Bartlomiej's name and the addition of his Linked In account,
https://www.linkedin.
This Post was edited on 8/6. Correction made to the spelling of Bartlomiej's name and the addition of his Linked In account,
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