12.20.2023 - By Edward Cohen, Jeff Berman & Zach Aarons
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