Adam Neumann: This is How You Build Iconic Companies

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/

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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.