The Cult of We

The Cult of We chronicles the rise and fall of WeWork, the real estate startup that became one of the world's most valuable private companies. Wall Street Journal reporters Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell document the company's journey from its founding through its failed IPO attempt in 2019. The book examines WeWork's charismatic co-founder Adam Neumann and his wife Rebekah, tracking their origins, relationship, and central roles in shaping the company's culture and direction. Through interviews and extensive research, the authors reconstruct key moments in WeWork's expansion and the private dealings that fueled its growth. The narrative follows WeWork's transformation from a single co-working space in New York to a global enterprise valued at $47 billion. The authors detail the company's relationships with investors, its internal operations, and the events leading up to its attempted public offering. The Cult of We serves as a case study of startup culture in the 2010s, exploring themes of Silicon Valley excess, the power of storytelling in business, and the sometimes blurry line between ambition and reality in modern entrepreneurship.

Readers found this detailed account of WeWork's rise and fall to be thorough and well-researched, with extensive reporting and interviews. Many noted the book reads like a thriller despite covering complex business topics. Readers appreciated: - Clear explanation of the venture capital dynamics - Behind-the-scenes details of Adam Neumann's leadership - Balance between technical content and engaging storytelling - Comprehensive timeline from founding through IPO attempt Common criticisms: - Too much focus on Neumann's personal life - Some repetition of previously published news articles - Could have provided more insight into rank-and-file employees Ratings: Goodreads: 4.3/5 (13,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (2,000+ ratings) Representative review: "Reads like a page-turner novel while delivering solid business journalism. The authors did an excellent job explaining the venture capital ecosystem that enabled WeWork's extreme valuation." - Goodreads reviewer

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🏢 The book's co-author Eliot Brown spent over a decade covering commercial real estate for The Wall Street Journal before breaking many of the key stories about WeWork's downfall. 💰 WeWork's valuation peaked at $47 billion in January 2019, only to plummet to less than $10 billion by September of that same year when its IPO attempt failed. 🎬 Apple TV+ adapted the book into a miniseries called "WeCrashed" starring Jared Leto as Adam Neumann and Anne Hathaway as his wife Rebekah. 🌱 WeWork's founder Adam Neumann once claimed his company's true mission was to "elevate the world's consciousness" and that he wanted to become the world's first trillionaire. 📝 The authors conducted over 200 interviews for this book, including conversations with WeWork employees, investors, and competitors to piece together the complete story of the company's rise and fall.