Podcasts about great startup delusion

Eliot Brown is the co-author of The Cult of We (with Maureen Farrell), a WSJ best-selling book, and winner of the Financial Times, Fortune, and NPR Best Book of the Year Awards. Eliot covers startups and venture capital for The Wall Street Journal in London. He joined the Journal in 2010, when he was hired to cover commercial real estate in the wake of the financial crisis. He previously worked at the New York Observer, where he covered economic development and local politics.(2:10) - From The Cult of We to WeCrashed(3:42) - Importance of the book and it's lessons(6:18) - WeWork's board of directors & enablers(8:02) - Valuations: Real Estate vs. Tech(14:20) - HostAI - (site) AI-powered guest messaging & Airbnb rental software(16:23) - Where did it all go down hill for Adam's WeWork(19:15) - WeWork's most impactful tricks(24:16) - Cult of the Founder & power of storytelling(40:14) - WeWork's tech acquisitions(43:29) - Private vs. Public market frenzy

WeWork was buzzy from the beginning. The coworking company was sold not just as office space, but a lifestyle. Its leader, Adam Neumann, not just as a CEO – but a revolutionary. Now, as the company files for bankruptcy, Eliot Brown, a reporter with the Wall Street Journal and co-author of the book The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann and the Great Startup Delusion, joins us to chronicle how the tech unicorn fell so far. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Eliot Brown is a reporter at the Wall Street Journal and co-author of The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion. He joins Big Technology Podcast this week to talk about Big Tech's remarkable stock market comeback and how that's spilling over to VCs, startups, and IPOs. Stay tuned for the second half where we discuss the risks in the commercial real estate market, looking into examples Brown has reported on. We end discussing Evan Gershkovich, a friend and colleague of Brown who is currently imprisoned in Russia. --- Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice. For weekly updates on the show, sign up for the pod newsletter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901970121829801984/ Questions? Feedback? Write to: bigtechnologypodcast@gmail.com

Dr. John Jones is an associate professor and Chair of the Education Department at Truman State University. His research interests include the history of education, the history of special education, the history of disability, education policy, international education, and the intersection of science and religion.Website:John's faculty page: https://www.truman.edu/faculty-staff/jjones/To read: (Check out your local bookstore or favorite online provider)Final Accounting: Ambition, Greed and the Fall of Arther Andersen by Barbara Ley Toffler and Jennifer ReingoldThe Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion by Eliot Brown and Maureen FarrellThe Spider Network: The Wild Story of a Math Genius, a Gang of Backstabbing Bankers, and One of the Greatest Scams in Financial History by David EnrichPresidencies Derailed: Why University Leaders Fail and How to Prevent It by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg

This week, host Scott Galloway unpacks episode five, “Hustle Harder,” with Maureen Farrell, co-author of The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion. They question why some of the smartest investment bankers in the world kept giving Adam money, and to what extent WeWork was a company or simply a delusion. Plus, Scott shares his “Yoga babble moment of the week.” WeCrashed: The Companion Podcast is produced by Wondery, with support from Pineapple Street Studios.Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/wecrashedSupport us by supporting our sponsors!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Maureen Farrell is a business reporter with the New York Times and co-author of the book The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion, which documents one of the most bizarre stories in 21st century capitalism: the staggering rise (and subsequent collapse) of WeWork, an office space rental company that presented itself as a game-changing "technology company" that was going to revolutionize the world and change the way humans interacted with each other. Led by a strangely charismatic founder, Adam Neumann, who had sought his fortune in the baby clothes industry before pivoting to real estate, the company ascended to stunning heights, attracting investment from some of the most sophisticated capitalists in the world. Neumann successfully convinced legions of followers that WeWork was offering more than just co-working spaces, and developed what Farrell and co-author Eliot Brown call "the cult of We," infusing  the company's culture with quasi-religious belief in a destiny to change the world and earn a trillion dollars.But it was a house of cards, and it eventually came tumbling down. When WeWork attempted to go public, it came under heavy scrutiny and Neumann's grandiose claims and messianic vision were widely mocked. And yet: Neumann himself came out of the situation rather well, showing that in the 21st century U.S. economy, failure can be incredibly lucrative.In this lively conversation about a fascinating story, Farrell and Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson discuss:- How Neumann, despite being manifestly full of shit, managed to charm seemingly everyone who met him (and got them to ignore such personal idiosyncrasies as his habit of being drunk at work) - How WeWork successfully branded itself as a "technology company" when it was, in fact, quite obviously a real estate company- How the company evaded scrutiny and managed to hoodwink so many supposedly smart investors for so long- Why Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos is going to prison while Adam Neumann, who in many ways was similarly misleading, is still a multi-millionaire who is now going back into the very industry he failed in- How the WeWork story illuminates broader trends in contemporary capitalism, namely the ability to pass off grandiose and delusional visions as viable companies - How the stories of Adam Neumann and Donald Trump both show that there is no justice in the worldFor more on WeWork, check out Current Affairs editor-at-large Yasmin Nair's article on it.  

Adam Neumann a fait de WeWork une licorne par son talent de vendeur. Mais à quel prix ? En 2017, WeWork fait presque 900 millions de dollars de pertes pour 900 millions de dollars de chiffre d'affaires. WeWork est devenu un gouffre financier. Et ce gouffre, il faut vite le combler. Adam Neumann devient vite un expert dans la levée de fonds et il fait à cette occasion une rencontre déterminante: Masayoshi Son, le fondateur de Softbank. Ce milliardaire japonais va non seulement investir plus de 4 milliards de dollars dans WeWork mais surtout il va pousser Adam à toujours aller plus loin, aller plus haut. Il lui dit même qu'il n'est pas assez fou. Adam rentre alors dans un cycle de dépenses et d'acquisitions pharaoniques. WeWork doit grandir et vite. Adam s'enrichit aussi considérablement et veut toujours plus d'argent pour nourrir son train de vie toujours plus énorme: maisons, avions, voitures. Il investit même en nom propre pour acheter des immeubles qu'il loue à… WeWork. Soirée, marijuana, drogue, Il mène une vie agitée. Puis poussé par Son, la fusée Neumann finit par exploser en vol en septembre 2019 au moment où WeWork doit présenter ses documents pour entrer en bourse. Les avantages et les conditions dont Neumann profite provoque un tollé… et surtout la valorisation demandée n'a aucun sens. WeWork n'est pas une entreprise technologique avec une communauté mais bien une entreprise d'immobilier. Rien de plus. Malgré les concessions, Adam Neumann doit démissionner de son poste mais négocie encore plus d'argent. C'est finalement, Softbank, qui va reprendre WeWork et remettre de l'ordre. Adam Neumann fait profil bas pendant plusieurs années. Il aurait même été aperçu en train de prendre un vol commercial. Mais sa réputation est ternie. Pourra-t-il reconstruire quelque chose ? Inspire Média, le média des histoires d'entreprises et d'entrepreneurs Notes The Cult of We: Wework, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion. Eliot Brown, Maureen Farrell Le chiffre du jour. Le beau parachute doré d'Adam Neumann, fondateur de WeWork The fall of WeWork's Adam Neumann How Adam Neumann's Over-the-Top Style Built WeWork. 'This Is Not the Way Everybody Behaves.'

Le podcast "Il était une fois l'entrepreneur" est l'ex podcast "l'apprenti", le podcast des histoires d'entrepreneurs. Adam Neumann fait de WeWork la 1ère société de Coworking dans le monde pour une valorisation de 47 milliards de dollars. Mais WeWork est avant tout construite sur la personnalité hors du commun d'Adam. Né en Israël en 1979, Adam Neumann passe ses années adolescentes dans un Kibboutz. Il en garde l'esprit de communauté… mais l'adolescent voit grand et son séjour aux Etats-Unis lui ouvre l'appétit. Il atterrit à New York avec sa soeur, Adi Neumann, mannequin international, en 2001. Il lâche alors ses études à l'Université pour lancer sa 1ère entreprise, Krawlers, qui fait des accessoires pour bébé. Mais le fêtard Adam n'arrive pas à faire décoller le projet. Il rencontre alors un architecte timide, Miguel McKelvey et sur son idée, il crée un 1er projet de Coworking, Green Desk. Le projet cartonne et ils vendent ce 1er projet à un promoteur immobilier. Puis 1 an plus tard, ils lancent WeWork. Adam rencontre alors Rebekah Paltrow, une fille de l'élite juive new yorkaise. C'est le coup de foudre mais surtout un réseau incroyable qui s'ouvre à Adam. Il trouve alors avec Miguel un 1er investisseur qui leur donne 15 millions de dollars pour une valorisation de 45 millions de dollars.. sans qu'ils n'aient rien. Mais Adam Neumann est un vendeur charismatique… il est aussi dyslexique et ne sait pas utiliser un ordinateur. Mais ce n'est pas grave, son aura est telle qu'il a un talent pour convaincre. Il enchaîne alors les levées de fonds et les ouvertures d'espaces… WeWork a rencontré son marché et les espaces se vendent comme des petits pains. Mais il refuse de s'appeler une société d'immobilier, WeWork, c'est plus que ça. C'est une communauté. Sur cette base, il réussit à atteindre une valorisation de plusieurs dizaines de milliards de dollars fin 2015 ! Adam Neumann mène la grande vie, entre soirées alcoolisées, jet privé, voyages et hôtels de luxe, il n'a plus aucune limite. Il commence même à acheter des bâtiments en propre qu'il loue après à WeWork. On est en plein conflit d'intérêt ! Bref, tout va bien pour Adam et WeWork. Mais cela ne durera pas. Inspire Média, le média des histoires d'entreprises et d'entrepreneurs Notes The Cult of We: Wework, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion. Eliot Brown, Maureen Farrell https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Neumann How Did WeWork's Adam Neumann Build a $47 Billion Company?

Bloomberg Opinion columnist Barry Ritholtz speaks with New York Times business reporter Maureen Farrell, who co-authored the 2021 book "The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion" along with Eliot Brown. Before joining the New York Times, Farrell spent nearly 10 years at the Wall Street Journal. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Episode 65: The book The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion  by Eliot Brown & Maureen Farrell is discussed by David for the book club. The Friendly Bear Book Club will be introducing and reviewing all types of books that relate to trading. In this episode David goes over the key take-aways from the book The Cult of We and how you can apply the lessons learned into your trading and understanding of markets.BookAuthors: Eliot Brown & Maureen FarrellTitle: The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup DelusionSocial MediaDavid CapablancaInstagram: reverse_longTwitter: reverse_longYouTube: Friendly Bear Research

Eliot Brown, with Maureen Farrell, is co-author of “The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion”.  As a reporter for the Wall Street Journal he became intrigued by the messianic founder who had raised billions of dollars, and developed a cult-like following at his startup WeWork. “In little more than a decade, Neumann transformed himself from a struggling baby clothes salesman into the charismatic, hard-partying CEO of a company worth $47 billion - on paper. With his long hair and feel-good mantras, the six-foot-five Israeli transplant looked the part of a messianic truth teller. Investors swooned, and billions poured in. Soon, however, WeWork was burning through cash faster than Neumann could bring it in. From his private jet, sometimes clouded with marijuana smoke, he scoured the globe for more capital. Then, as WeWork readied a Hail Mary IPO, it all fell apart. Nearly $40 billion of value vaporized in one of corporate America's most spectacular meltdowns.” In this episode Eliot Brown shares what he learned studying WeWork and it's larger-than-life founder. Something Ventured Podcast Eliot Brown The Cult of We

John, Emily and David discuss the fate of the Build Back Better agenda; vaccine mandates working; and journalist Caitlin Dickerson helps explain the recent U.S. immigration actions and to identify some fresh strategies for change. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times: “It's All or Nothing for These Democrats, Even if That Means Biden Fails” Josh Marshall for Talking Points Memo: “Kill the Bill” Caitlin Dickerson for The Atlantic: “Democrats' Free Pass on Immigration Is Over” Caitlin Dickerson for The Atlantic: “America's Immigration Amnesia” Here's this week's chatter: John: Glamourdaze YouTube video: “A Walk in the Park - c.1900 | Bois de Boulogne Paris - AI Enhanced; Peril, by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa Emily: CNN: “Florida Man Fights Alligator With Trash Can”; Jonathan Mann's folk song celebrating the Florida Man Who Caught An Alligator In A Trash Can   David: The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion, by Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell  Listener chatter from Matthew Ringel: Veritasium YouTube video, about the history of potash: “These Pools Help Support Half The People On Earth”  For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment John, David, and Emily talk about earlier times in history they would have liked to have been podcasting together. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Danny Lavery's show Big Mood, Little Mood and you'll be supporting the Political Gabfest. Sign up now at slate.com/gabfestplus to help support our work. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John, Emily and David discuss the fate of the Build Back Better agenda; vaccine mandates working; and journalist Caitlin Dickerson helps explain the recent U.S. immigration actions and to identify some fresh strategies for change. Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times: “It's All or Nothing for These Democrats, Even if That Means Biden Fails” Josh Marshall for Talking Points Memo: “Kill the Bill” Caitlin Dickerson for The Atlantic: “Democrats' Free Pass on Immigration Is Over” Caitlin Dickerson for The Atlantic: “America's Immigration Amnesia” Here's this week's chatter: John: Glamourdaze YouTube video: “A Walk in the Park - c.1900 | Bois de Boulogne Paris - AI Enhanced; Peril, by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa Emily: CNN: “Florida Man Fights Alligator With Trash Can”; Jonathan Mann's folk song celebrating the Florida Man Who Caught An Alligator In A Trash Can   David: The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion, by Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell  Listener chatter from Matthew Ringel: Veritasium YouTube video, about the history of potash: “These Pools Help Support Half The People On Earth”  For this week's Slate Plus bonus segment John, David, and Emily talk about earlier times in history they would have liked to have been podcasting together. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Danny Lavery's show Big Mood, Little Mood and you'll be supporting the Political Gabfest. Sign up now at slate.com/gabfestplus to help support our work. Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg and RD are talking about the new podcast series from Christianity Today “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill”  Greg references the Theranos scandal and the trial of former CEO, Elizabeth Holmes.  RD references the recent resignation of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. RD references the 2015 film, Spotlight. RD references the book The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann and the Great Startup Delusion. RD uses the example of Steve Job and Apple. Greg and RD spend considerable time talking about the emerging church.RD reads a passage from Matthew 20:24-28.  Rd references Paul on Mars Hill from Acts 17:22-31

"One of the things I learned is how reckless people with enormous sums are." -Eliot Brown Eliot Brown is the author of the Wall Street Journal Bestseller: The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion Eliot was also my college roommate, and I have heard for many years the inside scoop of this crazy story about the rise and fall of WeWork, and the craziness of how much money is thrown at startups in Silicon valley, even while they lose millions of dollars What you'll learn in this episode: How did WeWork reach such incredible heights of valuation How startups are valued for private investmentsHow Venture Capital WorksHow did Wework Fall?Why so much money is competing to invest in startupsWhy do companies spend so much money to acquire customers Quotes "Typically, if you put up all the money, the founder doesn't own all of the company -- the industry own the company." -Eliot Brown"Most of the years of its existence, Wework was just a co-working space, now it is more like a real estate company." -Eliot Brown"I think Adam Neumann was living in a world that wasn't real." -Eliot Brown"One of the things I learned is that how reckless and careless people with enormous sums are." -Eliot Brown"Adam Neumanm is a sales person, that's all he is." -Eliot Brow"I'm largely baffled by this broad perception of the media." -Eliot Brown"I literally get nauseous when I have a correction on a story." -Eliot Brown"Our job as journalists is to find the truth and that is what motivates us." -Eliot Brown Continue the adventure: The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion You'll also love these episodes: Sergey Young | How to Live to 200 Years

Intro.(1:25) - Start of interview.(2:14) - Maureen's "origin story".(3:00) - Why she focused on WeWork as the subject of her book "The Cult of We" with her WSJ colleague Eliot Brown. She took over the IPO beat at the WSJ in 2016, "when there were almost no IPOs." Tech companies were staying private for longer with a ton of capital flowing into the private markets. That's when she started following high flying unicorns such as Uber, Airbnb, Lyft and WeWork. "But I always heard things that were a little crazier about WeWork, a little more confusing, a lot of crazy stories about Adam Neumann, so it was always high in my radar, and then in 2019 came the IPO that wasn't."(4:39) - Discussion around the concept of "growth at all costs." "It's the driver of this story."(7:23) - Discussion around the concept of "the cult of the founder." How Adam Neumann was able to cash out around ~$500 million throughout the financing rounds (pre-exit), in addition to getting another ~$500 million in loans from banks. Her original article from July of 2019 uncovering "how Adam Neumann cashed out at least ~$700 million in sales and loans (from JPM, Credit Suisse and UBS)."(13:21) - The unusual co-founder arrangement between Adam Neumann (getting 83%) and Miguel McKelvey via WeHoldings LLC.(14:59) - Discussion around the ethos of Silicon Valley, culture mantra, corporate purpose, mission statements such as WeWork's "to elevate the world's consciousness", sustainability and ESG, and how WeWork co-opted many of these concepts.(19:33) - Discussion around the failure of gatekeepers and how mutual funds (such as T Rowe Price and Fidelity) and other sophisticated investors had FOMO and "aped" into WeWork at record high valuations.(23:52) - Discussion around Masoyoshi Son, Softbank's Vision Fund and how Masa invested and influenced the outcome of Adam Neumann and WeWork.(23:33) - How she and her co-author came up with a shorthand to think about Adam Neumann: a magician.(26:28) - Discussion around the board of directors of WeWork.(30:28) - Discussion around dual-class share structures and founder control. How WeWork's IPO decision was a way to clean up the company's corporate governance.(36:49) - WeWork's failed IPO, the fall of Adam Neumann (walking away with ~$2 billion...). Litigation outcome and Adam's current status.(43:31) - The books that have greatly influenced her life:The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927), by Thornton Wilder.Say Nothing (2018), by Patrick Radden Keefe.Bad Blood (2018), by John Carreyrou.(47:46) - Her mentors: "In terms of journalism, it's important to have mentors but you also need to forge bonds with peers who can also become lifelong mentors."(49:15) - An unusual or absurd habit that she loves: watching bad TV with her daughters! (Hey Dude, Nickelodeon).(49:57) - The living person she most admires: (politics aside) Jimmy Carter.(52:14) - The WeWork movie (Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway will play Adam Neumann and Rebecca Neumann)Maureen Farrell is one of the co-authors of the bestselling book "The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann and the Great Startup Delusion", the definitive inside story of WeWork and Adam Neumann. Maureen is a reporter that covers capital markets and IPOs at The Wall Street Journal, where she has worked since 2013. She previously worked at CNN, Forbes, Debtwire, and Mergermarket.She can be reached via email at Maureen.Farrell@wsj.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Maureenmfarrell.If you like this show, please consider subscribing, leaving a review or sharing this podcast on social media. __ You can follow Evan on social media at:Twitter @evanepsteinLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack https://evanepstein.substack.com/Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

WeWork revolutionized working spaces. By investing in commercial real estate and converting property into flexible shared workspaces, WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann was set to transform the way people get work done. The company offered more than shared space, investing in education and housing initiatives through its WeGrow schools and WeLive residences. Israeli businessman Adam Neumann was on track to become the world's first trillionaire, but the company soon found itself burning through money with a last hope attempt through a Hail Mary IPO. From the minds of Wall Street Journal reporters Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell, The Cult of We uncovers the wins, hiccups, and turmoil of tech startups. Eliot Brown has spent his career covering startups, venture capital, commercial real estate and economic development. Similarly, Maureen Farrell focuses on the role of initial public offerings and capital markets in creating a successful business. Together, Brown and Farrell delve into the case of WeWork founder Adam Neumann to better understand how startups can revolutionize the world and what happens when they fail to do so. Join us as Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell, along with program moderator Charles Duhigg, uncover the gripping reality of tech startup culture. SPEAKERS Eliot Brown Reporter, The Wall Street Journal; Co-author, The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion; Twitter @eliotwb Maureen Farrell Reporter, The Wall Street Journal; Co-author, The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion; Twitter @maureenmfarrell In Conversation with Charles Duhigg Contributor, The New Yorker; Author, Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative Power of Real Productivity In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WeWork revolutionized working spaces. By investing in commercial real estate and converting property into flexible shared workspaces, WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann was set to transform the way people get work done. The company offered more than shared space, investing in education and housing initiatives through its WeGrow schools and WeLive residences. Israeli businessman Adam Neumann was on track to become the world's first trillionaire, but the company soon found itself burning through money with a last hope attempt through a Hail Mary IPO. From the minds of Wall Street Journal reporters Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell, The Cult of We uncovers the wins, hiccups, and turmoil of tech startups. Eliot Brown has spent his career covering startups, venture capital, commercial real estate and economic development. Similarly, Maureen Farrell focuses on the role of initial public offerings and capital markets in creating a successful business. Together, Brown and Farrell delve into the case of WeWork founder Adam Neumann to better understand how startups can revolutionize the world and what happens when they fail to do so. Join us as Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell, along with program moderator Charles Duhigg, uncover the gripping reality of tech startup culture. SPEAKERS Eliot Brown Reporter, The Wall Street Journal; Co-author, The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion; Twitter @eliotwb Maureen Farrell Reporter, The Wall Street Journal; Co-author, The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion; Twitter @maureenmfarrell In Conversation with Charles Duhigg Contributor, The New Yorker; Author, Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative Power of Real Productivity In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on August 10th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eliot Brown, a reporter at the Wall Street Journal, joins the Business Scholarship Podcast to discuss his book The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion, which he co-authored with fellow reporter Maureen Farrell. This episode is hosted by Andrew Jennings, assistant professor at Brooklyn Law School. Special thanks to Ann Lipton, associate professor at Tulane Law School, and Anat Alon-Beck, assistant professor of law at Case Western Reserve University, for invaluable feedback.

Adam Neumann, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home (eight of them, actually) and a happy (if slightly hyperactive) disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived forty years in the world with very little to distress or vex him. In the summer of 2019, he was presiding over the most valuable startup in America: WeWork. To the cynical, it was a glorified desk rental company. To Adam, it was the company that would “elevate the world's consciousness,” broker Middle East peace, build offices on Mars (presumably with the staple WeWork perks: ping pong, cold brew, free beer), and turn Adam into history's first trillionaire. But then the searing sun of reality melted the wax that held his wings together, and he plummeted to earth, the value of his company going up in smoke behind him like a contrail. The story of Adam's spectacular rise and calamitous fall is the subject of a new book called “The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion.” It was written by two Wall Street Journal reporters, Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell. Their real-time coverage of Adam's erratic behavior and flagrant self-dealing helped to hasten his demise. In this episode, they speak with Mike Isaac, author of “Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber,” about hubris, greed, tech culture, and bad judgment. Join The Next Big Idea Club today at nextbigideaclub.com/podcast and get a free copy of Adam Grant's new book! Listen ad-free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad-free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/thenextbigidea. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Adam Neumann, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home (eight of them, actually) and a happy (if slightly hyperactive) disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived forty years in the world with very little to distress or vex him. In the summer of 2019, he was presiding over the most valuable startup in America: WeWork. To the cynical, it was a glorified desk rental company. To Adam, it was the company that would “elevate the world's consciousness,” broker Middle East peace, build offices on Mars (presumably with the staple WeWork perks: ping pong, cold brew, free beer), and turn Adam into history's first trillionaire. But then the searing sun of reality melted the wax that held his wings together, and he plummeted to earth, the value of his company going up in smoke behind him, like a contrail. The story of Adam's spectacular rise and calamitous fall is the subject of a new book called “The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion.” It was written by two Wall Street Journal reporters, Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell. Their real-time coverage of Adam's erratic behavior and flagrant self-dealing helped to hasten his demise. In this episode, they speak with Mike Isaac, author of “Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber,” about hubris, greed, tech culture, and bad judgment.

If someone pitched the story idea of a guy who was a former baby clothes salesman who then started a company that sublet co-working office space to millennials, and that that company would then become the most well financed startup ever, and that the story of its eventual rise and fall would give birth to an Apple tv series, a Hulu documentary, an HBO movie, several books, and two podcast series, the pitch would be rejected immediately. And yet this is the story of Adam Neumann and WeWork. But it's also a story of Silicon Valley, of Wall Street, of international investors, of obsessions with millennials, of portfolio theory taken too far, and it all comes together to create the perfect corporate storm. While there are some bad and greedy actors in this story, I would argue it's one with no heroes, and no real villains….because it exists, like many of our greatest corporate dramas, inside the protective bubble of a unique moment in place and time. - Telling this story, as more than just the story of Adam Neumann and a failed business model, but telling it in the context of all of the aforementioned moving parts, is WSJ reporter Maureen Farrell in The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion.    My conversation with Maureen Farrell:

With special guest, Eliot Brown, co-author or "The Cult of We." 

Episode 24: The Bear Cave founder Edwin Dorsey goes over what brought him into the world of short-selling and how he got started in the markets. Edwin tells his story on how he began his activist short selling research reports while attending Stanford University. Edwin gives tons of valuable insight on what it takes to publish his reports and weekly newsletter. Edwin also gives tips on how to get started on your own activist research. Social media:Edwin DorseyTwitter: stockjabber & bearcaveemail Website: thebearcave.substack.comYouTube: The Bear CaveWebsites & tools mentioned in the podcast episode:SEC EDGAR Full Text SearchFOIA.gov - Freedom of Information ActIBorrowDeskShortsqueeze.comTIKR TerminalLegal Eagle YouTube ChannelEdwin's book recommendations:1. Clarence Darrow: Attorney for the Damned2. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup3. Lights Out: A Cyberattack, a Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath4. The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion

Was WeWork a tech company? A trillion-dollar business? A way of life? With the benefit of hindsight it’s easy to say, emphatically, “No.” But looking back at the lofty goals and investor enthusiasm that propelled the We Co. to a $47 billion valuation, we’re left wondering if the people involved have learned anything. Here to talk with us about it is Wall Street Journal reporter Maureen Farrell, who co-wrote the new book “The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann and the Great Startup Delusion.” Plus: Simone Biles, the Food and Drug Administration and polyamory pedantics. Here's everything we talked about today: Read an excerpt from “The Cult of We” Revisit our previous episodes on WeWork and SPACs “WeWork Prepares For A Second Act — Banking Its Future On The Rise Of Remote Work” from NPR “Simone Biles withdraws from women’s team gymnastics at Tokyo Olympics as ROC wins gold” from CNN “CDC reinstitutes mask recommendations for some vaccinated people” from The Verge “FDA says its ‘working as quickly as possible’ to review for full approval of vaccines” from ABC News “Biden Projects Final F.D.A. Vaccine Approval Within Months” from The New York Times Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s pro-vaccine (but anti-mask) Washington Post op-ed “Sallie Krawcheck on what the pandemic means for women's finances” from Marketplace Our show needs your voice! Tell us what you think of the show or ask a question for our hosts to answer! Send a voice memo or give us a call at 508-82-SMART (508-827-6278).

Was WeWork a tech company? A trillion-dollar business? A way of life? With the benefit of hindsight it’s easy to say, emphatically, “No.” But looking back at the lofty goals and investor enthusiasm that propelled the We Co. to a $47 billion valuation, we’re left wondering if the people involved have learned anything. Here to talk with us about it is Wall Street Journal reporter Maureen Farrell, who co-wrote the new book “The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann and the Great Startup Delusion.” Plus: Simone Biles, the Food and Drug Administration and polyamory pedantics. Here's everything we talked about today: Read an excerpt from “The Cult of We” Revisit our previous episodes on WeWork and SPACs “WeWork Prepares For A Second Act — Banking Its Future On The Rise Of Remote Work” from NPR “Simone Biles withdraws from women’s team gymnastics at Tokyo Olympics as ROC wins gold” from CNN “CDC reinstitutes mask recommendations for some vaccinated people” from The Verge “FDA says its ‘working as quickly as possible’ to review for full approval of vaccines” from ABC News “Biden Projects Final F.D.A. Vaccine Approval Within Months” from The New York Times Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s pro-vaccine (but anti-mask) Washington Post op-ed “Sallie Krawcheck on what the pandemic means for women's finances” from Marketplace Our show needs your voice! Tell us what you think of the show or ask a question for our hosts to answer! Send a voice memo or give us a call at 508-82-SMART (508-827-6278).

In Episode 200 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Maureen Farrell, author of “The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neuman, and the Great Startup Delusion.” Maureen, along with her colleague and co-author Eliot Brown, were some of the first reporters at the Wall Street Journal to cover what is arguably the biggest financial debacle in the history of early-stage investing. And yet, this description doesn't even begin to capture the incredible story that is the rise and fall of WeWork: a story about a real estate company that was at one point the most valuable start-up in America, despite racking up over $10 billion dollars in losses over the course of just nine years and vaporizing nearly forty billion dollars in equity value practically overnight. The reality of WeWork—of what it is and what it was—stands in stark contrast to what its founder, Adam Neuman said it was to his investors, employees, and the media. It was going to be worth ten trillion dollars, more than any other company in the world. It wasn't just an office space provider. It was a tech play. Its spin-offs like “WeGrow” and “WeLive” were going to revolutionize education and change the world. Adam Neuman was going to solve Middle East peace and WeWork would help colonize Mars. As crazy as all of this sounds, it is emblematic of a larger decay in the most basic principles of capitalism that prioritizes the raising of capital over the turning of profits. It rewards storytellers over businesspeople. Price overvalue. This episode is broken into two parts, the first half of which is focused mainly on the particulars of WeWork, the characters involved, and the disastrous decisions made by its management along with the dereliction of its board. The second half focuses on the larger macro forces that are responsible for encouraging the type of behavior that we've seen in the case of WeWork and applying that template to other companies and their executives. We also explore the intersection of politics and finance, including a rise in demagoguery that parallels the institutional and moral decay we are witnessing across many parts of Western society. You can access the second half of this conversation, as well as the transcript, and show notes to this week's episode through the Hidden Forces Patreon Page. All subscribers gain access to our overtime feed, which can be easily added to your favorite podcast application. If you enjoyed listening to today's episode of Hidden Forces you can help support the show by doing the following: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | YouTube | CastBox | RSS Feed Write us a review on Apple Podcasts Subscribe to our mailing list through the Hidden Forces Website Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Subscribe & Support the Podcast at https://patreon.com/hiddenforces Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod Follow Demetri on Twitter at @Kofinas Episode Recorded on 07/18/2021

Domino's delivers. Chipotle serves up big earnings. Snap surprises. Netflix slips. Crocs kicks it up a notch. Zoom Video buys Five9. Johnson & Johnson rises. And Boston Beer fizzles. Motley Fool analysts Jason Moser and Maria Gallagher discuss those stories and share two stocks on their radar: PayPal and Squarespace. Plus, Wall Street Journal reporter Elliot Brown talks about the new book he co-authored, The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion. Looking for more stocks for your radar? Get 50% off our Stock Advisor service just by going to http://RadarStocks.fool.com.

In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Maureen Farrell, the author of "The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion", to discuss the inside story of WeWork, its audacious founder, and what its epic unraveling says about a financial system smitten with Silicon Valley innovation. Maureen Farrell is a reporter covering initial public offerings and capital markets for the Wall Street Journal in New York. She previously covered Wall Street, banking and M&A for the MoneyBeat blog. Prior to joining the Wall Street Journal in 2013, she worked as a reporter at various publications, including Forbes and CNNMoney. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Liberty and Tirzah discuss For Your Own Good, Intimacies, The River Has Teeth, and more great books. Pick up an All the Books! shirt, sticker, and more right here. Follow All the Books! using RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify and never miss a beat book. Sign up for the weekly New Books! newsletter for even more new book news. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW: For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing  The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor by Shaenon K. Garrity and Christopher Baldwin Jillian vs. Parasite Planet by Nicole Kornher-Stace, Scott Brown In the Same Boat by Holly Green Intimacies by Katie Kitamura The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig  You & Me at the End of the World by Brianna Bourne WHAT WE'RE READING: Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry Noor by Nnedi Okorafor Carrie by Stephen King MORE BOOKS OUT THIS WEEK: Colorful by Eto Mori  Fish Heads and Duck Skin by Lindsey Salatka Stolen: A Memoir by Elizabeth Gilpin The Woman from Uruguay by Pedro Mairal, Jennifer Croft (Translator) The Devil You Know: Stories of Human Cruelty and Compassion by Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne  Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of Quarantine by Nicola Twilley, Geoff Manaugh Paradise, WV by Rob Rufus The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion by Eliot Brown, Maureen Farrell I Will: How Four American Indians Put Their Lives on the Line and Changed History by Sheron Wyant-Leonard Come With Me by Ronald Malfi Isn't It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams Sixteen Horses by Greg Buchanan The Bachelor by Andrew Palmer  El Chapo: The Untold Story of the World's Most Infamous Drug Lord by Noah Hurowitz Hot Under His Collar by Andie J. Christopher New Women in the Old West: From Settlers to Suffragists, an Untold American Story by Winifred Gallagher The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World by Patrick Wyman Better With Butter by Victoria Piontek Curses by Lish McBride Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North More Anon: Selected Poems by Maureen N. McLane When We Were Young by Richard Roper The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives by Kristin Miller By Water Beneath the Walls: The Rise of the Navy SEALs by Benjamin H. Milligan Linked by Gordon Korman  False Witness by Karin Slaughter  Sleeper Agent: The Atomic Spy in America Who Got Away by Ann Hagedorn The Tiny Bee That Hovers at the Center of the World by David Searcy The Council of Animals by Nick McDonell, Steven Tabbutt (Illustrator) These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan  The Retreat by Elisabeth de Mariaffi The Howe Dynasty: The Untold Story of a Military Family and the Women Behind Britain's Wars for America by Julie Flavell After the Ink Dries by Cassie Gustafson Virtue by Hermione Hoby  Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder A Woman of Intelligence by Karin Tanabe  Believers: Making a Life at the End of the World by Lisa Wells She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan  Red Traitor by Owen Matthews A Radical Act of Free Magic (The Shadow Histories) by H. G. Parry Closing Costs by Bracken MacLeod What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente  The Lights of Sugarberry Cove by Heather Webber Golden Boy: A Murder Among the Manhattan Elite by John Glatt Better to Have Gone: Love, Death, and the Quest for Utopia in Auroville by Akash Kapur See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apply to attend The Realignment's conference in Miami on October 22nd: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-realignment-conference-tickets-158996058491 Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell, authors of The Cult of We: Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion and Wall Street Journal reporters, join The Realignment to discuss what the rise and fall of Adam Neumann's WeWork says about venture capital, Wall Street, startups, and the future of commercial real estate after COVID-19.

In the 11 years since its founding, WeWork has had a wild ride. At its core, it's a real estate company that subleases trendy office spaces to other businesses. But the workers at the company, lead by their charismatic CEO Adam Neumann and intoxicated by a $47 billion valuation, partied like it was a rebellious tech startup. Behind all the kombucha taps in WeWork's offices was a culture of extravagant splurging, furious hedonism, and questionable business decisions. The bad behavior persisted for a decade before it all came crashing down. This week on Gadget Lab, we talk with Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell, the Wall Street Journal reporters who helped reveal the absurd shenanigans that led to the downfall of WeWork. Their new book, The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion, is a chronicle of the company's rollicking journey. Show Notes:  The Cult of We comes out July 20. You can preorder it here. And be sure to follow all of Eliot and Maureen's reporting at The Wall Street Journal. Recommendations:  Maureen recommends the show Schitt's Creek. Eliot recommends the podcast Fiasco, specifically season two, which is about the Iran Contra Scandal. Lauren recommends the Listings Project, a community newsletter for people looking for temporary housing. Mike recommends Mixcloud for discovering new music through DJ sets. Maureen Farrell can be found on Twitter @maureenmfarrell. Eliot Brown is @eliotwb. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys. If you have feedback about the show, or just want to enter to win a $50 gift card, take our brief listener survey here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wall Street Journal's Eliot Brown first became interested in WeWork back in 2014 after an encounter with founder co-founder Adam Neumann, who quickly told the reporter that he should not “think about his company as a real estate business, but as a community-building startup”. Fast forward seven years, Brown, along with his colleague Maureen Farrell, plan to release their new book The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion, which chronicles the infamous journey of one of the most talked-about companies in recent years, and how a billion-dollar business fooled Silicon Valley. Featuring: Eliot Brown (@eliotwb), Reporter for Wall Street Journal and Author Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices