Adam Neumann: This is How You Build Iconic Companies
The Ben & Marc Show
Intro
This chapter explores the early life of a successful entrepreneur, highlighting how frequent moves and a challenging family dynamic shaped their perceptions of community. Through personal stories, the discussion contrasts collaborative communities with those susceptible to mob mentality.
On this episode of The Ben & Marc Show, a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz sit down with Adam Neumann—founder of WeWork and now, Flow—to unpack one of the most unlikely comeback stories in tech.
What began as a personal reckoning after a very public fall has become a bold new vision for how we live and belong. Flow isn’t just a real estate company—it’s an operating system for community, built on first-principles software, design, and soul.
Joined by a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg, the group goes deep on:
- Why Adam’s childhood shaped his obsession with community
- Adam’s fall from WeWork—and how he found a new path to redemption
- How Flow is re-architecting real estate from scratch
- Why loneliness is the greatest design challenge of our time
With reflections on dyslexia, the American dream, and the thin line between failure and greatness, this is a candid and wide-ranging conversation about redemption, vision, and building something that matters in this world. We hope you enjoy this deeply human conversation about the future of living.
Timecodes
00:00 Introduction
00:51 Adam's Early Life and Family Background
07:56 Military Service and Discipline
10:08 Transition to the US and Education
14:43 Entrepreneurial Journey Begins
17:49 The Concept of Flow and Vision
20:28 Meeting and Partnership Formation
25:22 Overcoming Challenges and Resilience
28:30 The Isolation Phenomenon
30:03 Navigating Post-Crisis Relationships
31:50 Real Estate Strategies During COVID
33:47 The Genesis of a New Venture
36:47 Lessons from WeWork
38:49 Building Flow: The Vision
41:44 The Importance of Alignment
51:23 Technological Innovations in Real Estate
55:44 Revolutionizing Real Estate Software and Flexible Living Solutions
56:28 Challenges and Innovations in Multifamily Housing Rental Markets
58:40 Global Housing Crisis and Solutions
01:06:10 Expanding to Saudi Arabia
01:08:49 Success in Saudi Arabia
01:12:43 Real Estate Funds and Future Plans
01:19:10: Why Is This an Opportunity?
01:20:45 Impact of COVID on Living and Working
01:26:14 Future Potential of Housing and Living
Resources:
Read Marc's blog post about Flow: https://a16z.com/announcement/flow/
Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca
Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/
Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz
Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg
Erik's Substack: https://eriktorenberg.substack.com/
Stay Updated:
Find us on X: https://x.com/a16z
Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
This information is for general educational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any investment or financial product. Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described in this podcast are not representative of all a16z investments and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by a16z is available at https://a16z.com/investment-list/. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of capital. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and the opinions presented cannot be viewed as an indicator of future performance. Before making decisions with legal, tax, or accounting effects, you should consult appropriate professionals. Information is from sources deemed reliable on the date of publication, but a16z does not guarantee its accuracy.
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