[01] INTRODUCTION
Building Funktional: a creative journey with lasting lessons
[ BACKGROUND ]
In 2010, a $40 stack of business cards and a clear intent set Hubert Pokrowiecki and Szymon Waloszek in motion. From a small studio in Kraków, Funktional grew over 13 years to work with more than 270 clients—including several Fortune 500 companies—before closing in 2023. In 2014, designer Ania Misiuda joined, helping evolve a geek-built shop into a strategy-driven brand partner.
Agency showreel
[02] THE CHALLENGE
Breaking into a Competitive Market
Launching into Poland’s crowded creative market with little more than a logo and determination meant competing against established agencies without a reputation or safety net. Early wins created pressure to scale—exposing the classic constraints of cash flow, hiring, and delivery discipline.
[03] OUR APPROACH
Funktional thrived by blending strategy, design, and execution across five core capabilities: Strategy, Branding, Content & Creative Production, Digital Experiences, and Growth Marketing.
With Ania’s design-thinking mindset and Hubert’s systems view from his early coding days, the team focused on functional outcomes combining them with superb aesthetics. We acted as trusted partners, asking the right questions and delivering process-driven solutions.
[04] VISION AND IMPACT
Driving Creative Excellence
The ambition was clear: shape smart brands that grow. Over the years, Funktional created over 30 brands, delivered countless brand collateral and run campaigns across 20 markets in 16 languages. Recognition followed:
- Webby Award (2017)
- Clutch Top 1000 Global B2B Companies (2019)
- Top Branding Agencies Globally (2020)
- Top Creative Agencies in Poland (2022)
- 29 international awards overall
The agency was also among the first in Poland to implement a four-day work week, a bold cultural shift widely covered in national media. This pioneering move proved that sustainable growth and employee wellbeing can coexist—a principle that continues to shape how we build ventures inside 1Kollektiv.
Having worked with agencies from more than 55+ countries, I find Funktional's services exceptional on a global scale. Your attention to detail adds the extra value that raises the bar to the next level. Your process-orientation does work. I am grateful to have you as sparring partners to challenge us and support our marketing team in the transformation we’re undergoing. (...) Any marketing team would be lucky to have you as their partners. I am confident that your approach will power growth of our business and many others.
Kinga Bołtuć
Marketing Director
PolCard from Fiserv
[04] THE TAKEAWAYS
Resilience Through Change
Lessons Learned from Funktional’s Journey
By mid-2022, Funktional was experiencing its strongest year to date, with July revenue growing 228% year-on-year. Yet when global tensions rose in the second half and clients froze budgets, momentum turned into vulnerability. Despite record growth, the agency had no choice but to close its operations at the beggining of 2023.
The paradox was clear: even award-winning work, happy clients, and rapid growth cannot shield a company from external shocks if financial resilience is not built deep enough. The closure reinforced lessons we carry forward:
- Discipline over speed: focus on sustainable margins and cash-first delivery.
- Focus beats complexity: fewer services, deeper expertise, clearer swimlanes.
- Governance matters: forecasting, reserves, and decision rights that survive rapid growth.
- Humans > hype: steady leadership and mindful pace to protect both teams and clients.
What Endures
The craft, the relationships, the outcomes—and a playbook for building durable ventures. Funktional’s legacy now informs 1Kollektiv: helping ventures grow with the creativity of a studio, the rigor of strategy, and the resilience of lived experience.
