The aim of the article is to identify the determinants of the development of startups perceived by representatives of generation Z in Poland. It is important to obtain an answer to the research question: what determines the development of startups to the greatest extent? The goal was achieved through a review of the literature, conducting a survey on a group of 500 members of generation Z, i.e. people entering the labour market, who are most prone to setting up startups, and analysing the results obtained. Based on the analysis of the literature on the subject, an attempt was made to identify the determinants of startup success. Based on this, a questionnaire was created, which was used in to gather data. The survey was conducted in May–December 2021 via the Internet. The respondents indicated that new technologies and the method of financing determine the development of a startup to the greatest extent. It is also important that the respondents noticed that competences are the key to being able to develop a startup, perceiving intellectual capital as an important determinant of its success. In addition, they identified a large impact of cooperation with corporations on the dynamic development of a startup. The startup is part of the 4.0 era by providing an innovative product to the market. Nevertheless, its success depends on the competencies of the organisation, determining the development of a scalable business model. Startups develop in a dynamically changing environment, so they must be able to effectively use emerging opportunities and avoid threats.