A huge stream of money for the development of Polish companies is a huge opportunity that we want to use as wisely as possible. And I try to infect the Founders and the management boards of our companies with this approach and support in this area.- says Mariusz Bagan, another person from our fund - the hero of our "Let's get to know each other" series. Mariusz is responsible for grant programs and supports you in this area as part of the ScaleUP Center.
What is the biggest advantage of working in a fund?
Agency. There is no global here, no headquarters somewhere far away in London or Amsterdam, which locks ideas in drawers for a few quarters and then postpones the decision until eternal tomorrow. With us, everything happens quickly. Concrete is a value. Hundreds of decisions are made before lunch. And hundreds more, until dinner. I see how ideas work. How they turn into real businesses. In addition, those that really affect people's lives. Here, ghosty quickly verifies the market. Working for years in the largest communication groups, I could not complain about the multitude of topics, but the intensity of events in the fund is even greater. Working in a startup environment is working in the first line of changes, often innovative, that really change the world around us. In addition, with people who more often hear "it can't be done", the faster they prove that "it can be done".
In what professional areas does working at WP Square develop you? What competencies do you develop thanks to it?
For now, the leading topic is undoubtedly subsidy programs. A huge stream of money for the development of Polish companies is a huge opportunity that we want to use as wisely as possible. And I try to infect the Founders and the management boards of our companies with this approach and support in this area. That is why, together with the best subsidy companies on the Polish market, we have created a model of cooperation based on process-based activities, methodically planned not only for the coming months, but for the coming years until 2027. Because the current distribution is the last EU perspective in which we are still a beneficiary and not a net payer, hence the chance of obtaining attractive financing is simply greater. EU funds are the cheapest and easily available capital for the development of a company. This is especially evident today, with such volatile markets and financial conditions.
Subsidies are one thing, but working closely with companies, I also see how important but also difficult the area of sales and building competences is also in this area. A mix of different models, building sales funnels, prospecting, proper determination of pricing levels, work on retention and a number of soft skills of the sales team affect business results. A very interesting part of the business that is worth looking at and constantly improving.
How can companies benefit from your competences?
In the context of subsidy programs, we have already had meetings mapping needs with almost all our companies. This is already happening. We will have to wait for the effects until the results of the competitions that have already been announced. On the other hand, other programs will soon be launched, with further billions of zlotys for the development of Polish companies or for the internationalization of business. That's why I invite you today!
What interesting things do you do outside of work?
I go to the hairdresser. Sometimes I also go to the theatre, but only if I don't cover others. In Q3 I am going to go to the cinema.
