WeWork and the Charismatic Implosion That Led to Epic Failure
A fascinating new book paints a cautionary tale of Adam Neumann’s incredible rise and the dangers of the messianic leader
I only visited one WeWork office, a co-working space at 33 Irving Pl, in New York City, in 2018. I was there to help judge a technology competition and wondered why this company was meeting in a WeWork office.
I’d heard of WeWork but knew little about it. The buzz around it and the company’s founder Adam Neumann didn’t synch up with what appeared to be a sub-leasing firm. Still, when I walked into the space, I was struck by the number of people milling about the lobby, the crammed-together offices, each with mostly clear glass walls, and clusters of people working as groups or alone, staring into computer screens.
Were these all people from the same company?
I quickly realized as someone pointed me to a conference room with opaque glass sliding doors that these were all different companies. Each tiny office had a company name on the door or something on one of the interior walls. Yet, out in the common space, I noticed people casually interacting and clustering around the snacks. I remember wondering if those were free and, if so, who was supplying them.
