Poland in the 1980s was filled with shuttered restaurants and shops that bore such imaginative names as “bread,” “shoes,” and “milk products,” from which lines could stretch for days on the mere rumor there was something worth buying. But you’d be hard-pressed to recognize the same squares—buzzing with bars and cafés—today. In the years since the collapse of communism, Poland’s GDP has almost tripled, making it the eighth-largest economy in the European Union, with a wealth of well-educated and highly skilled workers and a buoyant private sector that competes in international markets. Many consider it one of the only European countries to have truly weathered the financial crisis. As the Warsaw bureau chief for the Financial Times, Jan Cienski spent more than a decade talking with the people who did something that had never been done before: recreating a market economy out of a socialist one. Poland had always lagged behind wealthier Western Europe, but in the 1980s the gap had grown to its widest in centuries. But the corrupt Polish version of communism also created the conditions for its eventual revitalization, bringing forth a remarkably resilient and entrepreneurial people prepared to brave red tape and limited access to capital. In the 1990s, more than a million Polish people opened their own businesses, selling everything from bicycles to leather jackets, Japanese VCRs, and romance novels. The most business-savvy turned those primitive operations into complex corporations that now have global reach. Well researched and accessibly and entertainingly written, Start-Up Poland tells the story of the opening bell in the East, painting lively portraits of the men and women who built successful businesses there, what their lives were like, and what they did to catapult their ideas to incredible success. At a time when Poland’s new right-wing government plays on past grievances and forms part of the populist and nationalist revolution sweeping the Western world, Cienski’s book also serves as a reminder that the past century has been the most successful in Poland’s history.

The emergence of start-up companies and new forms of entrepreneurship has become a significant challenge for entrepreneurs and decision-makers who shape the businesses and economies of the future. This book presents the results of international research, analyses, and experiences with start-ups, delving into their strengths and weaknesses as well as the challenges and attitudes that drive their quest for success. It identifies and analyzes various determinants that shape entrepreneurship, shedding light on new conditions that inspire and affect running a business in a new dynamically changing economic reality. It also presents strategies and concepts used by novice entrepreneurs to overcome market challenges and build thriving enterprises from scratch. Through an analysis of start-ups from various industries and countries, contributions showcase patterns and best practices that determine their growth, and the secrets of their extraordinary achievements are discovered. The power of cooperation between the academic environment and enterprises that jointly create innovations is also highlighted, as well as the impact of the educational systems and cultural norms that support networks on promoting ecology and an environment that encourages and supports entrepreneurial ventures. By analyzing the success of entrepreneurship in various regions and countries, this edited collection reveals the relationships among policy frameworks, access to resources, and the development of dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems. It will be of interest to researchers, academics, and advanced students in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development.

This updated edition includes several new features, including: · The Startup Valuation Explorer · Expanded coverage of Valuation Methods · Responding to investor questions about your valuation · Understanding option pool impact on your valuation For many early-stage entrepreneurs assigning a pre-money valuation to your startup is one of the more daunting tasks encountered during the fundraising quest. This guide provides a quick reference to all of the key topics around early-stage startup valuation and provides step-by-step examples for several valuation methods. This Founder’s Pocket Guide helps startup founders learn: • What a startup valuation is and when you need to start worrying about it. • Key terms and definitions associated with valuation, such as pre-money, post-money, and dilution. • How investors view the valuation task, and what their expectations are for early-stage companies. • How the valuation fits with your target raise amount and resulting founder equity ownership. • How to do the simple math for calculating valuation percentages. • How to estimate your company valuation using several accepted methods. • What accounting valuation methods are and why they are not well suited for early-stage startups.

Start-up Latin America 2016 presents an update of start-up promotion policies in the region. Start-ups are becoming a reality in Latin America and public policies are playing an important role in supporting their creation and expansion. This second edition reviews and compares the experiences ...

This book responds to the growing demand for a scientific approach to the concept of startups, which are a manifestation of the digital revolution and an innovation-driven economy. With a focus on digital enterprises, the author presents empirical research carried out over 4 years in collaboration with the Startup Poland Foundation, and provides a developed universal definition of a startup. This book highlights the necessity of a clear definition, in order for startups to be treated as a permanent economic phenomenon, rather than a temporary whim. Addressing the crucial need for an effective startup management methodology and more education on this form of entrepreneurship, Digital Startups in Transition Economies offers guidance for those researching entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as entrepreneurs, public institutions, startup accelerators and technology transfer centres.

Poland's capital and largest city, Warsaw is Central Europe's leading economic hub. In recent years, it's developed a strong startup ecosystem and tech scene, which continues to grow with the support of international tech companies and enthusiastic local programs.

This volume brings together a number of scholars from a variety of disciplines to examine the phenomenon of the transformation of Poland within the context of regional and global power relations, focusing in particular on analyses of the country’s political and social development within the area of transatlantic relations. It provides a distinct view on the current dynamics and future perspectives of the transatlantic alliance. At a time when the story of Poland as the shining example of post-Communist success and European integration has been interrupted, several other leading narratives of the Western world also appear to be in danger: western values cannot be considered to be universal, the message of globalization has lost its power, and the structure of the international order is described in increasingly delusional terms. The study sheds light on features of Poland’s performance on the regional scene and will stimulate discussion about the lessons that may be learned from the Polish experience by other states facing the challenges of transformation. The last 25 years of Polish history represent the unquestioned success of this political concept. Poland has become an independent actor able to take responsibility for its own future, thanks to the favorable configuration of global powers and the support provided by international leaders. Was this merely a historical episode that created an opportunity for one actor? Can this scenario be repeated? Under what conditions?

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness that innovation plays the key role in the success and the functioning of organizations. This publication reveals an interdisciplinary dimension, because it addresses the increasing need for sustainable innovation that combines economic, environmental and social elements. Its aim is to present the international exchange of ideas, research results and practical experience in the field broadly understood as innovation, to highlight the importance of innovation management in a competitive, global economy, and to discuss the current problems related to innovation and entrepreneurship. In the economy reliant on innovation of various organizations, cross-sectoral co-operation is of paramount importance. It allows to achieve synergy between entities with diverse resources and competences in generating innovative projects. Originally, analysis of cross-sectoral relations focused on building links between business and science – in particular, the realms of research and development. This is the most obvious system by means of which the economy is fed with innovative concepts and their implementation solutions. Over time, the public sector too has begun to be perceived not only as an entity that creates economic regulations, but also as a real partner in the process of shaping economic development: it provides innovative projects, which are then commercialised in business. Therefore, the role of the public sector is not only to legislate, but also to conduct joint actions with the innovative business sector in order to stimulate local development of innovative projects. This publication will address the so-called triple helix (the most effective process of generating innovation): the system of co-operation between business, science, and government that contributes to the creation of innovative economy.

Trying to explain the sources of Poland’s economic success and decouple it from simple stylized facts on economic convergence anchored in the neoclassical growth models, the chapters show how the Polish economy rapidly moved away from the communist economic system, which had ended up in an economic collapse.