Hark the post horn! Poland’s top business tycoon, philanthropist, and founder and CEO of InPost, has a package of ideas to deliver to the Berlaymont Palace, the headquarters of the European Commission.
Speaking to Visegrád24 in his offices in the west of Warsaw, Rafał Brzoska exudes the urbane strength and refinement of Poland’s new, civilized elite. Yet behind the optimism of his self-made generation is a reflection on the nation’s future, and the narrowing opportunities that once fueled their rise. Today, Rafał is leading the charge against a proliferation of managerial bureaucracy, which he believes threatens Europe’s economic standing in the world.
“There’s a famous saying,” he told us. “The US innovates, China replicates, and the European Union regulates.”
From Parcel Lockers to European Leadership
Rafał founded InPost in 2006 as a parcel locker network aimed at simplifying deliveries across Poland. The company expanded rapidly and went public on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange in 2020, becoming one of Poland’s largest companies and a leader in e-commerce logistics. By 2021, the now multinational drop-shipping service had grown into Europe’s logistics network.
Like most of Poland’s post-Communist success stories, InPost thrived in an environment of relative economic freedom. Poles have inevitably compared Rafał to Elon Musk, a comparison that seems to amuse him more than flatter him. Yet there is a curious trans-Atlantic synergy between the two visionary entrepreneurs. Beyond education, health, and social welfare, Rafał’s philanthropic work is increasingly intersecting with the realm of statecraft.
Poland’s economic boom has been both a personal and national journey. Emerging from the ruins of World War II and decades of a command economy imposed by Moscow, the country’s first generation of free-market entrepreneurs has left a distinct mark on modern Poland.
“Poland was completely destroyed in Second World War. Then we had 45 years of a command economy run by Russia. And in 1989 we started the real entrepreneurship from scratch. Our GDP per capita was less than 7000 US, dollar per person. Now it's 47,000 per person. It means that in two years time horizon, most probably will overpass Japan. This is the sense of Poland. This is the nation. This is the energy. This is entrepreneurship. This is the huge energy needed to catch up with the others successfully.”
Deregulation and the European Challenge
“The reason that there is more and more regulation in Poland today, I think, is that Europe is following the path that we as Poles do remember very well. This comes from the communism times, where everything was byorder, everything was planned. Or if it was not planned. It was supposed to be planned and regulated. We know that this kind of economy is leading to nowhere, and that's why we are so convinced that Poland has a very strong mandate to tell European Union that we need to change the way of working. We need to change the way we want our beautiful countries to be developed.”
Investment in people is central to his vision. One of Brzoska’s most striking philanthropic projects involves sending Polish children to elite foreign schools, generating intangible value for society. He worries that overregulation is causing Europe to lose its best talent.
"We are losing our best brain power. The brain power, specifically in AI space, is now moving away from Europe, moving away from Poland. We need to change that," Rafał explains. “I think the politicians, they should look to the entrepreneurs for how to change their way of working. And I hope we will become a kind of inspiration for many politicians across Europe, what to change, how to deregulate Europe, but also to push Europe forward in terms of innovation.”
SprawdzaMy: Transparency and Trust
In pursuit of this vision, Rafał founded SprawdzaMy.com, an online platform that allows users to verify and assess the credibility of businesses and service providers in Poland through real-time reviews and ratings. The platform aims to foster market transparency and provide guidance to regulators.
“Here at SprawdzaMy.com, we are sometimes compared to the American DOGE program. It’s an organic growth, coming from society and expertise from different organizations. We are bringing together ideas, giving advice, and creating guidance for the common benefit. I strongly believe this approach will deliver tangible results.”
Initial responses have been encouraging.
“Polish politicians, regardless of party, are beginning to say out loud that we need to change something. We need to deregulate, and maybe create a pathway to bring these ideas to the European Commission.”
“Deregulation is critical. Our competitors in Asia do not face these strict rules that we, as Poles and Europeans, must follow. It’s simply unfair, and it slows innovation.”
A Grassroots Vision
While successful businessmen are often accused of oligarchical tendencies when they engage in politics, Brzoska emphasizes a focus on ordinary people.
“Most of my focus will go to regular people, not big entrepreneurs. These are the real energy creators for big businesses.”
Rafał Brzoska’s vision blends entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and statecraft, offering a blueprint not just for Poland, but for Europe. His message to the Berlaymont Palace is clear: deregulate, innovate, and invest in talent, before bureaucracy strangles the continent’s competitive edge.
Alexander Shaw
Journalist
