Legend of Polish business for “Wprost”: Let’s not arise the Germans
– I don’t like these words that we Poles are exceptional. We are not special. We are simply a nice nation, with ambitions that beautifully uses this time and this is the place where we are now. We created a better state after all. Because there is no such country from which all citizens would be satisfied, in which everyone earns great, are wealthy and happy – says Adam Góral, creator and president of Asseco, one of the largest IT companies in Europe.
Szymon Krawiec, “Wprost”: Why are so few entrepreneurs from your generation in the IT industry?
Adam Góral: I can’t answer it. First of all, I had the faith that we Poles can produce software, that this is not a domain reserved only for large western corporations. These ambitions made Asseco strong.
In the early 1990s, this faith that Poles would break through the market with their own software was called naivety. Perhaps it was naive. It was such times that I would probably be much richer if I was selling equipment. The equipment was so tangible, and the money from the transaction was immediately. And we brought some disk to the companies and wanted them to pay for them. At the beginning, customers did not understand it.
The unaware of the market was very high. In those days people were afraid of computer science, they did not trust her.
We started cooperation with the banking sector with smaller banks and educated their staff. We explained that there is nothing to be afraid of, that these solutions are simple and that we can achieve a lot together.
But you still stayed with the software, you did not go to selling equipment.
Because, unlike hardware, this software gives you the chance that you are becoming a partner for years. We have customers who have been with us from the beginning, for almost 35 years.
The fact that we started with the banking sector also helped us a lot. This industry was the first in the entire economy to be aware of the need to introduce serious computer science. We didn’t have to convince them for a long time that if they didn’t go with us, they would lose. They knew that if they stay in place, they would not be competitive, because the world is changing.
As we later went to computerize other sectors, I was already smarter. I knew what phases other companies would go through, I had this experience in banking.
So faith works wonders. But you could lose faith in 2001, when Crédit Agricole took over the former Lukas Bank, which the Lord served. You heard then that you are very good, but the French do not believe that you will stay on the market.
I was sorry then, it was regret, but today I laugh a little. In such difficult situations I always look for positives. Indeed, they refused to me. They didn’t believe in me. But I didn’t get offended at Crédit Agricole, I just drew conclusions.
I realized that for these great banking structures I was simply not a partner, I was too small. That is why I went to look for smaller partners in Europe in Europe, that we would integrate and show what strength we have under the aegis of Asseco. I knew that then we would become partners for those large players who are refusing us for now.
Today, Prime Minister Tusk talks about repolonization so that more orders go to Polish, not foreign companies.
