WeWork

Overall I thought this was well done. It's shocking how a company can grow to a giant but is made of fluff. I enjoyed everything except the end. It seemed like they had no idea how to end it and decided to do something with masks? Just strange.

A company I didn't know that existed, ran by a guy who was believed to be Jesus Christ. WeWork is a good concept. It just needs to be executed properly.

A few years ago while traveling around Southern California, I noticed the WeWork sign popping up on buildings. At first, I thought it was an employment agency moving in, then I was told that it was floors of suites for rent. I thought that was great because when I was in College, I had heard of "Fegen Suites". Those were the first in floors of offices Lawyers/Attorneys and Government rented.

Fegen Suites shared a common reception area (usually two or three receptionists behind a nice large desk), a few folks in another room answering their phones and taking messages if they wanted (They could have the phones ring through to them if they chose) and could share an administrative area with copy machines, computers, etc. On that floor. It had conference rooms. It was a cost saving measure for young lawyers/attorneys starting out.

These grew popular as top entertainment companies and government offices started using them for "extra office space". Then new Production Companies were using them for their offices, and many small businesses started to rent them, all for the same reason. They did have 'top' real estate salespeople/companies to help rent these suites, and they were consistently full -- even a wait lists. That's what led me to believe that's what WeWork sounded like, but possibly now have been updated for the digital generation of those just starting out.

Boy was I wrong!

I watched this documentary, and it was like watching a horror show on so many levels! I had no idea WeWork was like this at all! The documentary takes you through the two founders Neumann and Miguel, but centering mostly on Neumann and his sales techniques into having young people buy into this WeWork experience. It came across like a Real Estate Cult with Neumann at the head. I had never seen anything in real estate quite like this (and I saw the beginning of house flipping!! Guys, it didn't start as legit as the shows now show.)

This "salesman", Neumann seemed to cultivate a mesh between a pyramid scheme and a cult where he and his wife (who did a few movies and was related to Gwyneth Paltrow - big whoop!) conned banks out of now millions off the sweat of wide-eyed, well meaning young people who fell for his con and did all the work while he took all the glory. What a racket, as as with all rackets this plummeted fast.

The documentary does a good job of telling the tale of WeWork through employee and others interviews, spots of Neumann's ego appearances on programs and films of employee camps, etc. But Neumann and his wife "did not participate in the making of the documentary". Why should they? What can they say to make any real sense out of this? I've seen just about enough to see why WeWork fell so quickly from grace. However, Neumann and his wife will still walk away with a big payday and according to the documentary have already set their sights on something new.

Throughout watching all i kept thinking was how would Tommy Wiseau rent office space? And what kind of summer camp would he run? And what would his S1 look like?

I would argue that the saddest part about WeWork are not the hyped employees who got heartbroken and ripped off. It's that CEO Adam Neumann recklessly besmirched his own beautiful, heartfelt vision and also tarnished how the world will perceive anyone else trying to change the world.

I believe he was honestly trying to make his vision come to life. Because even a pro narcissist manipulator can only fool so many people before they smell he's not ALL IN on what he's selling. Neumann was. But at some point, probably when the big bucks started coming in, he started prioritising himself over his vision. Unbeknownst to him, that's when, how and why he killed WeWork.

Strangely enough, what the world clearly needed was Adam Neumann destroying his beautiful concept WeWork by rushing its expansion and wasting time faking profitability when he should have been investing that time into finding sustainable financial solutions. I think we also needed the Elizabeth Holmes Theranos deception, too.

From the ashes of their irresponsible vanity better, more accountable leaders will emerge. Thanks to Adam Neumann, the world will now tolerate fewer and fewer Adam Neumanns and call them on their BS quicker and with more ferocity.

Because what we really, truly need is a deeply embedded accountability in our judicial system so that the Adam Neumanns of the world DO NOT get to have a lavish pay day after wreaking havoc on so many lives but instead serve time in a prison.