149. From Tech Exec to Flex Pioneer: Arian Lewis on Building a Better Workplace at Kiln

What if the future of work isn’t about scaling bigger offices—but building better relationships?

In this episode, we dive deep with Arian Lewis, founder of Kiln and former head of global partnerships at Barclays, to unpack the evolution of flex from “startup scrappiness” to a full-on solution for enterprise clients. Arian has one foot in the VC-backed world and the other in the day-to-day of running flex spaces—and he’s got thoughts.

This isn’t a rah-rah “flex is the future” hype fest. It’s a grounded convo about what actually works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to designing spaces people want to work in.

We cover:

• Why flex isn’t just about desks and square footage—it’s about culture, community, and control.

• What it’s really like raising VC money for a flex workspace brand (spoiler: it’s not for everyone).

• The one key metric Kiln uses to track whether members are actually getting value.

• A behind-the-scenes look at Kiln’s operating model, including how they select cities and sites.

• Arian’s honest take on why landlords and flex operators still struggle to trust each other—and what needs to change.

If you’re thinking about how to scale your space, attract bigger clients, or just survive the next shift in work trends—this episode’s for you.

Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:

Arian on LinkedIn

Kiln website

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