In this recent 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 storie s 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:
Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z
Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z
Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/
Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg
Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
