WEBVTT

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And I've been trying to wake up an hour
and a half before sunrise. So, in Miami,

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that's about 7:00 a.m. So, 5:30.

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I start with very easy-going

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neck strolls, right, left, new

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sensations in the fingers. See what side

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am I waking up on? Is it my left side
or my right side? My creative side or my

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logical side? And then try to get out
of bed which whatever side feels a little

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bit more. Beautiful. I then go downstairs.
I don't obviously don't turn

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on my phone, but I don't turn
on the light. I light a candle.

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And I just start with slight hip openers
and a little bit of yoga just to get

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comfortable. I cannot sit the way you're

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sitting yet. I'm working on it.

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And I'll do that for 20-30 minutes. And
then I will get as comfortable as I can

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in the seat. And just breathe
in and out from my nose

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for 20 minutes. Nice. And I've been

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noticing every day that I do it, it goes

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Every day is different adventure. Mhm.

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When the thoughts come in, I let them go.

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And the level of clarity that comes
at the end of it is phenomenal.

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For me, because my practice is Judaism,
at the end of it, I put on my tefillin.

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Beautiful. I do my prayers
for about 15 minutes.

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>> Mhm. It's about 7:00 a.m.
I wake up the kids.

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I get 45 minutes with them.
And I start my day. Fantastic.

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>> What I realized before I was so busy

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doing Yeah. that there was no Adam time.

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Yeah. And that time from 5:30 to 7:00
is something I'm really starting to

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cherish. Some people say that praying
is speaking to God and meditation is

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listening. I think I was busy
doing a lot of speaking.

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>> Yeah. And I think for my

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lately listening has been what I've been

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craving more. Nice. Tell me the WeWork
story from the beginning. To tell that

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story, I'll say one thing about
myself first cuz I don't think that uh

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everybody is clear about that.
I was born in Israel.

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>> Mhm. I moved 13 times. By moving from

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place to place, I always found myself
in a new community. Being the new kid in

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every community means you have no
friends on the first day. I would always

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be attracted to the other kids who had
no friends. And my goal in life is to be

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to make the uncool kids cool.
It would take about a few months, then

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we would all become friends, and we
would move to the next destination.

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And I did that literally 13 times in
my childhood. The place I lived the most

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was in a kibbutz. For people
who don't know what a kibbutz is

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>> What's a kibbutz?
>> A kibbutz is a version of used to be.

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There's very few. There used
to be hundreds of them in Israel.

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It was a version of a community where
everybody every person had a different

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job. But everybody uh earned
the same amount of money and had

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access to the same amount of resources.

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Everybody had the same house. I happened
to have just gotten a chance to go to

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the house I lived in the kibbutz. It was I
didn't remember how small it was. The

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entire house, bedroom, kitchen and

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children's room, my sister and I shared
a room, was 450 sq ft. And I don't fit

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in the door. So, I was shorter there,
but when I went to kibbutz, I was like,

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"Oh, wow. The door doesn't fit."

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>> older or younger? Younger sister,
3 years younger. And what was your

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relationship like? Growing up separate
from moving from place to place, which

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means we always had to be very close.

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When I was in the When I was about 8,
my parents got a divorce. And after my

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parents got a divorce, we moved to the US.
My parents are both doctors.

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And we moved to the US for 2 years
cuz my mother had to follow. She's an

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oncologist. She followed in Indiana,
Indianapolis. So, I was a Hoosier for 2

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years. I went to Pacers
games and Indy 500.

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And uh and that's where I learned how
to speak English because uh I'm very

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dyslexic. And for very dyslexic people,

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one of the toughest thing is a new
language. When we moved to Indiana, I

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asked my mom when I went to school
the first I said, "What am I going to do?

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How am I going to order food? There's
a cafeteria. I don't know any words in

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English." She said,
"Say peanut butter and jelly."

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So, I learned peanut butter and jelly.

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And for the next 2 months, every day
I wait in line and everybody gets there

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and they order their hamburgers
and their fries and their chicken nuggets.

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And all I can say
is peanut butter and jelly.

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And one day after 2 months, I was like,
"I can't eat one more peanut butter and

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jelly." And I had the courage
and I said the word hot dog.

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And from there, I started learning. And
that was the 2 years. So, at this stage,

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my parents are divorced. It's my mom, my
sister, and I. We're living alone in the

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US. And as we go back to Israel, my mother
wanted us to have a special experience.

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And that's how we got to the kibbutz.

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And in the kibbutz, because everybody
has a job, she was the doctor at night.

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And in return for her being the doctor
at night, we got a place to live. So,

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she worked the whole day in the hospital
and then at night she was the doctor.

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The reason the kibbutz
for me is so relevant

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was my life had a lot of ups and downs
and a lot of different challenges. The

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first time that I felt
safe was in that community.

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My mother, who many years afterwards
diagnosed as bipolar, and growing up the

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patients were always the most important.

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And I think it taught me a lot because
she was too careful with her patients so

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beautifully. When she would come home,
there was less patients for us. And

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there would be a lot of fighting and
screaming and hitting and things flying

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and a lot of things would occur.
And I remember that no matter how bad the

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night was, there was always three
neighbors checking on me. There were

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always friends that I could go to.
No one ever judged me. Everything was

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always open. I always felt like I was

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part of it. And that feeling of safety

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is something that not only stayed
with me wherever I went to in the world, I

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sort of find myself
bringing people together.

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And when I moved to the US, which
was actually following my sister, so my

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sister left Israel when she was 16.
She was Miss Teenager Israel. She moved to

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the US. She became a very successful

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model. And when I finished the army,
I moved to the US 4 days later and I lived

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with my sister.
And from the first day that we're

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sharing an apartment together,
this was September 11th,

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a month later, and we lived very close
to where it happened cuz that's where

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you got the money from the government
and that was the most affordable thing

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we could do. I remember going up and down
that elevator and was so surprised that in

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America people don't introduce
themselves. So I would see the same

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neighbors every day. No one says hello.

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Until after a month, my sister's name
is Adi, she was like, "What do we do?

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Experiment. Let's introduce
ourselves to everybody

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and in a month we're going to throw
a party on the roof." There was a shared

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roof. And that party, well, we'll see who

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comes. And we did it. And we threw the

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party and half the building came and the

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energy in that building changed. It was

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very obvious for me that this thing
that I cherished, this kibbutz energy, is

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something that we could bring to the
United States in the form of a business.

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This is now 2007. I've

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had uh three failed businesses by this
point. Two fashion businesses and a baby

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clothing business called Crawlers, baby
pants with knee pads on them to protect

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the baby's knees. >> At the time
I thought. Today, being the

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father of six kids, no one ever
complained about the knees. I actually

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think they have extra skin
and they're built for it.

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But uh the universe thought of that one.

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But um I I by this stage
I'm already after my

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third business and I meet Rebecca.
And when I meet Rebecca, the first day,

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first time we met, I remember I couldn't
remember I don't remember what we ate,

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but I was waiting for her to put out her
credit card so I can put out my credit

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card so we could split the bill.

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And we do that twice and the third time
she goes, "Adam, you know, in America,

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it is okay. You could offer to pay
for the meal. I don't have to say yes, but

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you could offer." And I said,
"No, I'm a I'm an entrepreneur

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and my money's in the business."
She goes, "I don't know what kind of

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entrepreneur you are, but if your
money's in the business that you can't

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invite someone for a meal,
you might not be a great one."

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And it's interesting cuz I think it was

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the first time someone talked to me that

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way. And I found it not only intriguing,
but I was like, "Wow." And I said, "No,

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you don't understand how business works."
And she was like, "Maybe you

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don't understand how business works."

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And that kind of discussion very quickly
became a a very passionate relationship.

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3 months from the moment
we met, I proposed.

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>> Wow. And after we were together, she
one day, it was 2:00 a.m., 2:00 o'clock at

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night, uh I was talking to the Chinese
manufacturers of the baby clothing. I

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was screaming at Mr. Mao, Mr. Mao, Mr.

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Mao. And she woke up then and she said,
"If you wake me up one more time screaming

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at your Chinese manufacturer for company
that makes no sense and is probably

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never going to make any money,
it's really going to be an issue."

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And I was like, "What do you mean? This
is my business." And she goes, "What do

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you know about babies? What do you know
about fashion? Why is this your business?"

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And again, and this was what's so
interesting about our relationship, I

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said, "Well, cuz I like being challenged."
I said, "Well, well, what

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do you think my business should be?"

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And she said, "It should be something
you're very passionate about. It should

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be something that you think can actually
make a positive difference and you

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should be so excited to jump out of bed
that everybody wants to join you."

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So, I said to her, "Well, do you have
an idea of what that business might be?"

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And she said, "No, but I can tell you
one observation I have about you. You

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love real estate." I don't know anything
about real estate. She said, "Well, when

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you and I walk down the street, some men,
they look at many things that cross

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by their way. Their eyes wander. Your
eyes look up. You're always looking at

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buildings. And again, I listened.

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And the next morning I walk and I
noticed that I'm looking at buildings.

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And from that moment,
I just started getting

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preoccupied in this concept
of community and buildings.

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And very soon after, and I think that's
how the universe speaks. I think it's

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speaking to us right now. Yeah.

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This landlord in Brooklyn, out of nowhere
says to me, starts talking about

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my baby clothing business
and tells me how horrible it is.

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And I said his name was Mr. Guttman.
I said, "Mr. Guttman, why would you say my

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business is so bad?" Said, "Adam, I have

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nine children. My wife loves buying baby
clothes. She's not once bought from your

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store. I don't think you're even
going to pay me rent next month."

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I said, "Mr. Guttman, how much
real estate do you own?" He says,

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"Everything. As far as the eye can see."

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And I said, "Well, it looks empty to me.

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You don't know a lot about real estate."

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And we would go back
and forth for 6 months.

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Till one day he goes, takes me upstairs
to one of his buildings. Said, "Adam,

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what would you do if I gave
you this floor? I read this in

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your book."
I think sometimes people think ideas

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come after thinking deeply for many
years and coming up with that perfect

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idea. It came on the spot,
instantaneously,

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which made me know that it's not mine.

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Yeah. I think when you take your time,
maybe you think you own it. When it

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comes out of nowhere, you could give
it it's bigger than you. Came from

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something bigger than me. I said, "Well,
Mr. Guttman, I'm a small business owner

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and I pay you a lot of rent.
But I only have five people.

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I would love a small space that fits the
five people with some shared services. A

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receptionist, a and everything in between.

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Your floor makes you you charge $5,000
in rent. We'll charge $1,000 a space. I

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think we can fit 15 spaces. We'll get
15,000. We'll pay the receptionist uh

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$2,500. You'll get 7,500. I'll keep the

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difference."
He said interesting and I went home not

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thinking anything about it. Yeah. I come
the next day, he calls me so excited.

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Said Adam, why do one floor
if we have a whole build?

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We'll put the receptionist downstairs.

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We'll save the cost. We'll fill up
the whole building. I'll get this much,

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you'll get the difference.
I said great idea.

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The next day I went to Miguel McKelvey,
who was then my co-founder at the time.

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He's an architect, a do-it-all
architect. And in one night, the

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business the business cards, everything
gets created. It was called GreenDesk.

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It's an early mover
on the environmental movement.

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And uh it was a green-shared office

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space. But back then co-working was not

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the concept that a lot of people knew.

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And the launch was May of 2008.

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>> And you weren't aware
of co-working before the idea.

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Interesting question.
At the time I go to Baruch College.

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>> Yeah. I actually had
a person sitting next to me.

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Uh a woman who was older and her son had
some version of co-working, but it was

00:12:31.680 --> 00:12:34.957
very different than this and did not
have a brand behind. Had no purpose. It

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was just let's split space.
And we actually had an entrepreneurship

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competition and she joined me to the
competition. So I heard stories of her

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son and our concept. It was called
Concept Living. And it was a building,

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not an office space. >> Yes.
With shared services. It was Flow.

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But a long long long long time ago.

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Yeah. We never made it even to the second
stage of the competition because

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the dean of the business school told me
that you can disrupt real estate. It's

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too big, so the idea doesn't make sense.

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So I heard about the idea. I was never
I wasn't aware of it as something that

00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:07.877
brings two people together. I never
thought about it as the place where that

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same community, that same cubicle
that as a child made me safe would make

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others. And I think the timing, which
is another thing in life, was perfect.

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Because it was after the crash of '08.

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Because people were getting fired.

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Because people were changing their life
and changing what they were doing. It

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was a perfect time to start that business.
And I remember our partner

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told me, "Adam, the business is not
going to succeed." And I said, "Why?" He

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said, "Cuz real estate always goes down
when the economy goes down." I said,

00:13:32.040 --> 00:13:34.797
"Well, this is not real estate.
It's going to be counter-cyclical. More

00:13:34.880 --> 00:13:36.277
people are going to want to be here.

00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:39.757
More people are going to Cuz when people
have the courage to start something new."

00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:43.277
And we started in May 2008,
and it just took off.

00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:45.317
It It was positive cash flow within

00:13:45.400 --> 00:13:49.637
>> it start?
We put five ads in Craigslist.

00:13:49.720 --> 00:13:54.317
No money from the bank. Five ads.
The first floor was 92% full within five

00:13:54.400 --> 00:13:56.237
business days. What did the ads say?

00:13:56.320 --> 00:13:59.677
Probably something to the tone of

00:13:59.760 --> 00:14:04.957
green communal shared workspace.

00:14:05.040 --> 00:14:06.677
Something like that. Something simple.

00:14:06.760 --> 00:14:10.237
And it happened right away?
It filled up immediately. It was instant

00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:14.037
success. It went from three businesses
that didn't succeed to immediately

00:14:14.120 --> 00:14:17.757
hitting It was so successful that,
again, the landlord, who's not used to

00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:21.557
investing any money, came the next week
and said, "You see, my idea is so good."

00:14:21.640 --> 00:14:25.277
I said, "Yes, Mr. Godwin, your idea
is the best." Yeah. And he said to me,

00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:28.917
"Let's do Let's open another floor." And
as fast as we would build in 30 days, we

00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:32.077
would finish a floor. As fast as we
finished it, it would fill up. Then

00:14:32.160 --> 00:14:35.477
another floor, and another
floor, and another floor.

00:14:35.560 --> 00:14:40.117
And at the same time,
I'm starting my spiritual journey

00:14:40.200 --> 00:14:44.517
because Rebecca, immediately the moment
success is starting, is noticing that

00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:48.277
this thing that drove me, this community,
suddenly something is competing with it,

00:14:48.360 --> 00:14:52.877
that's success. Money was starting to seep
in. It was tiny little money. Yeah.

00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:57.317
But but it was She felt that
this is a great time to start a

00:14:57.400 --> 00:15:01.317
spiritual practice. So, growing up,
you didn't you were not spiritual growing

00:15:01.400 --> 00:15:03.397
up? What What do you consider spiritual?

00:15:03.480 --> 00:15:06.837
A meditation practice, going to uh

00:15:06.920 --> 00:15:12.557
temple or church. Based on your
definition, I was extremely not spiritual.

00:15:12.640 --> 00:15:15.477
I did none of that.
>> You didn't practice anything? Didn't

00:15:15.560 --> 00:15:17.717
practice anything. Were you a believer?

00:15:17.800 --> 00:15:21.717
So, you spoke about my sister.
I think if she was here, she would say

00:15:21.800 --> 00:15:25.317
that at night, when we were having those
difficult nights after all the craziness

00:15:25.400 --> 00:15:28.997
that would occur at home, I would
tell her stories about how we're

00:15:29.080 --> 00:15:31.837
going to be very successful
one day in the future.

00:15:31.920 --> 00:15:33.437
And how we're not going to have these

00:15:33.520 --> 00:15:37.637
issues. And how it's all going to

00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:40.357
work out great. So, I always had this

00:15:40.440 --> 00:15:45.237
very optimistic view no matter how tough
it was. I had a feeling that things will

00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:49.277
work out in a very positive way. So, you
were optimistic, but maybe you wouldn't

00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:52.277
use the word spiritual. >> No,
I 100% would not use the word

00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:55.757
spiritual. I was not spiritual. I
was very optimistic. I would say the only

00:15:55.840 --> 00:16:00.920
thing that was spiritual about
me would have been my optimism.

00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:09.117
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Tell me more about the kibbutz. Would
you feel like the other people in the

00:18:18.840 --> 00:18:21.197
kibbutz was like an extended family, or

00:18:21.280 --> 00:18:25.917
no? So, as we said, I entered 13
communities in childhood. The toughest

00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:30.357
community to enter was the kibbutz. The
kids there growing up sleep in the same

00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:33.637
house, and only go sleep with their
parents on the weekend. This is the

00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:37.517
old-fashioned thing that doesn't exist
anymore. But, that's how they grew up.

00:18:37.600 --> 00:18:41.637
And back in the day, the most successful
leaders in Israel grew up in these

00:18:41.720 --> 00:18:45.717
kibbutzes. It was a very
successful social movement.

00:18:45.800 --> 00:18:49.077
And but it worked for the first
generation. When the second generation,

00:18:49.160 --> 00:18:52.797
their kids, not so much. And by the
third generation, the whole thing

00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:56.517
collapsed. Funny enough, lately there's
a little bit of a movement back to it.

00:18:56.600 --> 00:19:00.237
Today, in the world that we live,
when people are so uh digitally

00:19:00.320 --> 00:19:04.237
connected, I actually think there's
a much deeper craving for it. So, when I

00:19:04.320 --> 00:19:07.717
was in the kibbutz, I think everybody
felt this way. And I think even though I

00:19:07.800 --> 00:19:12.197
was an outsider, cuz I wasn't the kid
that grew up there, they took care of me

00:19:12.280 --> 00:19:16.477
really well. And again, my mother
was an unbelievable doctor. So, she was

00:19:16.560 --> 00:19:20.037
taking care of everybody. We had
a challenge because she was a single mom

00:19:20.120 --> 00:19:23.677
and and she was dealing with her own
challenges. They were personal. Yeah.

00:19:23.760 --> 00:19:28.517
Which again, back then as a child,
I could have complained a lot about it.

00:19:28.600 --> 00:19:32.077
But today, it's what
made me who I am. I'm so

00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:36.437
grateful for every single moment we
spent together. So, I think everybody in

00:19:36.520 --> 00:19:40.477
the kibbutz felt that way. I left
the kibbutz at the 11th grade. But it was

00:19:40.560 --> 00:19:42.277
the place and I lived there for 5 years.

00:19:42.360 --> 00:19:45.877
It was the place that shaped me and
the place that I lived the longest. You

00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:48.517
know, when we lived in the kibbutz, I'll
share a few things that were different.

00:19:48.600 --> 00:19:52.917
I think we can learn so
much today from the past.

00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:57.037
In our kibbutz, one day a week, there
was no school. Everybody volunteered and

00:19:57.120 --> 00:20:01.477
worked at the job. Interesting thought.

00:20:01.560 --> 00:20:04.717
In our kibbutz, every morning,
we all went to the dining hall to have

00:20:04.800 --> 00:20:08.437
breakfast. It was so communal. I loved
breakfast. There was nothing there, by

00:20:08.520 --> 00:20:12.597
the way. Bread, a little bit of chocolate,
a little bit of Nutella, but it wasn't

00:20:12.680 --> 00:20:17.557
called Nutella, and a little bit
of cream cheese, and maybe some eggs.

00:20:17.640 --> 00:20:20.237
That was such a great way to start
the day and all the kids would come. No

00:20:20.320 --> 00:20:24.557
parents. All the kids are together. This
is now fifth grade, sixth grade. All the

00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:27.757
kids are together and we're talking and
we're excited and we're going to miss it

00:20:27.840 --> 00:20:31.477
and everybody goes to the bus
and from the bus straight to school.

00:20:31.560 --> 00:20:34.397
And then most of us
were not wearing shoes.

00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:38.837
Just to say. Not on the bus,
not in breakfast, and not in the school.

00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:42.117
Which then I kept going, which over time
some people thought it was interesting I

00:20:42.200 --> 00:20:45.557
wasn't wearing shoes.
But uh I know you enjoy not wearing

00:20:45.640 --> 00:20:48.117
shoes, also. How did you meet Rebecca? I

00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:52.837
have a best friend and his name is Angel
Finkelstein. And he keeps always telling

00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:56.877
me that he had this friend, Rebecca, who
was his best friend or one of his close

00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:00.557
friends from Cornell University,
but she lives in Los Angeles.

00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:03.477
And one day, he tells me, "I'm going
to move to LA." And all the time he wanted

00:21:03.560 --> 00:21:06.797
to be a movie agent. "I'm going to go
I'm going to become to be an agent.

00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:10.077
Rebecca got me my first job.
I'm going to sleep on the couch.

00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:13.277
And he moves to LA and I've never met
Rebecca at this point and he starts his

00:21:13.360 --> 00:21:17.677
career. And he's a very
successful Hollywood agent today.

00:21:17.760 --> 00:21:21.557
And he always tells me about Rebecca and
from her side always tells her about the

00:21:21.640 --> 00:21:22.997
crazy Israeli.

00:21:23.080 --> 00:21:26.717
Never introduces us. Then 2 years later,

00:21:26.800 --> 00:21:31.037
I'm now at this stage I'm 28. Rebecca is
moving back from LA to New York and he's

00:21:31.120 --> 00:21:35.597
introducing us on phone. Said, "Hey,
if you want to meet someone cool, you're

00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:38.917
two cool friends of mine I'm introducing
you." And I remember that first phone

00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:40.037
call because I was staying with Rebecca.

00:21:40.120 --> 00:21:43.597
You know, anything you need in New York
I can help you get. She was born there.

00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:46.757
I was like, "Who is this idiot?" I
was like, "She she was going out to clubs

00:21:46.840 --> 00:21:50.037
when she was 14." Yeah. I was like,
"I don't know what this kid wants."

00:21:50.120 --> 00:21:51.517
And

00:21:51.600 --> 00:21:54.957
and that was that. And a week later she

00:21:55.040 --> 00:21:59.477
just out of nowhere calls and says,
"Hey, if you want to hang out, me and my

00:21:59.560 --> 00:22:01.957
friend are hanging out,
you can come and say hello."

00:22:02.040 --> 00:22:06.277
And I do that. And I go I
at the time I have no money.

00:22:06.360 --> 00:22:08.477
I ride my bicycle. I go to that first

00:22:08.560 --> 00:22:11.357
meeting. I walk into the her apartment.

00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:14.637
She's with a friend. We talk for a few
minutes and then she tells the friend

00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:19.317
she can go. And it was just
an instant connection.

00:22:19.400 --> 00:22:23.157
And you really knew of her for years,
but you'd never met her. Never knew how

00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:24.797
she looked. Never saw a picture.

00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:26.277
>> Yeah, I never spoke to her before.

00:22:26.360 --> 00:22:30.797
>> never spoke just that one time. Knew
of her. Again, the thing that got me that

00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:34.717
first time we met and I think
there's a lot to learn from this.

00:22:34.800 --> 00:22:39.357
It was like she put a mirror in front
of my face and said the truth. Not caring.

00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:44.037
I think one of her superpowers is how
authentic she is. Yeah. She just looked

00:22:44.120 --> 00:22:48.397
at me and within a few minutes she
was like, "Wow, you talk big and you don't

00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:51.997
have anything." I was like,
"Well, what do you mean?"

00:22:52.080 --> 00:22:55.397
And she goes, "The way you're talking
it's like you're so successful and I can

00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:59.197
literally tell that you're broke,
so it's a little ridiculous." Yeah. I was

00:22:59.280 --> 00:23:02.277
like, "How would you know my bank
account?" And she goes, "You just came

00:23:02.360 --> 00:23:05.677
to meet me for the first time. You
couldn't even showered and taken a taxi.

00:23:05.760 --> 00:23:08.957
You drove your bicycle.
You probably couldn't afford a taxi.

00:23:09.040 --> 00:23:12.237
And it was true. Yeah. It was so true.

00:23:12.320 --> 00:23:17.557
And it was just instantaneous. Amazing
story. Amazing story. And you hit it off

00:23:17.640 --> 00:23:21.117
right away. We hit it off
immediately. It was right

00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:24.277
after I broke up from a girlfriend. And
after the second day, I came back and I

00:23:24.360 --> 00:23:26.837
said to her, "Look, you're amazing, but

00:23:26.920 --> 00:23:28.877
I just broke up from a girlfriend. I had

00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:34.037
this plan to sort of Yeah.
be men around town for a second.

00:23:34.120 --> 00:23:37.397
And so, I'm just letting you know that
I'm not And this is again, this is her

00:23:37.480 --> 00:23:40.437
strength. She goes, "Really?" I said,
"Really." She goes, "No problem. Come

00:23:40.520 --> 00:23:43.677
back when you're ready, but I
don't want to hang out until then."

00:23:43.760 --> 00:23:46.397
I was like, "Okay." Wow.
>> And I go for 2 or 3 days. And I was

00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:47.277
like, that was like, "That was weird.

00:23:47.360 --> 00:23:50.957
Why wouldn't you Mr. Why wouldn't you
want to hang out with me?" And 5 days

00:23:51.040 --> 00:23:54.757
later, I call her. And I was like, "Hey,
what are you doing on Sunday?" She goes,

00:23:54.840 --> 00:23:57.957
"I'm going to my Father's
Day something something."

00:23:58.040 --> 00:24:01.117
Not intending for me to say anything cuz
it's Father's Day, again a very American

00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:04.517
thing. And I say, she And And we talk
a little bit more. She's just being

00:24:04.600 --> 00:24:06.517
polite. She said, "Do you want to come?"

00:24:06.600 --> 00:24:09.517
Sure, I'm not going to say yes.
I said, "Of course."

00:24:09.600 --> 00:24:12.237
She tells me many years later that she
never thought I would want to come to

00:24:12.320 --> 00:24:16.557
her Father's Day Yeah. activity.
And I just we hung out and we go to her

00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:19.157
Father's Day. I meet her entire family.

00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:21.597
And I sort of move in the next day and I

00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:22.837
never leave.

00:24:22.920 --> 00:24:26.597
So, tell me about her invitation for you

00:24:26.680 --> 00:24:31.037
to find your spirituality. So,
we're hanging out. I never leave. We're a

00:24:31.120 --> 00:24:35.477
month in to it. And she comes
home one day. I'm working

00:24:35.560 --> 00:24:39.157
into my baby clothing
company at the time doing a

00:24:39.240 --> 00:24:42.917
2 million in sales and 3 million
in expenses. So, we're just rolling losing

00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:46.757
money, rolling it, making ends meet,
making things come together.

00:24:46.840 --> 00:24:50.037
She comes to me and she goes, "I don't
think it's going to work out between

00:24:50.120 --> 00:24:55.077
us." This is now our month in and I'm
I am head over heels, as I think they

00:24:55.160 --> 00:24:57.437
say here. I said, "What
do you mean not going to

00:24:57.520 --> 00:25:02.157
work out between us?" He goes,
"I think the man that I'm going to be

00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:05.037
with is going to have a spiritual
practice. It's very important for me in

00:25:05.120 --> 00:25:07.837
my life. And you really don't have one.

00:25:07.920 --> 00:25:11.480
And I don't think you're
interested in one."

00:25:12.520 --> 00:25:15.477
"And therefore I don't think it's
going to work out, but it's okay. You're

00:25:15.560 --> 00:25:18.117
You're going to do great. And And And
And I think you're You're going to do

00:25:18.200 --> 00:25:21.277
great and very good looking. A lot
of girls are going to be interested. Don't

00:25:21.360 --> 00:25:22.957
worry about it. You're going to do fine."

00:25:23.040 --> 00:25:27.597
I like, "Wait. Wait. Wait.
How would someone go around having a

00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:31.557
spiritual practice?" She goes, "Well,

00:25:31.640 --> 00:25:35.637
some people do yoga, some people
meditate, some people pray.

00:25:35.720 --> 00:25:38.437
There are many different ways for many
different people." I said, "Well, what

00:25:38.520 --> 00:25:40.557
do you think a good one for me would be?"

00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:42.917
She goes, "Well, you are Jewish.

00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:44.877
There's this thing called Kabbalah.

00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:48.997
Why don't you explore that? It's It's
the mysticism of Judaism. You like it."

00:25:49.080 --> 00:25:50.677
Cuz she knows he's very anti-religious.

00:25:50.760 --> 00:25:53.957
Anything religious, being Israeli, a lot
of people don't know this, we don't You

00:25:54.040 --> 00:25:56.957
don't like religious. If it's forced
on you and it's religious, you walk the

00:25:57.040 --> 00:26:00.517
other way. You want to choose. I didn't
know that at all. People don't know

00:26:00.600 --> 00:26:03.837
that. Yeah. That's a lot A lot of the
split. There's There's the stories from

00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:06.757
the outside that we hear and there's
what actually happens. Yeah. The big

00:26:06.840 --> 00:26:10.357
divide. There's a big divide in Israel
between religious and non-religious.

00:26:10.440 --> 00:26:14.997
>> that. It's a big topic, but on a very
high level, growing up the way I grew

00:26:15.080 --> 00:26:19.837
up, we grow up we when we're
18 we serve in the army.

00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:23.677
We go and get whatever jobs we get.
We pay our taxes. We do what we think is

00:26:23.760 --> 00:26:25.597
our civil responsibility. Remember

00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:28.637
serving from age 18 to age 21 in my case

00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:30.957
till almost 23. I almost did 5 years cuz

00:26:31.040 --> 00:26:34.077
I was a navy officer. Serving at such a

00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:38.037
young age, I think is such an important
thing cuz it's exactly the age where you

00:26:38.120 --> 00:26:41.077
really just want to take care
of yourself and have fun and party and do

00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:46.037
whatever it is that 18-year-olds really
want to do. And by being forced to serve

00:26:46.120 --> 00:26:49.197
already gives you
a different take about life.

00:26:49.280 --> 00:26:51.917
There's an ex- >> You have
responsibilities? Extremely.

00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:56.397
Depends what your position in the army is.
I was specifically navy officer. I

00:26:56.480 --> 00:27:00.797
did it age 21 within the US, they do
it age 28. What takes your age cuz they

00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:03.837
they have less money. Yeah. And they
need to get things. You have tremendous

00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:07.357
responsibilities. But even
if you're a soldier working

00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:10.557
you have huge responsibilities
and there's many many lessons I learned

00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:13.677
there. The one of my biggest lessons was

00:27:13.760 --> 00:27:18.677
before you become a great leader,
you must know how to follow orders. If you

00:27:18.760 --> 00:27:21.677
don't know how to be a soldier if
you don't know how to do the basic

00:27:21.760 --> 00:27:24.277
>> general if you haven't
been a good soldier.

00:27:24.360 --> 00:27:26.597
>> You can be an okay general or okay

00:27:26.680 --> 00:27:28.597
leader. Because you need to understand

00:27:28.680 --> 00:27:31.557
what it's like to get information given

00:27:31.640 --> 00:27:35.797
to you. But I also think because
you need to learn that you're not in

00:27:35.880 --> 00:27:38.677
control. And when you
always think you're in

00:27:38.760 --> 00:27:43.037
control, you never let go.
And when you don't let go, when is the

00:27:43.120 --> 00:27:45.917
universe going to get a chance to come in?

00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:49.557
I actually think, you know, I have
a acupuncturist who tells this great

00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:53.237
story. He goes to Mexico,
there's this hot water river

00:27:53.320 --> 00:27:57.237
and there's a pool that fills up every
day in the morning and then everybody

00:27:57.320 --> 00:28:00.717
bathe in it and then they empty it
at night. He wakes up early for his

00:28:00.800 --> 00:28:04.677
meditation and he sees the guy cleaning
the pool with a mop moving around like

00:28:04.760 --> 00:28:09.597
Tai Chi. He literally it looks like it's
movements from a master martial arts.

00:28:09.680 --> 00:28:13.357
And he brings an interpreter and he
goes to that guy and says, "Excuse me. It

00:28:13.440 --> 00:28:16.717
looks to me like you're doing martial
arts but you're cleaning the pool.

00:28:16.800 --> 00:28:20.157
What are you doing?" Said,
"I'm doing what my father taught me."

00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:23.157
And he said, "And and who taught you
what did your father used to do?" Said,

00:28:23.240 --> 00:28:27.117
"He used to clean this pool." "And who
taught your father?" Said, "His father,

00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:29.037
my grandfather. And he used to clean

00:28:29.120 --> 00:28:31.037
this pool. This pool is healing for

00:28:31.120 --> 00:28:34.237
people. We take every move that we make

00:28:34.320 --> 00:28:38.837
in this pool as an art.
And we've practiced it for our entire

00:28:38.920 --> 00:28:42.997
life. You could take something as simple
as cleaning a pool and view it as your

00:28:43.080 --> 00:28:47.077
spiritual practice and something that's
in the service of others or view it as a

00:28:47.160 --> 00:28:51.437
horrible chore and be very
busy complaining. Beautiful.

00:28:51.520 --> 00:28:55.437
Beautiful story. That's

00:28:55.520 --> 00:28:58.717
what you learn in the army, if you
want to or not. And someone with my

00:28:58.800 --> 00:29:02.837
characteristic, it's a must.
Cuz if you look at me before and after,

00:29:02.920 --> 00:29:05.037
I was still not in a great place after.

00:29:05.120 --> 00:29:07.637
But the me before and the me
after are two different things.

00:29:07.720 --> 00:29:10.237
>> How would you describe
you before and you after?

00:29:10.320 --> 00:29:12.597
You know, me before is I grew up in this

00:29:12.680 --> 00:29:14.797
kibbutz. We did whatever we wanted. We

00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:19.837
were part of this community. We didn't
wear shoes. We just enjoyed every second

00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:22.917
of life, and we were just looking for
more ways to have fun. It's not that we

00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:26.677
didn't have responsibilities, we did,
but it was all about the community of

00:29:26.760 --> 00:29:29.757
children and coming together.
It was It was

00:29:29.840 --> 00:29:32.877
It was like a storybook
of what kids can do to have fun.

00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:35.997
And that's was one piece of it, and the
other piece of it was the challenges at

00:29:36.080 --> 00:29:39.237
home and all the different things. And
sort of in between, school was not a big

00:29:39.320 --> 00:29:42.877
deal. I would most classrooms, most days,
teachers would literally walk into

00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:46.957
the classroom, "Adam, leave. Okay,
now we can start the class." And I'd start

00:29:47.040 --> 00:29:49.797
wondering, the Yeah. education there was

00:29:49.880 --> 00:29:52.157
not a perfect fit for me.

00:29:52.240 --> 00:29:54.997
Me after, I knew that when I am part of

00:29:55.080 --> 00:29:59.677
a team, if I can get the team
to follow or to partner with me,

00:29:59.760 --> 00:30:02.317
there's not many things
I couldn't achieve.

00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:05.237
With that energy, I arrive into the US.

00:30:05.320 --> 00:30:08.957
This is after September 11th, so there
was just a horrible terrorist attack.

00:30:09.040 --> 00:30:12.357
New York, if you remember at the time,
is changing. There's the New York before

00:30:12.440 --> 00:30:16.237
and the New York after. I actually think
New York had a golden era afterwards for

00:30:16.320 --> 00:30:20.597
10 years at least, and from what I've
understood and my experience, people

00:30:20.680 --> 00:30:24.517
from all over the world are coming to New
York. And it's always at the back of

00:30:24.600 --> 00:30:28.677
my mind, this thought that I could
basically do anything I put my mind to,

00:30:28.760 --> 00:30:33.197
as long as I can get a team
to believe in it and join.

00:30:33.280 --> 00:30:36.397
The problem at that point is I have
all that knowledge, but I have no

00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:40.877
spirituality. I have no purpose. So,
when you take a person that's capable of

00:30:40.960 --> 00:30:43.877
doing that, but you don't give them
a purpose, I think that's where trouble

00:30:43.960 --> 00:30:46.757
comes. Now, Rebecca, who's literally

00:30:46.840 --> 00:30:50.917
just starting with me, is seeing the
potential and articulates the potential,

00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:54.437
but says without a purpose, you're not
the man for me. Yeah. I really wanted to

00:30:54.520 --> 00:30:57.637
be the man for her. So,
she takes me to this first Kabbalah

00:30:57.720 --> 00:31:00.517
class, and without getting into the >>
Had she already been doing Kabbalah or

00:31:00.600 --> 00:31:04.957
no? She was doing Kabbalah once a week,
but not as a practicing not not with any

00:31:05.040 --> 00:31:08.557
religiosity. I would really separate
between Sometimes people say, "Adam, are

00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:11.997
you religious or you spiritual?" And I
say, "Spiritual." And they say, "How do

00:31:12.080 --> 00:31:15.517
you define?" I say, "So, I keep Shabbat."

00:31:15.600 --> 00:31:19.917
And When did that start?
>> 10 years ago, which is 4 years into it.

00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:24.717
But, I'll go back to the that first
Kabbalah class. I go to that

00:31:24.800 --> 00:31:28.797
first Kabbalah class to prove to this
woman I just met Yeah. that I can do

00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:31.557
anything. Oh, you're serious.
>> to say she's not going to say I'm not

00:31:31.640 --> 00:31:34.557
the man for her. Maybe she's not
the woman for me. Yeah. You don't break up

00:31:34.640 --> 00:31:37.677
with me, I break up with you.
Do you know who I am? My sister is a

00:31:37.760 --> 00:31:41.517
model. I was an idiot. Yeah.
I was an actual idiot. Yeah.

00:31:41.600 --> 00:31:45.277
And and I go to this class, and this woman

00:31:45.360 --> 00:31:48.997
is teaching, and the teach
the lesson was a very

00:31:49.080 --> 00:31:51.477
basic one. When a challenge happens in

00:31:51.560 --> 00:31:57.437
your life, instead of reacting,
take a deep breath,

00:31:57.520 --> 00:32:01.797
stop, and the word they used
to say is pause, wait and wonder.

00:32:01.880 --> 00:32:05.517
Pause, wait and wonder. Then,

00:32:05.600 --> 00:32:08.477
interact again. No knee-jerk reaction.

00:32:08.560 --> 00:32:10.797
>> reaction. Take a breath. Let the

00:32:10.880 --> 00:32:15.677
universe come in, or new language,
hone that antenna and let it receive for a

00:32:15.760 --> 00:32:19.397
second. There's a certain
speed that this travels in.

00:32:19.480 --> 00:32:23.797
And then And that was the that was the
class. Class ends, I'm like, "Whatever."

00:32:23.880 --> 00:32:26.677
But, I still want to prove that. So,
I go and talk to the I'm going to ask this

00:32:26.760 --> 00:32:28.797
teacher someone something and show her.

00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:32.717
Yeah. And I ask the teacher something,
and this one was a very wise teacher.

00:32:32.800 --> 00:32:35.797
She takes her book, she gives it to me,
she says, "Adam, I write notes on the

00:32:35.880 --> 00:32:39.197
side of my books.
Take a look, your answer is there.

00:32:39.280 --> 00:32:42.797
Bring it to me next week.
I think Oh, I'm going to show Rebecca I

00:32:42.880 --> 00:32:46.837
took her teacher's book. Meanwhile, I
go outside. I look at the book, the class

00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:49.877
ends, I'm like, "Oh my god, this teacher
tricked me. Now I got to come back next

00:32:49.960 --> 00:32:54.077
week and give back this book.
I'm not going to not return the book."

00:32:54.160 --> 00:32:58.397
And the next day I go back into my baby
clothing business that was genuinely not

00:32:58.480 --> 00:33:00.237
succeeding. And I had this saleswoman

00:33:00.320 --> 00:33:05.957
who was very powerful, but we argued
every day. And she gets at it again.

00:33:06.040 --> 00:33:09.117
And this is something that I think
people don't know about me. Even when I

00:33:09.200 --> 00:33:12.437
look like I'm not listening,
I always hear.

00:33:12.520 --> 00:33:16.997
And when I think what I learned could
be beneficial, I'll try it at least once.

00:33:17.080 --> 00:33:20.837
No matter what,
I'll try it once. So I pause.

00:33:20.920 --> 00:33:24.517
I take a deep breath.
And a different reaction comes to my

00:33:24.600 --> 00:33:27.437
head. And I try it. And this saleswoman

00:33:27.520 --> 00:33:31.957
who's so quick to anger, suddenly
she's pausing. We have this beautiful

00:33:32.040 --> 00:33:35.277
dialogue. And we come up with a
new idea of how to do something.

00:33:35.360 --> 00:33:38.757
>> Wow. We executed first time.

00:33:38.840 --> 00:33:42.957
You know the book The Alchemist?
Yes. He talks about beginner's luck.

00:33:43.040 --> 00:33:47.397
I think when we start practicing
spirituality, first time, Yeah. it's

00:33:47.480 --> 00:33:51.357
beautiful. I encourage
everybody to give it a shot

00:33:51.440 --> 00:33:53.437
and see if it works. Yeah. And if it

00:33:53.520 --> 00:33:56.597
works, then we can go then we can go to

00:33:56.680 --> 00:34:00.757
the next level. And it works. And I love
things that work. And I come there the

00:34:00.840 --> 00:34:02.957
next day, next week, and now I'm hungry.

00:34:03.040 --> 00:34:06.597
Now I'm spiritually hungry. Now I want
more. Cuz it already changed your life.

00:34:06.680 --> 00:34:10.557
It's already worked. I wouldn't say it
at the I don't recognize at this point

00:34:10.640 --> 00:34:13.757
that it already changed.
Some of the biggest moments of our life

00:34:13.840 --> 00:34:18.117
that change our life, most of us don't
know that that's what's happening.

00:34:18.200 --> 00:34:22.357
And this is why, no matter what moment
you're going through right now, even if

00:34:22.440 --> 00:34:26.077
you think you're going right this
second through your worst moment,

00:34:26.160 --> 00:34:28.277
>> Yes. you might not
know that the darkest

00:34:28.360 --> 00:34:31.717
moment of the night is a
second before dawn. Yes.

00:34:31.800 --> 00:34:33.797
>> And if you just pause

00:34:33.880 --> 00:34:40.117
and have a little more patience and keep
pursuing Yes. Don't quit. Yes. The light

00:34:40.200 --> 00:34:42.557
will be revealed. >> What's
the next scene in the movie?

00:34:42.640 --> 00:34:46.957
Let's see what the next scene in the
movie is. The movie is great. I just

00:34:47.040 --> 00:34:49.557
don't know how. Yeah.

00:34:49.640 --> 00:34:51.477
It's a divine movie by the way.

00:34:51.560 --> 00:34:56.757
It was written by the best director,
writer, and producer. And you know who

00:34:56.840 --> 00:35:00.637
the star is? We are.
Are we going to be a tragedy?

00:35:00.720 --> 00:35:04.837
Are we going to be a success? Are we
going to be an up and down? Are we going

00:35:04.920 --> 00:35:08.797
to learn from our lessons? Are we
actually going to curl below our blanket

00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:12.637
and oh no, this happened
and I'm not going to go back out?

00:35:12.720 --> 00:35:14.837
That's how Rebekah introduced me to it.

00:35:14.920 --> 00:35:18.957
And I just drank it like it was from the
firehouse. I was just intrigued. And the

00:35:19.040 --> 00:35:20.917
moment that started, things started the

00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:24.077
the We call it being in flow state. Once

00:35:24.160 --> 00:35:26.517
I hit that flow state things started

00:35:26.600 --> 00:35:30.077
moving fast. That led to Green Desk

00:35:30.160 --> 00:35:32.997
led to WeWork, led to our first child,

00:35:33.080 --> 00:35:35.757
led to everything led to everything,

00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:38.277
brought us all the way here today. And

00:35:38.360 --> 00:35:40.597
it only started with one class. Yeah.

00:35:40.680 --> 00:35:43.037
And one teacher. Yes. And one sentence.

00:35:43.120 --> 00:35:45.117
And then you started going every week?

00:35:45.200 --> 00:35:49.277
Then I started going to Well, I again,
this is me. When I see something that

00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:52.957
works, I actually do more than once
a week. It started with once a week, it

00:35:53.040 --> 00:35:56.717
became two times a week, then it became
three times a week. And then at the same

00:35:56.800 --> 00:35:58.597
time that this is happening, my life is

00:35:58.680 --> 00:36:01.877
changing so fast. We're having This is

00:36:01.960 --> 00:36:03.757
I'm at this stage.

00:36:03.840 --> 00:36:07.477
I meet Rebekah at 28. I'm now 31, 32.

00:36:07.560 --> 00:36:09.877
I'm having my first daughter.

00:36:09.960 --> 00:36:11.877
That's a miracle. We're starting to have

00:36:11.960 --> 00:36:17.037
that experience. And then uh and then
we're launching WeWork. And WeWork

00:36:17.120 --> 00:36:20.157
starts to Tell me do you >>
shooting up and now we got

00:36:20.240 --> 00:36:23.597
the starting of WeWork.
Now you got back starting of WeWork, so

00:36:23.680 --> 00:36:27.077
We said that we had that business Green
Desk and this landlord kept growing and

00:36:27.160 --> 00:36:30.437
growing. And after a few months I saw
that this business could be a national

00:36:30.520 --> 00:36:35.117
business. And I go to him, Mr. Gatman,
Mr. Gatman, if you invest in us, the

00:36:35.200 --> 00:36:38.600
number is $20 million,
we will give you 50%

00:36:39.480 --> 00:36:42.437
and we will build this thing national.

00:36:42.520 --> 00:36:46.997
And Mr. Gatman said, I'm sorry, it's not
for me. I like Brooklyn. But if that's

00:36:47.080 --> 00:36:50.637
what you guys want and there's there's
actually deeper story there, but maybe

00:36:50.720 --> 00:36:53.600
for another time.

00:36:53.840 --> 00:36:57.957
If that's what you guys want,
then I encourage you to

00:36:58.040 --> 00:37:00.837
I encourage you to go for it.
I will buy you guys out.

00:37:00.920 --> 00:37:05.157
And you guys run with it.
And we agree on a number.

00:37:05.240 --> 00:37:08.357
But he won't pay the entire number up
front. He's only willing that if the

00:37:08.440 --> 00:37:11.837
number is $3 million, we own 50%
with another partner, so a million and a

00:37:11.920 --> 00:37:15.597
half, Miguel and I a million. He's
only willing to give us $300,000 of our

00:37:15.680 --> 00:37:19.517
million. The rest is installments for
the next 4 years to ensure that we don't

00:37:19.600 --> 00:37:22.677
enter Brooklyn with our new business,
so we don't compete. He just wants

00:37:22.760 --> 00:37:26.037
Brooklyn. Yeah. By the way, back then
no Brooklyn, no big deal. Well, Brooklyn

00:37:26.120 --> 00:37:30.037
became quite a big deal. Yeah, yeah.
But he he wanted Brooklyn. Did he grow the

00:37:30.120 --> 00:37:33.957
company in Brooklyn as well? First of all,
it still exists and is successful.

00:37:34.040 --> 00:37:36.557
So, yes, he grew it. But

00:37:36.640 --> 00:37:41.397
not with the concept of community
and the soul behind it. Yeah. Hey, but it

00:37:41.480 --> 00:37:44.357
still exists today and it's still
successful today and then co-working is

00:37:44.440 --> 00:37:47.117
a successful business today and this
was the beginning. This was the seed.

00:37:47.200 --> 00:37:50.957
>> Mhm. And what's interesting is when we
come to start WeWork, so then Miguel and

00:37:51.040 --> 00:37:54.597
I want to start WeWork and people have
heard the story before, so I won't get

00:37:54.680 --> 00:37:59.837
into it, but we did take 6 months
to come up with the name. So, we knew we

00:37:59.920 --> 00:38:03.037
had an amazing business. I knew this
business was a home run. I felt it. I

00:38:03.120 --> 00:38:05.757
knew it was right. >> already
experienced it. You experienced

00:38:05.840 --> 00:38:10.357
a lesser version of it.
This one had a higher

00:38:10.440 --> 00:38:12.477
um intention than the first business.

00:38:12.560 --> 00:38:14.677
100% true. This one had time to put

00:38:14.760 --> 00:38:16.717
thought and this one had Miguel and I

00:38:16.800 --> 00:38:22.357
sitting with a whiteboard for 6 months
planning it. We used to draw a picture

00:38:22.440 --> 00:38:24.997
of of of what we would do 9 years into it.

00:38:25.080 --> 00:38:28.197
It was very similar to that
initial picture that we drew.

00:38:28.280 --> 00:38:31.437
I will send it to you so you see it.
It is a beautiful picture.

00:38:31.520 --> 00:38:34.997
>> But the name's not there. Yeah.
And I'm not willing to start the business

00:38:35.080 --> 00:38:38.997
because by this stage in my spiritual
practice, I know the power of words.

00:38:39.080 --> 00:38:43.797
And I need a name that describes
this vision. And I can't come up with it.

00:38:43.880 --> 00:38:47.437
And one thing we didn't say about my
friend Andrew Finkelstein who introduces

00:38:47.520 --> 00:38:50.437
me to Rebecca, when we fall
in love and I call and tell

00:38:50.520 --> 00:38:54.637
him we're going to marry each other,
he stops talking to us for 3 months.

00:38:54.720 --> 00:38:58.437
He has a He had a relationship, nothing
to do between him and Rebecca. He was so

00:38:58.520 --> 00:39:01.557
upset because he knew the Adam he knew was

00:39:01.640 --> 00:39:05.837
was the Adam that used to party
a lot and go over and be

00:39:05.920 --> 00:39:08.837
I used to hang out a lot. Yeah. And
Rebecca was his close friend that he was

00:39:08.920 --> 00:39:13.237
so worried about. And he thought she
was some innocent lamb and I was the wolf.

00:39:13.320 --> 00:39:15.797
And he didn't want the wolf to get
close to his close friend. So he called

00:39:15.880 --> 00:39:19.997
Rebecca and said all the whatever worst
things he could say about me. Wow. And

00:39:20.080 --> 00:39:22.397
there's a lesson there also cuz if
you call someone and tell them why you

00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:25.997
shouldn't be with someone,
then they get really interested.

00:39:26.080 --> 00:39:29.917
And and but we we loved that it was true.
I told him it was true. He just

00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:31.277
didn't believe it was true. And I'm I'm

00:39:31.360 --> 00:39:34.437
a very loyal person. When I commit, I am

00:39:34.520 --> 00:39:37.397
not at 99% committed. I am 100 to a

00:39:37.480 --> 00:39:42.197
fault. Yeah. And so Andrew ends up not
talking to us for 3 months, but then

00:39:42.280 --> 00:39:45.957
again becoming very close.
And we never forgot that he introduced

00:39:46.040 --> 00:39:50.437
us. But when >> And instead
of you somehow hurting her,

00:39:50.520 --> 00:39:52.597
she made you better. That's what happened.

00:39:52.680 --> 00:39:55.477
>> And I think for her,

00:39:55.560 --> 00:40:00.437
the point she meets me, she was celibate
for 6 6 years. She at the age 23, she

00:40:00.520 --> 00:40:04.237
was 29. She said that she's not going
to go on this dating scene and this thing

00:40:04.320 --> 00:40:07.397
that everybody else doing.
She told the universe she used to So

00:40:07.480 --> 00:40:11.437
she's a yogi. She was meditating.
She was Shiva Mukti. She was certified.

00:40:11.520 --> 00:40:14.637
And she would meditate and she would
tell the universe, "Sell me Send me my

00:40:14.720 --> 00:40:19.437
soulmate or no one at all." Yes. She
was zero interested. So, at this point,

00:40:19.520 --> 00:40:20.997
she's 6 years in.

00:40:21.080 --> 00:40:23.757
So, when she So, then she meets me.

00:40:23.840 --> 00:40:27.997
And um she knew it, I knew it. And

00:40:28.080 --> 00:40:30.797
and that's that. And then when it's time
to launch the business, and I don't know

00:40:30.880 --> 00:40:34.237
the name, I call my old friend Andrew
Finkelstein, who at this point is in

00:40:34.320 --> 00:40:37.277
Hollywood. His career
is starting to take off.

00:40:37.360 --> 00:40:39.877
And he was always He has and has always

00:40:39.960 --> 00:40:44.757
been an unbelievable agent,
but he's also an amazing

00:40:44.840 --> 00:40:48.397
co-writer and speaker. And you know,
like Morty Supreme that just came out,

00:40:48.480 --> 00:40:51.837
he put together. He represents the
director. He represent He did a lot. He

00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:54.997
did a lot. Write and directed.
He's the agent, but he helped it become a

00:40:55.080 --> 00:40:58.037
reality. I was there
for the whole process.

00:40:58.120 --> 00:41:02.357
And uh I call him and say, "I need
your help to come up with a name."

00:41:02.440 --> 00:41:07.117
And I go to his house.
And we hang out the way we used to hang

00:41:07.200 --> 00:41:11.477
out. And we are really
This is now 2:00 a.m.

00:41:11.560 --> 00:41:14.117
And we're about to We're about to faint.

00:41:14.200 --> 00:41:17.557
And he looks at me, and he literally
goes, "I wish we had a video of this."

00:41:17.640 --> 00:41:19.197
He looks like this.

00:41:19.280 --> 00:41:21.317
His eyes are like almost rolled back. He

00:41:21.400 --> 00:41:25.717
goes, "Steve Jobs had it wrong. It's not

00:41:25.800 --> 00:41:30.717
Ibook, iPhone, me, me, me. It's we.

00:41:30.800 --> 00:41:36.117
WeWork, WeGive, WeFly, WeTeach, We."

00:41:36.200 --> 00:41:39.317
And faints. It's interesting also
that you say it's at 2:00 in the morning,

00:41:39.400 --> 00:41:41.517
you're both exhausted. You weren't in a

00:41:41.600 --> 00:41:44.717
strong place. The opposite. It was

00:41:44.800 --> 00:41:47.877
almost as if you were ready to give up.

00:41:47.960 --> 00:41:50.517
You were at the end.

00:41:50.600 --> 00:41:54.357
You let go. This is so accurate, Rick.

00:41:54.440 --> 00:41:57.637
We were so at the end. I We were done.

00:41:57.720 --> 00:41:59.077
Yeah. And it wasn't going to happen.

00:41:59.160 --> 00:42:03.197
>> Yeah. And he says it. And

00:42:03.280 --> 00:42:07.317
he says, I look up at the universe. By
this point, I'm already practicing more.

00:42:07.400 --> 00:42:11.797
I said, "Please, let me remember
it in the morning." I wake up.

00:42:11.880 --> 00:42:15.877
and I call Miguel,
trademark, we work, let's

00:42:15.960 --> 00:42:19.677
go. Boom. Amazing. And it reminds me,
you just said something I think very

00:42:19.760 --> 00:42:24.317
important. It reminds me
of a story, Joseph in the Bible.

00:42:24.400 --> 00:42:28.117
He's born. He has all these dreams. He
dreams his father and his mother and his

00:42:28.200 --> 00:42:32.477
brothers will bow to him and his
brothers hate him for it. And they put

00:42:32.560 --> 00:42:36.077
him in the cave, they want to kill him,
then they decide to sell him. And no

00:42:36.160 --> 00:42:40.797
matter what happens, he looks up to
the heavens and he says it's God's will.

00:42:40.880 --> 00:42:44.597
The brother sold me, maybe it's my fault
I didn't speak. They sell him if you

00:42:44.680 --> 00:42:46.397
don't remember the story,
they sell him, he moves

00:42:46.480 --> 00:42:49.997
>> Into slavery. Into slavery, he becomes
slave to one of Pharaoh's right hand

00:42:50.080 --> 00:42:53.997
people. He then rises, always whatever
what, he always is blessed. He says

00:42:54.080 --> 00:42:57.877
God's will. And he rises, there is a
slave, he starts running the house. Then

00:42:57.960 --> 00:43:01.677
the woman of the house, her name was
Eshet Potiphar, she really she wants to

00:43:01.760 --> 00:43:05.717
sleep with him cuz he was he was he
he's defined as beautiful from the in and

00:43:05.800 --> 00:43:10.317
from the out. He's very handsome,
very smart. And she chases him, he doesn't

00:43:10.400 --> 00:43:14.317
want it, he runs away, the clothes gets
ripped, then she feels ashamed. She says

00:43:14.400 --> 00:43:18.157
he tries to rape her. He gets thrown
into prison and no matter what, God's

00:43:18.240 --> 00:43:21.117
will, God's will throughout his Then
in prison he climbs to the top, he's

00:43:21.200 --> 00:43:23.477
helping run the prisoners. God's will.

00:43:23.560 --> 00:43:28.557
Until after 10 years those two people
come, the two ministers that have dreams

00:43:28.640 --> 00:43:31.437
and interprets their dreams. One he says
Pharaoh will save you and the other one

00:43:31.520 --> 00:43:33.637
he says you will die in 3 days.

00:43:33.720 --> 00:43:37.637
And the why the one he says Pharaoh will
save you, he says to him on the way out,

00:43:37.720 --> 00:43:42.237
please don't forget me.
He suddenly gives up the belief that he

00:43:42.320 --> 00:43:45.837
had until then that that it's God's will,
God's will, God's He forgets for a

00:43:45.920 --> 00:43:48.637
second. It says that he gets punished to

00:43:48.720 --> 00:43:51.077
stay 2 more years. Now he's 12 years in

00:43:51.160 --> 00:43:53.477
prison and he gets to this night where

00:43:53.560 --> 00:43:58.797
he is done. He's ready to give up.
He says, "God, maybe I don't deserve it.

00:43:58.880 --> 00:44:02.597
Maybe I need to be in prison. I will
never leave." He gives up and lets go

00:44:02.680 --> 00:44:06.877
and goes to his lowest point. And in his
lowest point, and this I think is very

00:44:06.960 --> 00:44:10.477
important for us. When we are there,
and we all have a moment where in that

00:44:10.560 --> 00:44:13.157
lowest point, we get to choose.

00:44:13.240 --> 00:44:15.837
Do you choose belief, or don't you?

00:44:15.920 --> 00:44:19.957
And if you choose belief, and are able
to pick yourself up from that lowest

00:44:20.040 --> 00:44:24.757
point, boom, that's when it happens. In
the next second, Pharaoh has his dreams,

00:44:24.840 --> 00:44:28.477
can't interpret them, the guy remembers
he met this guy Joseph, this Hebrew

00:44:28.560 --> 00:44:31.117
slave. He says, "I I met a slave in in

00:44:31.200 --> 00:44:33.557
prison that that interpreted my dream."

00:44:33.640 --> 00:44:37.877
Brings him to Pharaoh, interprets
Pharaoh's dream, and goes from a slave

00:44:37.960 --> 00:44:42.157
to basically the CEO of Egypt, the number
two to the king, in one day. All

00:44:42.240 --> 00:44:45.357
the way from here to that. And to finish
that story, when his brothers there's a

00:44:45.440 --> 00:44:49.877
famine, the seven bad years, they come,
and he saves his family. And when his

00:44:49.960 --> 00:44:53.157
brothers see him, and they cry, and
they're so hurt, they say, "So sorry for

00:44:53.240 --> 00:44:57.317
what we did to you." He said to them,
"It was never you. I was here so we all

00:44:57.400 --> 00:44:59.997
could be saved. It's God's will."

00:45:00.080 --> 00:45:04.277
So, I think what you're saying is not
only true that in that moment that we

00:45:04.360 --> 00:45:06.717
let go. I also think it's the moment

00:45:06.800 --> 00:45:08.837
when we're at our lowest moment, and we

00:45:08.920 --> 00:45:11.997
let go, where we can choose

00:45:12.080 --> 00:45:14.677
to believe. Yeah. I think there's also

00:45:14.760 --> 00:45:16.997
something in that lowest moment where

00:45:17.080 --> 00:45:20.277
you're not doing the work.

00:45:20.360 --> 00:45:25.317
There's space. You said earlier,
in your life you were talking a lot, and

00:45:25.400 --> 00:45:27.757
you weren't listening.
When you're working,

00:45:27.840 --> 00:45:31.197
a lot of times you're talking talking
talking talking, and there's not the

00:45:31.280 --> 00:45:35.677
space. But when you run
out of steam talking,

00:45:35.760 --> 00:45:39.477
eventually, you're done.
And then there's space, and

00:45:39.560 --> 00:45:44.197
it's quiet, and then it can come through.

00:45:44.280 --> 00:45:47.120
And

00:45:47.880 --> 00:45:51.557
sometimes when we talk I'll talk about
myself. When I used to do it, I know I

00:45:51.640 --> 00:45:53.517
still do it, but I try to do it less.

00:45:53.600 --> 00:45:55.557
When I used to do it, I thought I was in

00:45:55.640 --> 00:45:59.157
control. When we think we're in control,

00:45:59.240 --> 00:46:02.877
that's when we really start losing
the game. Yeah. We're in control of our

00:46:02.960 --> 00:46:06.717
reaction Yes. to what happens.
Not of actually what happens.

00:46:06.800 --> 00:46:11.117
>> No, and we never know what's going
to happen next, really. We really don't.

00:46:11.200 --> 00:46:13.557
The only thing we know is that it's part

00:46:13.640 --> 00:46:18.237
of that movie that you described before
with the greatest director, writer,

00:46:18.320 --> 00:46:19.557
producer on the planet.

00:46:19.640 --> 00:46:23.597
>> Yes, and I'm always anxious to see

00:46:23.680 --> 00:46:27.517
what's the next scene, what's the next
chapter. You know, the nice thing about

00:46:27.600 --> 00:46:31.117
what you said is if you're patient,
you said anxious, but I bet you're also

00:46:31.200 --> 00:46:35.117
patient. Because if you're patient enough,

00:46:35.200 --> 00:46:39.037
the next chapter is could
be phenomenal. Yeah, I think

00:46:39.120 --> 00:46:43.797
there's no way to get
to greatness without patience.

00:46:43.880 --> 00:46:47.477
I think there is no way to get
to lasting greatness without patience. You

00:46:47.560 --> 00:46:51.037
could taste it. We all know so many
stories. I've been part of one of those

00:46:51.120 --> 00:46:53.397
stories. You could taste it, but it's

00:46:53.480 --> 00:46:55.037
not going to last. I think if you want

00:46:55.120 --> 00:46:58.557
lasting blessings or lasting greatness,

00:46:58.640 --> 00:47:02.157
you need patience. You need
to be aware that you're not in

00:47:02.240 --> 00:47:05.837
control. You need to accept the fact
that sometimes even though you don't

00:47:05.920 --> 00:47:08.837
know, and it's really, really scary,

00:47:08.920 --> 00:47:12.317
life is not about if you fell down.

00:47:12.400 --> 00:47:17.320
Life is only about how you get up.

00:47:17.760 --> 00:47:21.597
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Nicotine is an addictive chemical. So,
you have the name and what happens next?

00:48:51.640 --> 00:48:55.277
It's miraculous. It's on fire.
What's the First thing you

00:48:55.360 --> 00:48:58.957
do? I go and find a building

00:48:59.040 --> 00:49:02.557
on Lafayette and Grand
that wasn't that cool yet.

00:49:02.640 --> 00:49:06.517
Former landlord that didn't
like to give any money.

00:49:06.600 --> 00:49:08.397
And was very was like one of those very

00:49:08.480 --> 00:49:10.117
tight landlords.

00:49:10.200 --> 00:49:15.477
And I convinced him to pay us enough
to build it. It had five floors.

00:49:15.560 --> 00:49:18.477
The idea was we'll rent the top floor
and then we'll do so well then we'll

00:49:18.560 --> 00:49:20.797
rent the floor below, the floor below,
the floor below. And the reason you're

00:49:20.880 --> 00:49:23.837
starting floor five, when you do
construction afterwards you're always

00:49:23.920 --> 00:49:27.437
doing below people and not above their
head. Making nice little nice noise was

00:49:27.520 --> 00:49:30.557
the thought. And I convinced
him to do the deal, but

00:49:30.640 --> 00:49:33.477
he has one thing, we must put $300,000

00:49:33.560 --> 00:49:35.477
in a letter of credit, otherwise

00:49:35.560 --> 00:49:38.957
we can't do it. The exact same $300,000

00:49:39.040 --> 00:49:42.557
that we got from the sale that the
partner was willing to give us before

00:49:42.640 --> 00:49:46.237
the installments.
Dollar for dollar, same amount. That

00:49:46.320 --> 00:49:50.437
same amount moves and I think that's how
energy moves when you're in flow. That

00:49:50.520 --> 00:49:54.557
energy moves from that idea that was
like you said the early Yeah. to a

00:49:54.640 --> 00:49:56.717
slightly more intentional oriented idea

00:49:56.800 --> 00:50:01.637
idea. Now it's there.
And we were under construction. We do

00:50:01.720 --> 00:50:05.317
the first floor. We get a very small
budget from him. She's amazing cuz never

00:50:05.400 --> 00:50:08.957
for the next 9 years in the history
of WeWork can we build for that price that

00:50:09.040 --> 00:50:11.357
we built the first time. Why?

00:50:11.440 --> 00:50:16.037
Cuz we were constrained.
Cuz constraints is the mother of all

00:50:16.120 --> 00:50:20.477
innovations. >> Yeah.
It It's what takes us to the next level.

00:50:20.560 --> 00:50:22.037
And

00:50:22.120 --> 00:50:25.997
when we design it, we build it.

00:50:26.080 --> 00:50:30.277
I still remember the night before Miguel
was about to have his first son. He He

00:50:30.360 --> 00:50:33.597
He gets overwhelmed the night before
and with a few employees we all go and

00:50:33.680 --> 00:50:38.277
finish it. And the place just it
fills up before within a month.

00:50:38.360 --> 00:50:40.197
99% full.

00:50:40.280 --> 00:50:43.157
Next month, next floor, next floor, next

00:50:43.240 --> 00:50:45.757
floor, next floor. And that's the case

00:50:45.840 --> 00:50:48.397
for and and the first building is done.

00:50:48.480 --> 00:50:50.637
And we go to the building two.

00:50:50.720 --> 00:50:54.037
We have no money. We raise
our first round and that's

00:50:54.120 --> 00:50:56.597
where it starts. Where is building two?

00:50:56.680 --> 00:51:00.717
Building two is on 35th and fifth right

00:51:00.800 --> 00:51:02.397
in front of the Empire State Building.

00:51:02.480 --> 00:51:06.357
Literally right in front, which at the
time was not considered a good location.

00:51:06.440 --> 00:51:10.277
Mhm. But for me being an outsider in New
York, what are you talking about? I can

00:51:10.360 --> 00:51:14.597
see the Empire State Building from the
roof. It's beautiful. Yeah. Sometimes

00:51:14.680 --> 00:51:18.157
I've learned this a lot in life. The ones
who know everything because they've

00:51:18.240 --> 00:51:20.357
been living in that market forever Yes.

00:51:20.440 --> 00:51:22.037
actually might be limited and for me

00:51:22.120 --> 00:51:24.117
coming from the outside

00:51:24.200 --> 00:51:29.677
a fresh set of eyes on any situation
or I like to think of it more as a

00:51:29.760 --> 00:51:32.717
childlike Yes. >> look.
Rebekah thinks she has seven

00:51:32.800 --> 00:51:36.597
children, not six, me being
the toughest one, number seven.

00:51:36.680 --> 00:51:39.957
I look at life as a child for good
or for bad, which allows me to see

00:51:40.040 --> 00:51:43.837
situations from the beginning.
So that's building number two.

00:51:43.920 --> 00:51:48.237
And and we raise our money
from a from the first person

00:51:48.320 --> 00:51:52.397
and we just start running.
My third building is in Meatpacking.

00:51:52.480 --> 00:51:55.837
The same time also as said New York
is happening Meatpacking is starting to

00:51:55.920 --> 00:51:57.957
happen. There was a club called Lotus.

00:51:58.040 --> 00:51:59.717
We used to go there every Tuesday every

00:51:59.800 --> 00:52:02.997
Tuesday night. Daniel was at the door

00:52:03.080 --> 00:52:07.357
and we we just loved the Meatpacking.
It was so I don't know if you remember

00:52:07.440 --> 00:52:10.837
Meatpacking back then. So cool.
The original restaurant before rent became

00:52:10.920 --> 00:52:14.637
expensive. It was such a great place
to be and I just wanted a building in the

00:52:14.720 --> 00:52:18.277
Meatpacking. I find the landlord that no
one can do. I I was very good at doing

00:52:18.360 --> 00:52:21.157
the deals with the ones that no one
can do the deals with. Find the landlord

00:52:21.240 --> 00:52:25.157
that is impossible. We become friends.
I understand him. He understands me.

00:52:25.240 --> 00:52:29.997
>> Also seems like as you have success
it's easier because you have examples.

00:52:30.080 --> 00:52:31.957
>> We're not there yet
because this is same

00:52:32.040 --> 00:52:36.237
year, right? This is early success.
So it is success but remember real estate

00:52:36.320 --> 00:52:38.837
people are very good at saying no.

00:52:38.920 --> 00:52:44.037
They know everything. Their business is
cyclical so they've been there done that.

00:52:44.120 --> 00:52:47.797
But at the same time if you remember
you're now 2010 office is only starting

00:52:47.880 --> 00:52:52.157
to be at the rise. So there's a lot of
empty space which gives us an opportunity.

00:52:52.240 --> 00:52:57.197
So we do Meatpacking which is amazing
and I want to do San Francisco. And the

00:52:57.280 --> 00:53:00.317
reason I want to do San Francisco,
I want it to be a national brand and my

00:53:00.400 --> 00:53:04.157
head was like, "Okay, we'll be national
by being on two coasts." So we go from

00:53:04.240 --> 00:53:08.477
So that So three is the answer
and number four is San Francisco.

00:53:08.560 --> 00:53:11.517
>> And how was the reaction?
>> Tenderloin. How was the reaction in San

00:53:11.600 --> 00:53:16.437
Francisco? The concept of people wanting
to be part of something greater than

00:53:16.520 --> 00:53:20.437
themselves and wanting
to be part of the community.

00:53:20.520 --> 00:53:24.157
And when you start business and you have
one or two employees or by yourself to

00:53:24.240 --> 00:53:28.917
go to the coffee machine and talk
to someone, to meet an accountant uh

00:53:29.000 --> 00:53:32.997
today, we'll talk about it later with AI,
the world is different. But to need

00:53:33.080 --> 00:53:36.277
all this help and meet five different
people around the coffee machine that

00:53:36.360 --> 00:53:40.757
can just you can just talk to, to share
the struggles and the successes with

00:53:40.840 --> 00:53:43.117
people in a like-minded place

00:53:43.200 --> 00:53:45.757
was relevant all over the planet. Yeah.

00:53:45.840 --> 00:53:50.117
It made as much It made tremendous
amount of sense back then. The only time

00:53:50.200 --> 00:53:54.517
I would say it makes more sense is today.
Yeah. Because the more people

00:53:54.600 --> 00:53:58.277
are getting connected digitally the less
they are connected physically and the

00:53:58.360 --> 00:54:01.837
more they crave it. But back then it
was unbelievable in San Francisco as an

00:54:01.920 --> 00:54:05.077
answer. And then did you do more
in San Francisco or did you spread out?

00:54:05.160 --> 00:54:10.197
>> Adam, back then was very
busy doing push everything out.

00:54:10.280 --> 00:54:12.877
By the time I did San Francisco, I might
have done two I might have done one or

00:54:12.960 --> 00:54:17.397
two more buildings. But I was ready
to go global. Yeah. I wanted London. Yeah.

00:54:17.480 --> 00:54:20.357
And people were like, Adam, no, you
can't go to London. Said, why? It's the

00:54:20.440 --> 00:54:23.237
same language, similar accounting
system, similar law. What's the big

00:54:23.320 --> 00:54:25.677
deal? Same website. What's the big deal?

00:54:25.760 --> 00:54:28.317
Like, Adam, it's London.
It's a different time zone.

00:54:28.400 --> 00:54:32.357
So from after doing a few buildings,
I go to London. And what's interesting

00:54:32.440 --> 00:54:36.957
about London, London is the inventor
of the original co-working, right? Regus.

00:54:37.040 --> 00:54:40.717
The original company that did this
from the '80s, I believe, is there.

00:54:40.800 --> 00:54:43.317
So everybody was like, no, it's not
going to work as well in London because

00:54:43.400 --> 00:54:47.837
it exists there. In my opinion,
and I feel it's stronger even today,

00:54:47.920 --> 00:54:51.117
when you go to a place where people
know of a new concept, but you bring

00:54:51.200 --> 00:54:54.557
something innovative, you do even better
than when you have to convince everybody

00:54:54.640 --> 00:54:57.557
about a new concept.
So we then go to London and it goes

00:54:57.640 --> 00:54:59.437
really well. It basically for the

00:54:59.520 --> 00:55:02.437
following 5 years goes unbelievably well

00:55:02.520 --> 00:55:05.157
wherever you go. And just to to give it

00:55:05.240 --> 00:55:07.717
weight, from year one doing one building

00:55:07.800 --> 00:55:12.237
in the first year, and year
two adding I believe three,

00:55:12.320 --> 00:55:16.517
you go to a near nine
doing two buildings a day.

00:55:16.600 --> 00:55:18.997
In a 100 buildings >> a day. A day.

00:55:19.080 --> 00:55:20.157
Nine years.

00:55:20.240 --> 00:55:24.797
Two buildings a day in 130 cities,

00:55:24.880 --> 00:55:28.277
50 countries, five continents, 72

00:55:28.360 --> 00:55:32.317
languages. And when I count today,
I only count business days. So that's 5

00:55:32.400 --> 00:55:34.757
days a week, not including holidays.

00:55:34.840 --> 00:55:38.997
So you do about three to So you do over
400, maybe you do a crazy amount in that

00:55:39.080 --> 00:55:41.717
last year. It's just unbelievable story.

00:55:41.800 --> 00:55:44.277
It was an amazing journey and you
know something about the journey that

00:55:44.360 --> 00:55:47.797
sometimes doesn't get spoken enough.
To do what I just said,

00:55:47.880 --> 00:55:50.157
you need an unbelievable

00:55:50.240 --> 00:55:54.917
team that believes. Cuz this is not
technology that's breathing. Not only

00:55:55.000 --> 00:55:58.797
can you not breathe everywhere, this
is physical labor. Yes. This is this is

00:55:58.880 --> 00:56:02.797
this is a architecture and all these
languages. This is construction. This is

00:56:02.880 --> 00:56:04.557
management and it's operations and

00:56:04.640 --> 00:56:07.597
hospitality and accounting and and and

00:56:07.680 --> 00:56:10.397
and and Yeah. And the thing about WeWork

00:56:10.480 --> 00:56:15.237
that I was so the thing I would say
is that team was phenomenal. Yeah. Because

00:56:15.320 --> 00:56:19.197
they believed. And then if you ask them,
I met I just met one of them few weeks

00:56:19.280 --> 00:56:22.917
ago. He works in Archer, which is the
vertical takeoff drones. They're doing

00:56:23.000 --> 00:56:26.437
really well. And he's a top five
and he used to be one of our heads of

00:56:26.520 --> 00:56:29.997
construction. And he sees me very nice
and he says, "Adam, I just want you to

00:56:30.080 --> 00:56:33.357
know the reason I'm doing so well
is because of everything you taught me at

00:56:33.440 --> 00:56:36.797
WeWork." And I said, "I didn't teach you
how to work in a vertical takeoff drone

00:56:36.880 --> 00:56:40.717
company. Like, what does construction
have to do with that?" He said, "No.

00:56:40.800 --> 00:56:45.277
You taught me that if I put my mind into
it and I get a team to work with me and

00:56:45.360 --> 00:56:49.517
I put purpose and mission first, I can
do anything I want and that has worked

00:56:49.600 --> 00:56:54.077
phenomenally for me." So,
that's the first 5 years.

00:56:54.160 --> 00:56:57.837
It then turns a little,
but that's for another time.

00:56:57.920 --> 00:57:00.837
Do you think the success had to do with

00:57:00.920 --> 00:57:04.157
the concept or with your personal will?

00:57:04.240 --> 00:57:06.837
In hindsight, I think the success was

00:57:06.920 --> 00:57:12.117
accumulation of every single
thing that I did leading to that.

00:57:12.200 --> 00:57:16.597
It's the childhood. It's the challenges.

00:57:16.680 --> 00:57:21.797
It's the parents that were always
giving as doctors. It's the kibbutz.

00:57:21.880 --> 00:57:25.077
It's the learning how
to serve at the age of 18.

00:57:25.160 --> 00:57:27.477
It's living with Adi, my sister, in New

00:57:27.560 --> 00:57:28.997
York City and experiencing this

00:57:29.080 --> 00:57:32.997
unbelievable city that inspired me.

00:57:33.080 --> 00:57:36.237
It's my friend Andrew Finkelstein
who teaches me about America and about

00:57:36.320 --> 00:57:38.117
culture and about movies and about all

00:57:38.200 --> 00:57:43.520
these beautiful things that
inspire me and get me excited.

00:57:43.920 --> 00:57:47.437
And it's this belief

00:57:47.520 --> 00:57:50.077
in something

00:57:50.160 --> 00:57:55.157
that I that I play a part
in something bigger than me, that I can

00:57:55.240 --> 00:57:58.237
make a difference.
Maybe sometimes it feels big and

00:57:58.320 --> 00:58:01.957
sometimes it feels small, but there's
a mission for me on this planet, there's a

00:58:02.040 --> 00:58:05.037
message. For me it's more community

00:58:05.120 --> 00:58:08.997
and that message needs to be told,
it needs to be heard, and as long as I

00:58:09.080 --> 00:58:15.320
stick to it and don't forget it
and put that first, nothing can stop me.

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00:59:47.160 --> 00:59:51.520
How come you about SoftBank and Masa?

00:59:53.720 --> 00:59:56.157
I was planning we were going to talk
about feelings and we're actually

00:59:56.240 --> 01:00:01.237
talking about real life about I love it.

01:00:01.320 --> 01:00:05.037
First, I'll start with the most
important thing to say about Masa cuz

01:00:05.120 --> 01:00:08.637
for me it's Masa. It's SoftBank is the
company that he created and SoftBank is

01:00:08.720 --> 01:00:13.557
great, but it's Masa.
When Masa walks the first time into

01:00:13.640 --> 01:00:17.277
WeWork, he goes like this,

01:00:17.360 --> 01:00:20.397
"It smells like a factory of dreams.

01:00:20.480 --> 01:00:24.117
Wow. You're not manufacturing
business here. Wow.

01:00:24.200 --> 01:00:26.357
>> You're making dreams." What a beautiful

01:00:26.440 --> 01:00:29.357
line. What a beautiful statement. And I

01:00:29.440 --> 01:00:33.797
am I get shivers all over
my body and I was like, "Adam,

01:00:33.880 --> 01:00:37.397
he just met someone who
thinks bigger than you." Yeah.

01:00:37.480 --> 01:00:40.037
I didn't even know where it came from.

01:00:40.120 --> 01:00:41.717
And then he just kept talking.

01:00:41.800 --> 01:00:45.677
I didn't even know where it came from
and he was supposed to come for an hour

01:00:45.760 --> 01:00:49.317
and a half and he only had 12 minutes.

01:00:49.400 --> 01:00:53.837
This all this in the 12 minutes he says
that and my HQ my headquarters my where

01:00:53.920 --> 01:00:57.237
I sit when I used to bring investors had
this whole tour through our HQ I would

01:00:57.320 --> 01:01:00.677
do. On the fifth floor I was never
getting there. So, I took him into our

01:01:00.760 --> 01:01:04.117
innovation center and introduced him to
two residents cuz our buildings I always

01:01:04.200 --> 01:01:07.357
wanted to work in buildings where
customers were there, members so I could

01:01:07.440 --> 01:01:08.997
always hear from them in the elevator.

01:01:09.080 --> 01:01:11.997
Yeah. They love telling me what's
wrong and I love hearing. Yeah. So, I

01:01:12.080 --> 01:01:15.757
introduced him to two
residents, two members

01:01:15.840 --> 01:01:20.517
and he says what he says. He looks at me.
He goes, "This is great. I need to

01:01:20.600 --> 01:01:24.117
go uptown. Would you like to join me
in the car? We could talk some more.

01:01:24.200 --> 01:01:28.477
I said, of course.
And he walks into We go into the car.

01:01:28.560 --> 01:01:33.477
Have this whole presentation. Closes the
door and like, forget your presentation.

01:01:33.560 --> 01:01:36.277
So, what do I do? I said,
your team told me there's no

01:01:36.360 --> 01:01:40.200
deal making.
We're only talking high level.

01:01:40.840 --> 01:01:44.877
I think I need to add something
to this if if this is where we're going.

01:01:44.960 --> 01:01:46.197
The night before we have a board

01:01:46.280 --> 01:01:49.237
meeting. This is 2016 towards the end.

01:01:49.320 --> 01:01:53.637
And we decide as a board we could turn
our business profitable whenever we want

01:01:53.720 --> 01:01:56.557
because we're growing. That business
is called about Green Desk. Never stopped

01:01:56.640 --> 01:02:00.237
being profitable. >> just slow down
building and you'd be profitable.

01:02:00.320 --> 01:02:04.637
>> Or even better. You stop. You let
the machine catch up with you cuz you've

01:02:04.720 --> 01:02:08.757
done so much. You actually take account
inventory of where you're at, which is

01:02:08.840 --> 01:02:13.037
There is no way to grow as fast as we
were one of the fastest, maybe fastest

01:02:13.120 --> 01:02:16.077
physically growing
business on the planet. Yes.

01:02:16.160 --> 01:02:19.997
>> No matter how good at what you do you
are. Yes. You will never be able to do

01:02:20.080 --> 01:02:22.677
that perfectly right. You stop. You let

01:02:22.760 --> 01:02:27.557
the deals catch up with you. And you
reconsider everything you're doing. You

01:02:27.640 --> 01:02:30.757
look at everybody. Are everybody in the
right roles? Do I have enough employees?

01:02:30.840 --> 01:02:33.677
Do I have too many employees? Is our
technology working? What do we need to

01:02:33.760 --> 01:02:37.437
do? You take a moment cuz up
until this point you're sprinting.

01:02:37.520 --> 01:02:40.917
I think sprinting would
be an understatement.

01:02:41.000 --> 01:02:44.157
I think if you came cuz I know you
a little bit, I think you would have told

01:02:44.240 --> 01:02:47.397
me after our meeting that you need
to take 10 minutes and meditate before you

01:02:47.480 --> 01:02:50.437
go downstairs. Yeah. Because you would
have felt that you cuz that energy I

01:02:50.520 --> 01:02:54.877
think you would have loved it.
But that energy was electric. We were

01:02:54.960 --> 01:02:59.197
flying. He used to say outside of my door,
we do the impossible every day,

01:02:59.280 --> 01:03:03.237
miracles once a week.
And we did We meant it. Yeah. We meant

01:03:03.320 --> 01:03:07.157
it. And it happened. It happened. It
happened. We meant it. It was happening.

01:03:07.240 --> 01:03:10.517
How big is WeWork in 2016?
>> I would need to go back. It's been some

01:03:10.600 --> 01:03:14.917
time. Approximately, I'm going to guess
I I I remember it by buildings and

01:03:15.000 --> 01:03:16.157
revenue.

01:03:16.240 --> 01:03:19.637
WeWork is at

01:03:19.720 --> 01:03:23.037
$450 million revenue

01:03:23.120 --> 01:03:26.837
going to 900 million. So, we're
is doubling not just in size every year,

01:03:26.920 --> 01:03:29.677
but in revenue. Which then
doubles your expenses and the

01:03:29.760 --> 01:03:31.997
growth and everything that comes. It's

01:03:32.080 --> 01:03:35.157
a $16 company of its last valuation.

01:03:35.240 --> 01:03:36.997
It's for sure in Europe,

01:03:37.080 --> 01:03:38.877
in the United States, and in Latin

01:03:38.960 --> 01:03:43.197
America. Wow. At this point. I will fly.

01:03:43.280 --> 01:03:47.077
And we're working. We are working many,
many, many hours. Everyone, the

01:03:47.160 --> 01:03:50.237
employees, myself,
everyone's working non-stop.

01:03:50.320 --> 01:03:54.037
We have the board meeting the night
before and we agree. We say

01:03:54.120 --> 01:03:57.317
Adam is going to We're going to go out
to raise money one more time. One of my

01:03:57.400 --> 01:04:01.357
abilities is that I am able to raise
money because I'm able to bring people

01:04:01.440 --> 01:04:04.757
with me towards the direction I want
to go and I'm also for people who know me,

01:04:04.840 --> 01:04:07.917
I keep my word. If I say we're going
to double by this number, I do. If I say

01:04:08.000 --> 01:04:10.757
we're going to hit this goal, I do.
So, people who get to know me People The

01:04:10.840 --> 01:04:14.277
best people for me to raise money for a
second time, people who passed the first

01:04:14.360 --> 01:04:17.197
time, but heard what I said, and then I
come to them the next time say, "Let me

01:04:17.280 --> 01:04:18.997
show you what I did since we met." Yeah.

01:04:19.080 --> 01:04:21.597
And they're like, "Oh, wow. You told us
10 things we thought you were going to

01:04:21.680 --> 01:04:26.277
do one, you did nine." And then they
would want to join the the the journey.

01:04:26.360 --> 01:04:29.557
And so, this we had the board meeting
and we decide that I am going to raise

01:04:29.640 --> 01:04:33.597
300 million. Mhm. We're going to take
a pause. Yeah. We're going to clean

01:04:33.680 --> 01:04:36.557
everything up. Yeah. We're going to turn
the company profitable, stop signing

01:04:36.640 --> 01:04:39.317
leases. We're going
to take the company public.

01:04:39.400 --> 01:04:42.637
And not only are we going to take
the company public to 2016 going to 2017,

01:04:42.720 --> 01:04:45.637
we're not going to worry about
our last valuation of 16 billion.

01:04:45.720 --> 01:04:48.797
We're going to take it for 10. Again,
but at this point, we weren't using

01:04:48.880 --> 01:04:52.317
valuations. At least
on my side and my executive

01:04:52.400 --> 01:04:56.877
team. We believed that our solution is so
correct and and it worked everywhere.

01:04:56.960 --> 01:04:59.477
There was not a place on the planet you
open this thing and it didn't work. We

01:04:59.560 --> 01:05:04.317
knew had proof. We had proof, we had
belief, we had everything we needed to

01:05:04.400 --> 01:05:07.917
know and the plan was solid.
You slow down first and

01:05:08.000 --> 01:05:10.917
and the next morning I meet Masa. And we

01:05:11.000 --> 01:05:14.957
sit in his car at the store I told you,
happens what happens. He invites me into

01:05:15.040 --> 01:05:17.557
his car. We sit in the car and says,
"What's the deal? How much are you

01:05:17.640 --> 01:05:20.677
looking for?" So, again, it happened
the night before and I'm already this By

01:05:20.760 --> 01:05:24.237
this stage, I am studying spirituality
and I believe there's no It's not cause

01:05:24.320 --> 01:05:27.317
and effect. I believe in cause and effect,
but I believe Wow, we said it

01:05:27.400 --> 01:05:29.117
yesterday and it's happening today.

01:05:29.200 --> 01:05:32.717
Yeah. So, I'm going to tell him the number
we said. Yeah. Raising 300 million. Yeah.

01:05:32.800 --> 01:05:35.997
>> At a 20 billion-dollar valuation,
cuz the last one was 16.

01:05:36.080 --> 01:05:40.597
He looks at me and goes,
"But I know I must say

01:05:40.680 --> 01:05:44.117
I have the Vision Fund. It's going to be
a hundred-billion-dollar Vision Fund. It

01:05:44.200 --> 01:05:48.197
could take a long time to spend a hundred
billion dollar 300 million dollar checks.

01:05:48.280 --> 01:05:50.637
Don't you have a bigger
vision, a bigger picture?"

01:05:50.720 --> 01:05:53.717
I said, "I do, but you know that that
would be very a big amount for us to

01:05:53.800 --> 01:05:57.837
raise." He said, "Well, tell me, if you
could do anything, what would you How

01:05:57.920 --> 01:06:00.557
would you be How big can this company be?"

01:06:00.640 --> 01:06:03.557
I said, "This company can be as big as
as much money as you inject into it. You

01:06:03.640 --> 01:06:06.837
put money on one side, you get growth on
that. I haven't missed my numbers once."

01:06:06.920 --> 01:06:09.357
Remember, by this point, 2010 to 11, I

01:06:09.440 --> 01:06:13.917
grow 3x. First time I grow 3x, 3x, 3x
and then 2x, 2x, 2x, but I don't miss my

01:06:14.000 --> 01:06:16.157
growth. Yeah. I said, "Look, we're 450.

01:06:16.240 --> 01:06:19.717
I'll hit 900 million next year, then
a billion eight, then 3.6." It's going to

01:06:19.800 --> 01:06:23.037
keep Depends how much money
you want to put in the machine.

01:06:23.120 --> 01:06:26.837
And he says, "Well, what do you think
about Southeast Asia?" I said, "I've

01:06:26.920 --> 01:06:29.477
never been there." He said, "Well,
do you think the concept will work there?"

01:06:29.560 --> 01:06:32.597
I said, "I'm sure it will, but I would
need to learn about it." Yeah. He said,

01:06:32.680 --> 01:06:34.397
"Well, we should do a company there."

01:06:34.480 --> 01:06:37.797
And then he said, "What do you think
about China?" Oh, sorry, when I said

01:06:37.880 --> 01:06:40.997
we're in all those places, I forgot
to mention we're already in China also by

01:06:41.080 --> 01:06:43.677
that point. Really? >> So,
when Must I comes, we're in China,

01:06:43.760 --> 01:06:48.157
Latin America, Europe, and the US. And
China already is a free-standing company

01:06:48.240 --> 01:06:51.237
that we raised locally at a 2
billion-dollar valuation. And the reason

01:06:51.320 --> 01:06:54.317
I raised the local company, if the locals
don't believe in it, I don't want

01:06:54.400 --> 01:06:57.877
to enter a market that that's hard.
So, that was my litmus test, litmus test,

01:06:57.960 --> 01:07:01.317
and worked out very well. And he says
to me, "Well, what Southeast Asia?" I say,

01:07:01.400 --> 01:07:04.597
"Yes." He said, "Well, we can write
this size check there." And then he says,

01:07:04.680 --> 01:07:06.957
"What about Japan?" I said, "I really
don't know anything about Japan." He

01:07:07.040 --> 01:07:10.037
said, "Well, I don't I know Japan and
tells me the whole story of Yahoo Japan

01:07:10.120 --> 01:07:13.797
and how at some point Yahoo Japan was
bigger than all of Yahoo and said okay,

01:07:13.880 --> 01:07:16.997
we could do that together and then he
said China you could go much bigger in

01:07:17.080 --> 01:07:19.597
China and the 300 million request

01:07:19.680 --> 01:07:24.437
becomes a 3 billion

01:07:24.520 --> 01:07:27.317
big change >> big change
and it's all written down and

01:07:27.400 --> 01:07:32.637
it's all in 28 minutes in 28 minutes the
from the moment we started writing till

01:07:32.720 --> 01:07:36.557
the moment we arrived 28 minutes but
we're not there we're only 20 minute 22

01:07:36.640 --> 01:07:40.277
and he's writing all of it down on an
iPad and he looks at it and he goes and

01:07:40.360 --> 01:07:44.037
and and I said but I can't take this
much dilution into into into we were I

01:07:44.120 --> 01:07:47.397
don't need this much I need 300 I don't
maybe I could take you know maybe a

01:07:47.480 --> 01:07:50.757
billion but it's like I said no but we
will find Southeast Asia as a separate

01:07:50.840 --> 01:07:54.557
company China already was separate
Japan will be separate so this way so you

01:07:54.640 --> 01:07:58.477
don't just have WeWork as one valuation
you have all these separate companies

01:07:58.560 --> 01:08:01.797
with their own valuations and again
that money in them because we have a team

01:08:01.880 --> 01:08:06.557
that can execute will become successful
businesses they the the right he was not

01:08:06.640 --> 01:08:09.237
wrong the recipe was in place he was very

01:08:09.320 --> 01:08:13.680
right and then he says

01:08:14.880 --> 01:08:18.437
let's make it 4 billion I said
I don't have I I don't have it in

01:08:18.520 --> 01:08:22.037
me this is me and this is this I said I
I don't have it in me I don't I don't I

01:08:22.120 --> 01:08:25.037
don't know where I would put
it >> were you scared at all

01:08:25.120 --> 01:08:29.677
it sounds scary you know I'm
in my mid-30s I think some I so

01:08:29.760 --> 01:08:33.357
my lesson in hindsight after
a lot of time of reflection

01:08:33.440 --> 01:08:36.797
when you tell the universe you're
looking for 300 million and the next day

01:08:36.880 --> 01:08:40.717
a guy offers you 4 billion instead
of signing the dotted line you take a

01:08:40.800 --> 01:08:44.317
breath and say why what
does it come with what am I

01:08:44.400 --> 01:08:47.837
committing to is there
something here I don't see

01:08:47.920 --> 01:08:51.597
but to be fair including
myself most 30-something year

01:08:51.680 --> 01:08:56.437
old sitting in that seat too
you got to have those numbers I

01:08:56.520 --> 01:08:59.837
is it the Israeli from the kibbutz who
came to New York City and lived with the

01:08:59.920 --> 01:09:02.837
sister who was paying his rent for the
first 6 years and then Rebecca paying

01:09:02.920 --> 01:09:06.157
for the following 3 years.
I go, "What am I going to do with

01:09:06.240 --> 01:09:08.597
another billion?" He said,
"You'll do secondary."

01:09:08.680 --> 01:09:11.997
For you and for all your investors and
for all your employees and and everybody

01:09:12.080 --> 01:09:14.517
will have an exit, so they feel this.

01:09:14.600 --> 01:09:19.757
Okay, that's And

01:09:19.840 --> 01:09:24.837
I should have been scared.
I wasn't. I should have been scared.

01:09:24.920 --> 01:09:28.477
I've never thought about this before.
I should have been terrified. Yeah.

01:09:28.560 --> 01:09:31.077
Because I was way more I should have

01:09:31.160 --> 01:09:32.797
done that first lesson that I learned in

01:09:32.880 --> 01:09:35.957
Kabbalah, pause. But I wonder.

01:09:36.040 --> 01:09:40.037
But I didn't. Yeah. I took that
pen and I signed that document.

01:09:40.120 --> 01:09:44.637
>> Right there. On the spot.
On the spot. He offered it on the spot.

01:09:44.720 --> 01:09:49.157
>> Amazing. >> on in the art of the deal,
which I know you're master of.

01:09:49.240 --> 01:09:52.997
Still sometimes have momentum. They have
moments. They're second in time, just

01:09:53.080 --> 01:09:56.397
like channeling. Yeah. But the deal can
go from both sides and just I want to

01:09:56.480 --> 01:10:00.677
make this clear. Not only do I
not blame myself for anything.

01:10:00.760 --> 01:10:03.997
>> No. I am so grateful.
>> Yeah. So appreciative.

01:10:04.080 --> 01:10:07.677
>> He saw the vision.
>> He trusted more He trusted completely.

01:10:07.760 --> 01:10:11.117
Yeah. I walk out

01:10:11.200 --> 01:10:13.117
>> How could you be
mad at that guy? I walk

01:10:13.200 --> 01:10:16.637
up because other people many times after
Oh, he pushed you to grow so fast. We're

01:10:16.720 --> 01:10:19.837
we're going to say what happened. We're
going to get there, but I couldn't be. I

01:10:19.920 --> 01:10:23.797
couldn't be. I wouldn't be. There's
nothing If he called me today Yeah. and

01:10:23.880 --> 01:10:25.717
said, "Adam, I need this or that." I am

01:10:25.800 --> 01:10:29.437
on that plane and with him as fast as as

01:10:29.520 --> 01:10:31.637
as engines can take me. Of course.

01:10:31.720 --> 01:10:35.997
Straight away. I walk out of that car

01:10:36.080 --> 01:10:40.640
and that is the Again, in hindsight,
I couldn't know at that moment.

01:10:41.000 --> 01:10:43.797
That's when a mission-driven company

01:10:43.880 --> 01:10:47.957
that was based on belief that came
from kibbutz, that came from

01:10:48.040 --> 01:10:52.637
all the right things
with all the right energies

01:10:52.720 --> 01:10:57.277
switched to become about growth, money,

01:10:57.360 --> 01:11:02.077
and valuation. And because you've
had now a commitment to live up to.

01:11:02.160 --> 01:11:06.397
Before that, you were building you
wanted to build as fast as you could.

01:11:06.480 --> 01:11:08.637
But you were building at the fastest

01:11:08.720 --> 01:11:11.077
pace you could with what you had. And

01:11:11.160 --> 01:11:14.637
now you're put in the situation of

01:11:14.720 --> 01:11:17.117
multiplying it by a hundred times. Yes,

01:11:17.200 --> 01:11:19.157
but I want to take more accountability

01:11:19.240 --> 01:11:22.837
than that. Before all that happened,

01:11:22.920 --> 01:11:26.557
I had a choice.
I could walk out of that car, take a

01:11:26.640 --> 01:11:31.837
deep breath, really pause,
maybe go talk to Rebecca,

01:11:31.920 --> 01:11:35.477
go talk to some of my spiritual teachers,
go to people I know who have

01:11:35.560 --> 01:11:39.597
more experience than me. Mhm.
I signed already. Let's say this I I

01:11:39.680 --> 01:11:42.837
thought about this many times. I could
have not not signed. That wasn't in the

01:11:42.920 --> 01:11:49.360
cards. Not that Adam then No, maybe
Buddha could. I could have not not signed.

01:11:51.520 --> 01:11:55.237
I could have taken a deep breath and said
to myself, this is more money than

01:11:55.320 --> 01:11:59.397
I've ever touched.
This is a tremendous responsibility.

01:11:59.480 --> 01:12:02.277
Yes, he wants me to grow very fast, but
that's not what he really wants. What he

01:12:02.360 --> 01:12:04.757
really wants is the result
in five years from now.

01:12:04.840 --> 01:12:07.997
What would be the best way?
And I could have thought for a second

01:12:08.080 --> 01:12:11.197
about my spiritual studies
by this point about five years

01:12:11.280 --> 01:12:14.757
that when things come really easy,
we tend to not appreciate them. And we

01:12:14.840 --> 01:12:17.917
don't appreciate them,
we tend to short circuit.

01:12:18.000 --> 01:12:21.837
And but I didn't. Instead of that, and I

01:12:21.920 --> 01:12:25.757
remember it, I walked it was like 58th
Street, I think, where is and our HQ was

01:12:25.840 --> 01:12:28.957
on 18. I walked down New York City.

01:12:29.040 --> 01:12:34.397
Every step I took, the ego went up.
It was under control.

01:12:34.480 --> 01:12:37.597
It was there, but I had Rebecca and I
had my kids and I this I have I have a

01:12:37.680 --> 01:12:40.757
beautiful relationship where I
get given feedback all the time

01:12:40.840 --> 01:12:43.677
with the executives, with the teacher
that we worked with. There are a lot of

01:12:43.760 --> 01:12:46.117
controls around us to keep it.

01:12:46.200 --> 01:12:48.637
But it went above my threshold, above my

01:12:48.720 --> 01:12:51.157
spiritual level at the time. Yeah. And

01:12:51.240 --> 01:12:55.597
it came up and I walked into that HQ

01:12:55.680 --> 01:12:59.397
a different version of myself. A lesser

01:12:59.480 --> 01:13:04.197
The The purpose and the mission
suddenly became not the goal.

01:13:04.280 --> 01:13:07.477
The revenue, those promises that were
made on growth and revenue became the

01:13:07.560 --> 01:13:11.437
goal. Yeah. But that wasn't the DNA of
what we built. I'm not saying that there

01:13:11.520 --> 01:13:13.237
aren't companies that
could be built that way.

01:13:13.320 --> 01:13:18.477
>> Yes. I, Adam, don't operate that way.
I cannot build a company that way. Yeah.

01:13:18.560 --> 01:13:20.037
And then we really started growing fast.

01:13:20.120 --> 01:13:23.757
Fasty fast was fast before then then we
started flying. I feel like you're being

01:13:23.840 --> 01:13:28.637
very hard on yourself considering
you've been in business for 5 years, 6

01:13:28.720 --> 01:13:32.077
years. You've been sprinting or flying the

01:13:32.160 --> 01:13:35.757
whole time only having success.

01:13:35.840 --> 01:13:40.357
And here's someone who believes in you
even more than you believe in yourself

01:13:40.440 --> 01:13:44.517
saying you can do this.
Saying you can do this. I don't know

01:13:44.600 --> 01:13:45.917
anyone

01:13:46.000 --> 01:13:49.197
in that position who could not not move

01:13:49.280 --> 01:13:53.357
forward with that.
I appreciate you saying that.

01:13:53.440 --> 01:13:56.797
I don't view my words
that I just said as hard.

01:13:56.880 --> 01:14:01.277
I cherish that moment because in hindsight

01:14:01.360 --> 01:14:03.477
that is what made me who I am today.

01:14:03.560 --> 01:14:07.837
Yeah. Yeah.

01:14:07.920 --> 01:14:11.917
In general I think for me

01:14:12.000 --> 01:14:14.157
I think it's relevant for other people.

01:14:14.240 --> 01:14:17.837
If we can start taking those moments
that at the moment we can view as a

01:14:17.920 --> 01:14:21.317
mistake and actually say

01:14:21.400 --> 01:14:26.837
it's not a mistake. It's exactly what
needed to happen as long as I can learn

01:14:26.920 --> 01:14:30.877
from it. Yeah. If I can
learn from it Yeah. it's meant

01:14:30.960 --> 01:14:32.197
to be and it's part of my journey.

01:14:32.280 --> 01:14:36.317
That's cool. If I'm going to go and make
that mistake that decision again, that

01:14:36.400 --> 01:14:38.437
makes it a mistake. Yeah. But yes,

01:14:38.520 --> 01:14:41.637
that's where we were. Is there a world

01:14:41.720 --> 01:14:45.997
in what Mass believed could have happened?

01:14:46.080 --> 01:14:49.037
100%. Yeah. So it was possible.

01:14:49.120 --> 01:14:51.957
>> We were very close if I

01:14:52.040 --> 01:14:56.157
played 2019 differently,
there's a very high likelihood that it

01:14:56.240 --> 01:15:01.197
would. But, it's very
important to say Yeah.

01:15:01.280 --> 01:15:04.397
You know this concept of on the one hand
we have free choice, on the other hand

01:15:04.480 --> 01:15:08.317
it's meant to be? Yes. When I say that
to people, I say, "How would you explain

01:15:08.400 --> 01:15:12.837
that?" The way I would put it is >>
say it? We get to a fork in life. Yeah.

01:15:12.920 --> 01:15:15.277
We all do many times. You have free will.

01:15:15.360 --> 01:15:19.197
You choose one choice, and it actually
ends up working out or that you perceive

01:15:19.280 --> 01:15:22.357
as working out, you're like,
"Oh, meant to be." Work great.

01:15:22.440 --> 01:15:26.597
Choose another choice, and suddenly
things don't work out. If you take those

01:15:26.680 --> 01:15:30.917
things that didn't work out, and you
learn and grow from them, you're right

01:15:31.000 --> 01:15:34.677
back to meant to be. Yeah. So, it's our
future. It's again that thing of us not

01:15:34.760 --> 01:15:38.957
controlling us, controlling our reaction.
Yes. It's that. So, to answer

01:15:39.040 --> 01:15:42.757
your question, if So,
I'm going to caveat what I'm

01:15:42.840 --> 01:15:46.597
about to say. Without everything
happening exactly the way you did, I

01:15:46.680 --> 01:15:51.557
wouldn't be where I am today.
>> Yes. And I love where I am today.

01:15:51.640 --> 01:15:55.917
>> no regret. >> Not only no regret,
I think I am as a person >> Yes.

01:15:56.000 --> 01:15:59.317
>> happier. Yes. I think I have
the capacity to build things that are

01:15:59.400 --> 01:16:03.877
tremendously larger, as you said.
If Green, if if Kibbutz was here, Yeah.

01:16:03.960 --> 01:16:07.517
>> then Green Desk was alert, then
WeWork was this, I think Flow is the next

01:16:07.600 --> 01:16:10.997
level, and would have never been able
to be born without those steps. So, I'm so

01:16:11.080 --> 01:16:14.597
happy. But, here's a difference
in an easy scenario for you.

01:16:14.680 --> 01:16:18.797
If instead of my investors, I would have
Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz as my

01:16:18.880 --> 01:16:21.877
partners, my partners today, and I'm
saying this from knowledge, cuz I've

01:16:21.960 --> 01:16:23.837
gotten to know them. I sit with them.

01:16:23.920 --> 01:16:27.077
We're very board meeting in 2 days. I'm
very excited about it. I'm going to get

01:16:27.160 --> 01:16:29.157
to sit with both of them in the room.

01:16:29.240 --> 01:16:34.477
Best part of my business, without a doubt,
is the 9 hours of sitting with Marc and

01:16:34.560 --> 01:16:37.997
Ben, Yeah. knowing that they're going
to tell you what they actually think, not

01:16:38.080 --> 01:16:41.677
what you want to hear, Yes. and learning
from people who are not just in my

01:16:41.760 --> 01:16:43.917
opinion, the best investors
in the world, they've built their own

01:16:44.000 --> 01:16:48.037
businesses. If they were sitting around
that table when the whole thing was

01:16:48.120 --> 01:16:51.077
happening, the one thing they wouldn't
have done is said, "Adam, you should

01:16:51.160 --> 01:16:53.797
step down." That they
knew was not going to work

01:16:53.880 --> 01:16:56.877
because it's been tried many times,
and literally, if you look at the history,

01:16:56.960 --> 01:16:59.997
almost has never worked. >> Yeah.
They would have said something

01:17:00.080 --> 01:17:02.037
like, "Adam, we need to have a serious

01:17:02.120 --> 01:17:07.077
talk." Maybe taking me somewhere,
locked the door, thrown the key, and said,

01:17:07.160 --> 01:17:09.997
"Okay, Adam, you've proven that you're
the fastest-growing company in the

01:17:10.080 --> 01:17:13.877
world. You've proven you The It's
time to prove profitability.

01:17:13.960 --> 01:17:16.797
Because if we're going to mature to our
next stage as a business, and if we're

01:17:16.880 --> 01:17:21.317
going to want to go to Wall Street,
they're not going to understand this un-

01:17:21.400 --> 01:17:26.757
stoppable growth. Yeah. And we know
that the four-wall units are profitable.

01:17:26.840 --> 01:17:29.317
Let's prove it." Yeah. So, they would
have That's the first thing they would

01:17:29.400 --> 01:17:32.157
have done. Second thing they would have
done, again, now that I know, they would

01:17:32.240 --> 01:17:34.477
have said, "Adam,
our tech is not working."

01:17:34.560 --> 01:17:37.877
Cuz if our tech was working, we would be
able to show things in a way that would

01:17:37.960 --> 01:17:42.717
be very clear to everybody. The fact that
we can also means that we can't control.

01:17:42.800 --> 01:17:45.757
Which means we need to go and fix
that also. Mhm. Those are just two of the

01:17:45.840 --> 01:17:49.437
good. But the one thing That's That's

01:17:49.520 --> 01:17:53.597
the thing that in in September of 2019,

01:17:53.680 --> 01:17:57.557
if happened differently,
we would have had a chance for Mast's

01:17:57.640 --> 01:17:59.837
idea not only to have worked, but to

01:17:59.920 --> 01:18:01.317
have worked phenomenally cuz remember

01:18:01.400 --> 01:18:04.597
what happens then? Corona comes.

01:18:04.680 --> 01:18:09.277
And in Corona, WeWork would
have had an opportunity to

01:18:09.360 --> 01:18:12.437
press the reset All those
leases we We haven't talked We

01:18:12.520 --> 01:18:15.277
don't need to get into the details
of the business, but we were taking these

01:18:15.360 --> 01:18:18.477
long-term leases, Yes.
selling against short-term commitments.

01:18:18.560 --> 01:18:21.877
>> Yes. We then started growing into
enterprise that was taking longer. If

01:18:21.960 --> 01:18:26.597
you remember, in Corona, everybody left
office. No one paid their rent, except

01:18:26.680 --> 01:18:30.077
for one company, WeWork.
Cuz the people running it, it wasn't

01:18:30.160 --> 01:18:33.717
their money anymore. They didn't treat
it like theirs, so they they pay. No one

01:18:33.800 --> 01:18:38.637
was paying their rent. Yeah.
If If we were there, me and our original

01:18:38.720 --> 01:18:42.757
team, and we sat there and we actually
had the opportunity to reflect.

01:18:42.840 --> 01:18:45.517
>> Yes. Have partners that were honest
with By the way, the honesty could have

01:18:45.600 --> 01:18:47.557
included saying if we said, "Adam, you

01:18:47.640 --> 01:18:51.197
did great taking the company from one to

01:18:51.280 --> 01:18:54.677
uh 3.6 billion in revenue." We talked
about the size of it, but the revenue

01:18:54.760 --> 01:18:58.197
grew from zero to huge. >> Yeah.
"We should bring in a professional

01:18:58.280 --> 01:19:01.837
CEO that should do it daily, and you
should become chairman." The discussion

01:19:01.920 --> 01:19:03.957
could have been a very real discussion.

01:19:04.040 --> 01:19:07.437
We had no discussion. And then when
Corona happened, the reset button would

01:19:07.520 --> 01:19:11.317
have been set. And I actually think
what's interesting about Corona, and now

01:19:11.400 --> 01:19:13.517
that there's been time to think about it,

01:19:13.600 --> 01:19:16.237
work has never been the same since.

01:19:16.320 --> 01:19:19.437
It needed leadership. It needed a

01:19:19.520 --> 01:19:23.480
vision. And and when

01:19:24.520 --> 01:19:30.280
So, yes, I think Masa could
have been could have been right.

01:19:30.560 --> 01:19:33.717
He's still going to have a chance,
by the way, one day. Right.

01:19:33.800 --> 01:19:36.157
What happened in 2019

01:19:36.240 --> 01:19:39.317
where it changed? I think, as I said,

01:19:39.400 --> 01:19:43.997
what happened started actually
in that December of 2016.

01:19:44.080 --> 01:19:47.997
>> Getting out of the car.
It all moved to chase these things, and

01:19:48.080 --> 01:19:50.597
it started big It became bigger than us.

01:19:50.680 --> 01:19:55.077
And we just grew for the sake of growth,
and and Masa saw us go from 450 to 900

01:19:55.160 --> 01:19:58.517
million. A lot of companies promised him
that we're the only ones who hit. Then

01:19:58.600 --> 01:20:02.717
he saw us go from 900 million to 1.8
billion. Mhm. So, then he came in again,

01:20:02.800 --> 01:20:07.437
and then it became even bigger.
And by this point, we were rushing.

01:20:07.520 --> 01:20:10.717
And SoftBank was going
through their own set

01:20:10.800 --> 01:20:15.237
of challenges, and their their own
public stock challenges, and and the

01:20:15.320 --> 01:20:17.117
Japanese stock market.

01:20:17.200 --> 01:20:20.197
In March of 2018,

01:20:20.280 --> 01:20:22.357
Masa

01:20:22.440 --> 01:20:24.797
comes to me and says, "Why don't we buy

01:20:24.880 --> 01:20:30.077
WeWork from all your investors
at a $20 valuation?" And

01:20:30.160 --> 01:20:31.797
>> How many investors
did you have at that time?

01:20:31.880 --> 01:20:35.517
>> Not that many. Institutional investors,
the biggest ones. Best ones, the biggest

01:20:35.600 --> 01:20:40.077
ones. But you know, seven
to eight institutions plus

01:20:40.160 --> 01:20:44.517
10 individuals maybe. Mhm. Not that many.
And why did he want to do that?

01:20:44.600 --> 01:20:48.077
He wanted to build
a trillion-dollar company. Yeah. He

01:20:48.160 --> 01:20:50.877
wanted to go huge. Yeah,
and he could see it working.

01:20:50.960 --> 01:20:53.957
>> Saw it working. He knew it was going
to cost money. He had no problem with it

01:20:54.040 --> 01:20:57.637
losing money. Yeah. He knew that if it
needed to go public, Wall Street won't

01:20:57.720 --> 01:20:59.437
understand it, but he understood it.

01:20:59.520 --> 01:21:03.357
Yeah. He wanted to grow to a way bigger
revenue and then do the pause and the

01:21:03.440 --> 01:21:05.037
cleanup. >> I see.
>> He wanted to keep growing.

01:21:05.120 --> 01:21:09.837
>> wanted to wait longer before
the cleanup. He wanted to truly own the

01:21:09.920 --> 01:21:12.557
category. Yes.
>> At this moment people are copying from

01:21:12.640 --> 01:21:16.637
all over the world. There are 40,000
companies that got funded, registered,

01:21:16.720 --> 01:21:19.477
and opened copying WeWork. 40,000. Hm.

01:21:19.560 --> 01:21:20.997
So he saw

01:21:21.080 --> 01:21:23.677
and he just wanted us to own it. Yeah.

01:21:23.760 --> 01:21:26.877
And he to do that, he offered a $20

01:21:26.960 --> 01:21:31.237
billion valuation. $10 billion
for all of our investors and

01:21:31.320 --> 01:21:34.997
employees and $10 billion
on the bank account.

01:21:35.080 --> 01:21:38.957
Mhm. Just so you have this thing.
This is at the time the company is losing

01:21:39.040 --> 01:21:42.197
about a billion eight
to two billion a year. Mhm.

01:21:42.280 --> 01:21:45.717
Again, this is where a different board
would have done things differently. I

01:21:45.800 --> 01:21:48.797
can't be part of that decision cuz I'm
staying in. I wasn't selling. Wasn't

01:21:48.880 --> 01:21:51.397
even selling secondary in that this.
I was keeping everything cuz I'm aligned

01:21:51.480 --> 01:21:55.437
with him and we had goals that but
the deal it was a deal 70-30 his way

01:21:55.520 --> 01:22:00.197
approximately and every time
the management team hits a a goal we go up

01:22:00.280 --> 01:22:03.157
in ownership or at the end
when we hit the final goal

01:22:03.240 --> 01:22:05.557
and which was a very big goal
but we believed we could hit it.

01:22:05.640 --> 01:22:09.997
>> Yeah. We would own 51% and he would own
49. Everybody would get more equity and

01:22:10.080 --> 01:22:13.917
it was was a big plan.
He was a big thinker.

01:22:14.000 --> 01:22:17.677
>> Yeah. I know they had hiding in it
not just WeWork. It had WeLive so it had

01:22:17.760 --> 01:22:21.237
residential hiding in it. It had
construction as a new category hiding in

01:22:21.320 --> 01:22:24.760
it. It it saw the future.

01:22:25.680 --> 01:22:30.557
Staying in the deal.
I was a conflicted party and therefore I

01:22:30.640 --> 01:22:33.197
couldn't take any part
in accepting the deal.

01:22:33.280 --> 01:22:36.277
So, the board did what's called
a special committee and that special

01:22:36.360 --> 01:22:38.237
committee's job was to negotiate with

01:22:38.320 --> 01:22:40.597
Masa and do whatever they need to do.

01:22:40.680 --> 01:22:44.917
And I think they made again, mistakes
everything the way you and I talk about

01:22:45.000 --> 01:22:48.517
mistakes. I think they were greedy.

01:22:48.600 --> 01:22:52.597
Because instead of saying we'll take
the win, we'll take a $20 billion company,

01:22:52.680 --> 01:22:55.517
the $10 billion by the way these
investors these investors for 20 million

01:22:55.600 --> 01:22:58.237
that we're walking out with 2.4 billion.

01:22:58.320 --> 01:23:01.277
Clean cash. They thought
the company was worth $100

01:23:01.360 --> 01:23:04.877
billion. They believed
also deals have momentum.

01:23:04.960 --> 01:23:09.717
Again, I'm sitting on a board
and there's a founder like me

01:23:09.800 --> 01:23:14.117
and the founder brings a $20 billion
acquisition to our company that that's

01:23:14.200 --> 01:23:18.077
that has a great vision but currently
is losing money every month.

01:23:18.160 --> 01:23:19.477
I go to the founder and I say, "Mr.

01:23:19.560 --> 01:23:23.077
Founder, is this what you want?"

01:23:23.160 --> 01:23:26.517
And if the founder said, "Yes, yes,
maybe it's hurtful that he wants me to

01:23:26.600 --> 01:23:29.517
sell and doesn't agree with it but if
he says yes and it has happened to me and

01:23:29.600 --> 01:23:32.917
I've done it multiple times.
If the founder said I just did it on a

01:23:33.000 --> 01:23:37.197
company 3 months ago.
The founder says, "Yes, this is what I

01:23:37.280 --> 01:23:40.317
want." I say, "Thank you
so much for working so

01:23:40.400 --> 01:23:45.077
hard for the past 9 years and good luck."
And I walk out with my in this

01:23:45.160 --> 01:23:49.517
case a 100 x return
on my 20 million or 150

01:23:49.600 --> 01:23:53.317
cuz they pulled out money.
But no, they negotiated and Masa told

01:23:53.400 --> 01:23:56.357
them very clearly, "This is my number.
I didn't negotiate. I gave you a huge

01:23:56.440 --> 01:23:57.877
number in cash for a company that we all

01:23:57.960 --> 01:24:00.477
know needs a lot still work to do."

01:24:00.560 --> 01:24:04.997
And they negotiate
from March till September.

01:24:05.080 --> 01:24:08.037
Then the Japanese market starts changing.

01:24:08.120 --> 01:24:11.677
Then when they see there's
a problem, they stop negotiating

01:24:11.760 --> 01:24:15.557
and they're still fighting till the day
they go down and then and then until in

01:24:15.640 --> 01:24:18.877
Christmas they finally decide, "Okay,
we're not negotiating." A little before.

01:24:18.960 --> 01:24:22.637
Not negotiating anymore. They agree
to everything and they pass it to Masa.

01:24:22.720 --> 01:24:26.077
Now, here's the problem.
Because this is all happening, Masa and

01:24:26.160 --> 01:24:29.317
I are already planning that the company
is going to grow very big. I'm already

01:24:29.400 --> 01:24:32.797
signing a lot of deals. I'm already
planning for this to happen, but I'm not

01:24:32.880 --> 01:24:34.837
in charge of it happening. Yeah.

01:24:34.920 --> 01:24:38.277
And there was a guarantee, there was
a protection that if it doesn't happen,

01:24:38.360 --> 01:24:40.717
Masa still needs
to invest a certain amount.

01:24:40.800 --> 01:24:44.997
And and I trust Masa because
we've done this before.

01:24:45.080 --> 01:24:48.757
And he invested. And so we're I'm we're
signing deals. We're running really,

01:24:48.840 --> 01:24:52.037
really quickly. This is not
happening and then suddenly

01:24:52.120 --> 01:24:56.037
our our special committee decides,
"Okay, now it's time to agree." What I

01:24:56.120 --> 01:25:00.197
just want to say one thing.
You're running quickly and this is what

01:25:00.280 --> 01:25:02.157
Masa wants. Exactly what he wants.

01:25:02.240 --> 01:25:05.237
>> 100%. To the T. You didn't go rogue in

01:25:05.320 --> 01:25:09.277
trying to build a company fast. This is
what you signed up for with Masa and you

01:25:09.360 --> 01:25:12.997
were doing it. >> the opposite
of going rogue. People who know me

01:25:13.080 --> 01:25:16.437
will know that I make
a partner that keeps his word.

01:25:16.520 --> 01:25:18.677
And if I need to change, he and I
are partners and I'm going to change

01:25:18.760 --> 01:25:21.637
something or I want to change something,
Yeah. I will call you. I will ask for

01:25:21.720 --> 01:25:24.997
permission. Yeah. And if you And I'll
always offer something. Yeah. And if you

01:25:25.080 --> 01:25:28.637
say no, I will say, "I understand."
Yeah. I And then I would

01:25:28.720 --> 01:25:31.397
say, "Don't get offended that I tried.
I wanted to go a different direction, but

01:25:31.480 --> 01:25:33.677
I respect our partnership."
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:25:33.760 --> 01:25:36.677
So, what I signed up for, it's what we
took the money for. Yeah, yeah. Also,

01:25:36.760 --> 01:25:40.037
our partners were all there with us.
And I remember their employees Yes. are

01:25:40.120 --> 01:25:41.717
killing it. They're running for it.

01:25:41.800 --> 01:25:44.837
They're running through walls. Had the

01:25:44.920 --> 01:25:47.477
Japanese market not changed, would the

01:25:47.560 --> 01:25:52.117
picture have been different? Had
And again, we're doing a lot of ifs and

01:25:52.200 --> 01:25:54.677
maybes. >> Had

01:25:54.760 --> 01:25:59.917
the board's special committee Yeah.
got on a plane the next day, said, "Masa,

01:26:00.000 --> 01:26:02.317
you already have two board seats in the
company. You know everything. We don't

01:26:02.400 --> 01:26:05.357
need to We don't need to disclose
anything. Yeah. 20 billion, here's a

01:26:05.440 --> 01:26:08.477
term sheet, here's our bank
account, please sign." Yeah.

01:26:08.560 --> 01:26:10.077
It would have happened the next day.

01:26:10.160 --> 01:26:13.517
They would have all been out.
The cash would have been there.

01:26:13.600 --> 01:26:16.877
And when Corona hits, we wouldn't have
had the whole 10 billion cuz we would

01:26:16.960 --> 01:26:20.637
have been burning, but we
would have had enough. Mhm. And

01:26:20.720 --> 01:26:24.797
again, we wouldn't be where we are today,
which I'm very happy about. But I

01:26:24.880 --> 01:26:27.757
think the interesting thing to connect
it to where you and I are sitting right

01:26:27.840 --> 01:26:30.037
now, it's December 20

01:26:30.120 --> 01:26:35.637
18. I am sleeping in a house 3
minutes away from here. I get a phone

01:26:35.720 --> 01:26:38.917
call from Masa. Adam, I'm so sorry.

01:26:39.000 --> 01:26:41.037
The Japanese market has changed. Our

01:26:41.120 --> 01:26:44.157
stock is down 30%. My CFO told me that

01:26:44.240 --> 01:26:48.717
if I go through with this $20 billion
acquisition, our stock will crash.

01:26:48.800 --> 01:26:51.997
My first responsibility
is to my shareholders.

01:26:52.080 --> 01:26:55.597
I know I promised.
I know you've been growing. Mhm.

01:26:55.680 --> 01:27:00.157
I can't go through. Understood.
I remember Rebecca is in the kitchen

01:27:00.240 --> 01:27:03.197
playing with the kids. The house that we
were living here and has like a kitchen

01:27:03.280 --> 01:27:06.757
with a couches in it, so the kids are
next to the kitchen. Everyone's hanging

01:27:06.840 --> 01:27:09.517
out. They're eating, they're drinking,
everyone's smiling. They're really

01:27:09.600 --> 01:27:11.357
having fun. I decide I'm not going to

01:27:11.440 --> 01:27:17.397
say anything today. I just went and hung
out and took many, many deep breaths.

01:27:17.480 --> 01:27:20.437
Yeah. That night when
everybody was sleeping,

01:27:20.520 --> 01:27:24.277
I told Rebecca what happened. She had
a nice relationship with Masa, also.

01:27:24.360 --> 01:27:28.197
Said, "Let's go see him."
Where is Masa at the same time?

01:27:28.280 --> 01:27:30.157
Can you guess where he would be?

01:27:30.240 --> 01:27:32.877
Cuz the universe, remember who's writing
the story. If you're directing the

01:27:32.960 --> 01:27:34.757
story, where would Masa be? Not far.

01:27:34.840 --> 01:27:37.757
Exactly. 15 minutes away. Unbelievable.

01:27:37.840 --> 01:27:39.677
We go and sit. >> And you
didn't know that before.

01:27:39.760 --> 01:27:42.797
>> have a clue.
They didn't have a clue. That's when

01:27:42.880 --> 01:27:46.757
you're in flow. Yeah. Bad things
or perceived bad things can happen when

01:27:46.840 --> 01:27:50.837
you're in flow, also. Yeah. If they're
still in flow, it's just another clue to

01:27:50.920 --> 01:27:54.477
tell you they're not bad.
It might be seen bad. We go

01:27:54.560 --> 01:27:57.477
15 minutes away. We walk in.

01:27:57.560 --> 01:28:01.517
We discuss. Again,
in hindsight, legal, you

01:28:01.600 --> 01:28:04.597
promised, I grew because of it. There's
all these things I could have done, but

01:28:04.680 --> 01:28:08.957
no. This is my partner. I understand
what he just said. I'm not going to He

01:28:09.040 --> 01:28:10.437
wasn't happy to make the call to you.

01:28:10.520 --> 01:28:13.237
>> No, not at all.
You could see to him, "No." No.

01:28:13.320 --> 01:28:17.117
>> not easy for him. He didn't want to
make the call. It was his team. It was his

01:28:17.200 --> 01:28:19.317
team this spot. >> And it
was just the reality of the

01:28:19.400 --> 01:28:21.277
situation changed and he was at the

01:28:21.360 --> 01:28:23.677
mercy of the reality of the situation.

01:28:23.760 --> 01:28:28.197
He did the right thing.
He did what he He didn't really have a

01:28:28.280 --> 01:28:30.997
really have a choice.
>> is not Masa's and money. No.

01:28:31.080 --> 01:28:33.357
>> This was SoftBank money.
Yes. And Vision

01:28:33.440 --> 01:28:35.717
Fund money, but SoftBank This So, this
is the other thing we didn't say. This

01:28:35.800 --> 01:28:39.197
is not even Vision Fund. This is a
SoftBank acquisition. Yes. Small Vision

01:28:39.280 --> 01:28:41.957
Fund, big SoftBank.
He did the right thing.

01:28:42.040 --> 01:28:44.637
So, then we talked. We said, "Well, what
are we going to do? We've been spending.

01:28:44.720 --> 01:28:47.397
We agreed on an amount that we'll
still go." Yeah. So, we're still very

01:28:47.480 --> 01:28:49.717
supportive. Yeah. At this very large

01:28:49.800 --> 01:28:51.877
valuation, that's where that $40 billion

01:28:51.960 --> 01:28:55.317
valuation comes from. And I walk out.

01:28:55.400 --> 01:28:59.037
But now, it's January of 2019.
We have this big

01:28:59.120 --> 01:29:02.357
offsite in um LA.

01:29:02.440 --> 01:29:04.677
Rented Universal Studios.

01:29:04.760 --> 01:29:07.077
Again, a moment of reflection. I could

01:29:07.160 --> 01:29:10.037
have gone on that stage, told everybody

01:29:10.120 --> 01:29:12.677
what happened, told the stars what

01:29:12.760 --> 01:29:17.477
I really, really would not like to be
in any similar situations ever again. Yes.

01:29:17.560 --> 01:29:21.237
But if I were, I would
go up on that stage, tell

01:29:21.320 --> 01:29:24.717
everybody exactly what happened, say,
"This is what we have in the bank cuz

01:29:24.800 --> 01:29:26.517
this is all we get. Yeah. And we're

01:29:26.600 --> 01:29:29.437
turning this company profitable now."

01:29:29.520 --> 01:29:34.597
Yes. Which was doable. 100% doable, but

01:29:34.680 --> 01:29:37.797
I get on that stage. I say a light
version of it. Not exactly, but I say

01:29:37.880 --> 01:29:41.757
we're going to get serious today.
My main My My

01:29:41.840 --> 01:29:45.237
I had one close person on that board
that was really close to me. His name

01:29:45.320 --> 01:29:48.717
His name is Steven Langman. He's amazing.
He's still a close friend. He

01:29:48.800 --> 01:29:52.517
lost a lot from being a part of this and
never did he say a word except call me

01:29:52.600 --> 01:29:56.197
and laugh about it and be a great friend.
He's the definition of a How do

01:29:56.280 --> 01:30:01.237
we define a great friend? When things
are actually challenging. Yeah. How do

01:30:01.320 --> 01:30:05.037
they for you? He comes and sees me.
I was in San Francisco I was somewhere

01:30:05.120 --> 01:30:07.597
around here. He comes, sits with me.
We talk about the fact that we're going to

01:30:07.680 --> 01:30:11.117
make the company profitable. We make the
commitments, we're clear, we're going to

01:30:11.200 --> 01:30:13.597
do what needs to be done. We know
exactly what needs to be done again

01:30:13.680 --> 01:30:16.717
because we're the leaders, we know where
everything is buried. We know exactly

01:30:16.800 --> 01:30:21.917
what to do to do it. And then my CFO
goes to the Lyft IPO. This is like a

01:30:22.000 --> 01:30:26.997
month later. We're we're warming up to use
it to and it's on fire and it's all about

01:30:27.080 --> 01:30:30.917
revenue. It has nothing to do with
profitability. He goes, "Adam, based on

01:30:31.000 --> 01:30:33.877
their value, we're worth We're worth
on their revenue. We have more and they're

01:30:33.960 --> 01:30:38.477
getting multiple of revenue." And again,
the fire starts. Now the IPO story and

01:30:38.560 --> 01:30:43.197
the fire starts and basically
he says, "And not only him,

01:30:43.280 --> 01:30:46.597
bankers, and those bankers are not any
bankers, these are the biggest bankers

01:30:46.680 --> 01:30:49.277
on the planet, come to me

01:30:49.360 --> 01:30:53.637
and show me books which obviously we
still kept that show the valuations that

01:30:53.720 --> 01:30:57.077
we're going to go public in and
they'll make sure to go above 40

01:30:57.160 --> 01:31:00.237
billion cuz that's the last valuation
cuz they're making a sale again. All

01:31:00.320 --> 01:31:02.037
stuff that today I understand, but back

01:31:02.120 --> 01:31:04.637
then I had no clue. Yeah. And basically

01:31:04.720 --> 01:31:09.197
if you keep obtaining
growth of this magnitude,

01:31:09.280 --> 01:31:11.757
the markets will understand that you
can always pull the lever and turn

01:31:11.840 --> 01:31:16.197
profitable. Grow faster, grow more,
we'll take the company public for this

01:31:16.280 --> 01:31:19.317
gigantic number. And

01:31:19.400 --> 01:31:21.277
home run? And what happened? Life

01:31:21.360 --> 01:31:24.597
happens. Never plan on everything being

01:31:24.680 --> 01:31:28.357
perfect just like if this works and this
works a second ago and again, just look

01:31:28.440 --> 01:31:30.317
how many times the universe tried to

01:31:30.400 --> 01:31:33.957
come in and tell me. How many messages?

01:31:34.040 --> 01:31:37.957
Turn it profitable the first time,
the second time, the third time.

01:31:38.040 --> 01:31:41.477
What actually happens is we
start running for this IPO.

01:31:41.560 --> 01:31:45.157
We keep growing, we don't slow
down at all, so we keep burning

01:31:45.240 --> 01:31:48.557
because we're told it's going
to be a multiple of revenue.

01:31:48.640 --> 01:31:51.517
And there's Lyft and there's Uber and as

01:31:51.600 --> 01:31:56.477
we're preparing for this IPO,
Uber goes public and immediately

01:31:56.560 --> 01:32:00.637
crashes. Value goes down because the
public markets don't want just revenue.

01:32:00.720 --> 01:32:04.077
They actually want profitability.
And there's this flip

01:32:04.160 --> 01:32:07.597
that happens in the public markets a lot,
where it goes in one second from we

01:32:07.680 --> 01:32:11.677
all want revenue multiples of revenue
to we want profitability. You're living in

01:32:11.760 --> 01:32:14.397
a world today where you're going
to see you're going to see some

01:32:14.480 --> 01:32:18.677
very valuable AI companies go with huge
revenue and a lot of losses, and they're

01:32:18.760 --> 01:32:23.077
going to get some mega valuations.
So, it's And I hope for all of them that

01:32:23.160 --> 01:32:25.557
they can turn the switch whenever they
need and do whatever it is they need.

01:32:25.640 --> 01:32:26.877
I'm sure they know what they're doing.

01:32:26.960 --> 01:32:29.717
I'm not. But, on that, I hope they know.

01:32:29.800 --> 01:32:34.240
Not my business. But,

01:32:34.600 --> 01:32:38.477
the market flips in a second.
It's not about revenue, it's about

01:32:38.560 --> 01:32:42.397
profitability. For us,
we needed 9 months to turn the

01:32:42.480 --> 01:32:46.397
ship is sailed really far
for us to suddenly move is this.

01:32:46.480 --> 01:32:50.197
And I now suddenly we have to take
the company public. If we don't take the

01:32:50.280 --> 01:32:54.517
company public, it it

01:32:54.600 --> 01:32:59.917
it won't have enough money.
Or so we're told. And

01:33:00.000 --> 01:33:02.997
at this point, the bank that then again,
without getting into it because it's so

01:33:03.080 --> 01:33:07.677
many details and but the two banks
that are fighting on us, I end up choosing

01:33:07.760 --> 01:33:12.760
one of the banks. And that bank is

01:33:13.240 --> 01:33:16.717
leading us into the IPO, and we're
doing the meetings, and they're not going

01:33:16.800 --> 01:33:22.077
well. And the articles
start coming out because

01:33:22.160 --> 01:33:24.877
people are in the meetings and things
are And And that the valuation is not

01:33:24.960 --> 01:33:28.197
there, and it's not going to be 40,
it's going to be 30. There's this thing in

01:33:28.280 --> 01:33:32.237
growth companies, you can't catch
a falling knife. Once it starts dropping,

01:33:32.320 --> 01:33:34.277
you don't know where the bottom is.

01:33:34.360 --> 01:33:38.637
And Masa calls me. And says,
"Adam, I don't want you to

01:33:38.720 --> 01:33:40.957
take the company public. It's not good.

01:33:41.040 --> 01:33:43.317
It's not looking good.
Things are not working well.

01:33:43.400 --> 01:33:45.277
Let's let's rethink. Let's regroup."

01:33:45.360 --> 01:33:49.837
But, my executive My the leaders around
me, and this is a big big choice. And

01:33:49.920 --> 01:33:52.597
again, I'm saying this again,
so it's heard again.

01:33:52.680 --> 01:33:54.557
I take full accountability. Yeah, yeah.

01:33:54.640 --> 01:33:57.117
The leaders that I put around me. Yeah.

01:33:57.200 --> 01:34:00.917
And when did I start putting those
leaders really? After that 2016, the

01:34:01.000 --> 01:34:04.077
leaders cuz I was at the beginning
attracting people that were mission and

01:34:04.160 --> 01:34:07.597
purpose-oriented like me.
But when you stop being mission and

01:34:07.680 --> 01:34:10.797
purpose-oriented, then the people you
attract will stop being mission and

01:34:10.880 --> 01:34:15.357
purpose-oriented. They all wanted that
IPO. Yeah. Everybody was doing math. And

01:34:15.440 --> 01:34:18.477
they're pushing IPO IPO and the bank and
everything everything is you can't talk

01:34:18.560 --> 01:34:22.277
to Masa. You can't talk to Masa. If
you talk to Masa, it will all be ruined.

01:34:22.360 --> 01:34:25.557
Even as I tell you
this story, I think about

01:34:25.640 --> 01:34:30.517
Again, this is this is why life and
experience is so important today. Yeah.

01:34:30.600 --> 01:34:34.917
I was advising me. I said,
"foreclose everybody out." Yeah. "Who

01:34:35.000 --> 01:34:37.237
gave you the most money?" "Masa." Yeah.

01:34:37.320 --> 01:34:41.277
"Has he trusted you?" "Yes." "Has he
believed in you?" "Yes." "Go talk to

01:34:41.360 --> 01:34:45.237
Masa. Don't worry about what they tell
you." Yeah. "Go to Masa." Of course.

01:34:45.320 --> 01:34:48.637
>> "And say, 'Masa-san,
you trusted me so much. Yeah. I am

01:34:48.720 --> 01:34:52.517
grateful and appreciative. I'm sorry
we got into this. The truth is we were

01:34:52.600 --> 01:34:55.717
going to buy the company and then you
changed in the last seconds, so you put

01:34:55.800 --> 01:34:58.997
me in a little bit of an uncomfortable
situation. They then told me to go

01:34:59.080 --> 01:35:02.677
public, so I take accountability, but we
did it as partners.'" I never had that

01:35:02.760 --> 01:35:06.597
conversation. Yeah. "We did it
as partners, Masa. What should we do as

01:35:06.680 --> 01:35:10.997
partners now to solve it?" Yeah.
That one conversation didn't happen. Yeah.

01:35:11.080 --> 01:35:15.317
And it didn't happen, and today I know
a lot more about it for two reasons. One,

01:35:15.400 --> 01:35:18.357
cuz I needed to be where I am today
and I wouldn't get there. But the more

01:35:18.440 --> 01:35:22.437
technical reason, because there were
a lot of people who had different agendas.

01:35:22.520 --> 01:35:24.677
And when the numbers are of that
magnitude, we were not dealing with

01:35:24.760 --> 01:35:28.757
billions. We were dealing with tens
of billions. When the magnitude going to

01:35:28.840 --> 01:35:31.557
potentially hundreds.

01:35:31.640 --> 01:35:35.517
When the numbers are of that magnitude,

01:35:35.600 --> 01:35:38.157
if you didn't surround yourself with

01:35:38.240 --> 01:35:42.837
people that are actually
there for the right reasons,

01:35:42.920 --> 01:35:46.637
your chances of getting the right
advice are very slow small.

01:35:46.720 --> 01:35:50.517
Remember also that at that time I'm
very good at this. Yeah. Yes, I had of

01:35:50.600 --> 01:35:53.837
practice and yes,
I'm but I'm very good at this.

01:35:53.920 --> 01:35:57.437
Going into a retreat for a week

01:35:57.520 --> 01:36:00.117
and and

01:36:00.200 --> 01:36:04.757
stopping everything and breathing
and meditating and really

01:36:04.840 --> 01:36:07.037
asking myself, "Who do
I have that I can trust?"

01:36:07.120 --> 01:36:11.477
>> Yeah. And going and talking to them
would have been the wise thought. And

01:36:11.560 --> 01:36:14.317
then maybe similar things would have
happened, but would have been it We

01:36:14.400 --> 01:36:18.117
never even gave it a shot. And it
sounds like from what you're saying, even

01:36:18.200 --> 01:36:20.557
though Masayoshi made the call to you

01:36:20.640 --> 01:36:22.677
that you didn't like or that that he

01:36:22.760 --> 01:36:25.837
didn't like, the the the first call of

01:36:25.920 --> 01:36:28.277
like things are changing, I'm guessing

01:36:28.360 --> 01:36:32.157
you still trusted Masa. I was not able

01:36:32.240 --> 01:36:36.477
to quiet down the noise
that came around me because

01:36:36.560 --> 01:36:41.037
the people were telling me, "Don't do
that." were the most powerful people in

01:36:41.120 --> 01:36:44.877
the business world. Yeah. We're
talking about the heads of the banks.

01:36:44.960 --> 01:36:48.317
>> Yes. We're talking about the biggest
venture capitalists on the planet. We're

01:36:48.400 --> 01:36:51.517
talking about They're We're
talking about a lot of the

01:36:51.600 --> 01:36:54.557
board members. We're talking about
people that have built this repertoire

01:36:54.640 --> 01:36:58.157
for a very long time. Yeah. And they
have more experience than you. They've

01:36:58.240 --> 01:37:02.357
been through this before. This is your
first time. There were a few voices out

01:37:02.440 --> 01:37:06.677
there. I missed two Two voices
called me that I missed. Yeah.

01:37:06.760 --> 01:37:10.837
Marc Benioff calls me. He wasn't such We
were close friends, but not the closest.

01:37:10.920 --> 01:37:13.797
Yeah. Said, "Adam, I don't need to know
a lot to know what's happening. I can

01:37:13.880 --> 01:37:15.117
read the press. You don't know this.

01:37:15.200 --> 01:37:17.997
Salesforce was going to go public.
I pulled back. I reshuffled. I did it

01:37:18.080 --> 01:37:22.237
again. You must pull
back and fire your CFO and

01:37:22.320 --> 01:37:24.877
general counsel. And I don't need
to know who they are. I just know they're

01:37:24.960 --> 01:37:27.117
not advising you right right now." Yeah.

01:37:27.200 --> 01:37:29.477
Missed that one. There was another super

01:37:29.560 --> 01:37:31.997
powerful person, comfortable saying Ruth

01:37:32.080 --> 01:37:37.077
Porat. Superstar. Same story.
Sends me someone from a

01:37:37.160 --> 01:37:41.197
different bank to advise me.
Said, "Ruth sent me."

01:37:41.280 --> 01:37:43.957
But I'm I missed I missed
the signs. There was

01:37:44.040 --> 01:37:46.317
so much noise. And I'm not talking to

01:37:46.400 --> 01:37:49.397
Masa. And the noise is all around me.

01:37:49.480 --> 01:37:52.517
And he's not talking to me. And now
the bank that was supposed to go as public

01:37:52.600 --> 01:37:54.997
is telling me we're having real issues.

01:37:55.080 --> 01:37:57.997
And this is moving really fast. And the
articles are coming in the distance. And

01:37:58.080 --> 01:38:01.317
again, they keep Everyone keeps telling
me how SoftBank is doing this to me and

01:38:01.400 --> 01:38:02.837
SoftBank is doing that to me. They

01:38:02.920 --> 01:38:06.157
actually painted SoftBank as the

01:38:06.240 --> 01:38:08.797
enemy. Yeah. But they weren't. He wasn't

01:38:08.880 --> 01:38:12.837
and they weren't. No. And

01:38:12.920 --> 01:38:16.877
And then I have this very
monumental meeting on a Sunday

01:38:16.960 --> 01:38:21.037
with the head of the bank
that's that's taking us public.

01:38:21.120 --> 01:38:23.797
Where he sits me down and basically
says, "Adam, you're going to have to

01:38:23.880 --> 01:38:27.197
step down. And

01:38:27.280 --> 01:38:32.157
if you do in one, you do, we'll
take care of it over the business.

01:38:32.240 --> 01:38:35.357
We'll take We'll We'll fund the business
and we'll do the different things." And

01:38:35.440 --> 01:38:37.917
I remember talking to him saying, "But
how do you think someone else is going

01:38:38.000 --> 01:38:40.917
to understand how to I understand what
needs to be done." Yeah. He says, "Yeah,

01:38:41.000 --> 01:38:44.117
it's a lot of founders think that
and then things survive without them.

01:38:44.200 --> 01:38:47.517
They don't really I don't know a lot
of examples for venture backed businesses

01:38:47.600 --> 01:38:49.677
that then become huge success without it."

01:38:49.760 --> 01:38:53.557
>> the arrogance of the people
with the money. They think they

01:38:53.640 --> 01:38:57.237
they think because they have the money
they know what the right thing to do is.

01:38:57.320 --> 01:39:02.437
And often not the case. I think so. I also
think he truly believed in what he was

01:39:02.520 --> 01:39:05.877
saying. I actually think his team told
him that it's possible and maybe they

01:39:05.960 --> 01:39:08.837
didn't understand what the magic
of WeWork really was. That's what I'm

01:39:08.920 --> 01:39:12.437
saying. I don't think he did. So I'm not
so again, I don't know how much he knew

01:39:12.520 --> 01:39:14.757
himself. >> Yeah.
Cuz he has a big team and he's

01:39:14.840 --> 01:39:18.237
doing a lot of things. This is one other
meeting. Yeah. You know, no blaming at

01:39:18.320 --> 01:39:21.197
all. No. And I did I
did mistakes before that

01:39:21.280 --> 01:39:24.717
there's many many things
that I did. And I come back

01:39:24.800 --> 01:39:29.277
with my partner and and now I have
the beginning of a family office that was

01:39:29.360 --> 01:39:32.397
with me three individuals. And I'm like,
"Okay, we're going to need to It looks

01:39:32.480 --> 01:39:34.797
like we're going to need to step down."

01:39:34.880 --> 01:39:39.237
And the guy that's running my family
office he says to His name is Ilan.

01:39:39.320 --> 01:39:41.597
He says to me, "I don't like it.

01:39:41.680 --> 01:39:46.317
There's a clause and the one piece and
miss one missing piece of the story that

01:39:46.400 --> 01:39:47.997
you don't have is at the same time I

01:39:48.080 --> 01:39:50.157
have debt of over 400 million that I

01:39:50.240 --> 01:39:55.237
borrowed against the equity from
that same bank that was telling me

01:39:55.320 --> 01:39:58.317
to step down. He says to me, "I don't
like you. You have a clause that says

01:39:58.400 --> 01:40:01.077
that you are that if you step down

01:40:01.160 --> 01:40:05.597
then you're in breach of your contract
cuz you're not come to control clause

01:40:05.680 --> 01:40:07.597
and then they can call back the money."

01:40:07.680 --> 01:40:10.837
I said no he wouldn't. He's the one who
told me he'll protect me. He said, "I

01:40:10.920 --> 01:40:14.637
don't like it." So we go and we bring
it up. I have another board member that

01:40:14.720 --> 01:40:17.557
says, "Of course I'm going to talk
to them." And then I talk to them and

01:40:17.640 --> 01:40:20.957
there's no problem and it won't
happen and everything is good. I get

01:40:21.040 --> 01:40:23.437
comfortable even though my team
is not as comfortable because again I'm

01:40:23.520 --> 01:40:25.997
speaking to the people running the place.

01:40:26.080 --> 01:40:30.877
And and I trust.
I do actually have I trust.

01:40:30.960 --> 01:40:34.837
And I step down on the board
meeting on the board call.

01:40:34.920 --> 01:40:39.197
And 9 minutes later I receive an email

01:40:39.280 --> 01:40:42.557
from the same bank. Three There were two
other banks part of it but that bank was

01:40:42.640 --> 01:40:45.157
the biggest part that I'm
in breach of contract.

01:40:45.240 --> 01:40:48.637
>> Wow. And that they're
calling all my shares.

01:40:48.720 --> 01:40:53.277
>> Wow. And I have 15 days

01:40:53.360 --> 01:40:57.117
to pay back 435 million dollars.

01:40:57.200 --> 01:41:00.637
Which of course I didn't have
and there's no chance I could have done.

01:41:00.720 --> 01:41:04.677
That's unbelievable.
And just so we're clear about the 9

01:41:04.760 --> 01:41:09.877
minutes. A bank cannot
create a document in 9

01:41:09.960 --> 01:41:13.037
minutes or in a day.
It has to go through a lot of legal

01:41:13.120 --> 01:41:16.797
process. At least a weekend if not a week.

01:41:16.880 --> 01:41:21.197
On a very very fast accept.
So it was perfectly executed. Wow.

01:41:21.280 --> 01:41:25.757
>> I walked right into it.
Terrible story. And then no, it's not a

01:41:25.840 --> 01:41:29.277
terrible story. >> It is. At this point
in the story it's a terrible story.

01:41:29.360 --> 01:41:33.477
>> It's interesting. I've never told it
by the way. Yeah. It's a shocking story.

01:41:33.560 --> 01:41:36.117
>> these stories occurred but we've
we've never heard these stories. I think

01:41:36.200 --> 01:41:38.677
they're are of this story. I think they
happen more often than we know. They

01:41:38.760 --> 01:41:42.877
happen more often than we know. Yeah,
and every time it's a tragedy. Well, let

01:41:42.960 --> 01:41:47.200
me tell you it's interesting
and maybe this is me

01:41:47.680 --> 01:41:49.877
So now I'm really getting down.

01:41:49.960 --> 01:41:53.077
Now I feel down. Yeah. Now my 10 years

01:41:53.160 --> 01:41:57.077
of spiritual practice are in the garbage.
I am properly depressed.

01:41:57.160 --> 01:42:02.117
Everybody told me I'm and at the same
time articles are coming out at a speed

01:42:02.200 --> 01:42:06.157
of one every three to five minutes.

01:42:06.240 --> 01:42:10.037
This is now 2019. This is Trump's first
term. There's a lot of noise in the

01:42:10.120 --> 01:42:14.717
media. I have a friend who called it the
first time social media was used it like

01:42:14.800 --> 01:42:17.597
it was like like social media before
social media was fully there in the

01:42:17.680 --> 01:42:20.437
speed that articles were coming out
and I just started and I said but no one

01:42:20.520 --> 01:42:23.477
knows the story and another story and
another story and another story and I'm

01:42:23.560 --> 01:42:27.317
feeling really low. And my

01:42:27.400 --> 01:42:31.877
spiritual teacher calls me.
And this is like two days into this and

01:42:31.960 --> 01:42:35.077
he goes Adam just called
to see how you're doing. I

01:42:35.160 --> 01:42:38.637
said to him this is not a good time. I'm
not doing great. Things are really tough

01:42:38.720 --> 01:42:42.517
right now and I'm not sure Yeah. what's
going to happen. And he says to me I

01:42:42.600 --> 01:42:45.277
thought you might say that. I just
called to remind you the one thing we

01:42:45.360 --> 01:42:49.277
learned. I said to him we've
been studying for eight years.

01:42:49.360 --> 01:42:52.757
Same as eight ton. Said eight ton we
studied for eight years. We did not

01:42:52.840 --> 01:42:55.317
study one thing. I studied three times
a week. I think we studied more than one

01:42:55.400 --> 01:42:59.157
thing. I was wrong. We actually only
studied two things but they're similar

01:42:59.240 --> 01:43:01.677
but we only studied two things. One

01:43:01.760 --> 01:43:06.397
treat other people the way you want
to be treated. The rest is commentary.

01:43:06.480 --> 01:43:11.277
Two and this is the real one.
The darkest moment of the night is a

01:43:11.360 --> 01:43:15.117
second before dawn. I want you to know
something he says I've seen you for the

01:43:15.200 --> 01:43:18.357
past eight years with belief
and connecting people and speaking about

01:43:18.440 --> 01:43:22.077
spirituality and the business. Of course
you believe in the universe when you

01:43:22.160 --> 01:43:25.237
were flying like this no one's ever
seen something like that happen before.

01:43:25.320 --> 01:43:28.157
That's not belief. That's you being
an idiot if you don't believe in that

01:43:28.240 --> 01:43:31.437
happens. Belief is measured

01:43:31.520 --> 01:43:34.917
when everything goes wrong

01:43:35.000 --> 01:43:40.397
and you can look up to the heavens and
say, "I don't know how, I don't know why,

01:43:40.480 --> 01:43:43.837
but this will end up working for the
best." And he says, "If you can, I know

01:43:43.920 --> 01:43:46.557
it's hard, and most people can't. Yeah.

01:43:46.640 --> 01:43:50.037
If you can actually change your

01:43:50.120 --> 01:43:54.397
perception right now,
because belief is a choice,

01:43:54.480 --> 01:43:57.917
and choose to believe that this will
work out, I don't know how, then you

01:43:58.000 --> 01:43:59.637
version of yourself that will come out

01:43:59.720 --> 01:44:01.677
of this will be so much more powerful,

01:44:01.760 --> 01:44:06.997
Yeah. so much stronger, so much smarter,
that you will actually be able to reveal

01:44:07.080 --> 01:44:11.157
the thing that you were put on this planet
to do. Just like that first lesson.

01:44:11.240 --> 01:44:14.637
I hear it. I believe it.

01:44:14.720 --> 01:44:17.037
I almost feel it. Yeah. Almost there.

01:44:17.120 --> 01:44:20.677
I'm not there yet.
And I hang up the phone, go to sleep.

01:44:20.760 --> 01:44:23.837
I wake up at 5:00 a.m. sweating,

01:44:23.920 --> 01:44:27.797
crying. I don't cry. I cried as a child,
I don't cry as an adult. Everything's

01:44:27.880 --> 01:44:32.117
fine, nothing is as bad as what
I had as a kid, so nothing is bad.

01:44:32.200 --> 01:44:35.677
Rebecca wakes up 5:00 a.m., looks at me,
she's never seen me cry. We're together

01:44:35.760 --> 01:44:37.677
at this point, 12 years, 13 years.

01:44:37.760 --> 01:44:41.437
Because you're crying.
Said, "Yes." She goes, "Why?"

01:44:41.520 --> 01:44:45.077
Said, "Cuz it's all gone."
Said, "What?" I said, "Everything.

01:44:45.160 --> 01:44:48.397
It's all gone, they're going to take it
all away. It's gone. I did I made this

01:44:48.480 --> 01:44:50.517
mistake, I made that, it's all gone."

01:44:50.600 --> 01:44:53.037
She goes, "Everything?"
I go, "Everything."

01:44:53.120 --> 01:44:56.517
She goes, "Well, remember we spoke about
you once putting a hundred million on my

01:44:56.600 --> 01:45:01.717
name, so in case one thing happens, we'll
have something like bankruptcy remote?"

01:45:01.800 --> 01:45:05.117
Said, "Yeah, I never did that."
She goes, "Well,

01:45:05.200 --> 01:45:07.677
remember we spoke about the fact that we
never signed a personal guarantee, so

01:45:07.760 --> 01:45:10.917
it's not all gone.
We didn't sign a personal guarantee."

01:45:11.000 --> 01:45:13.317
Said, "No, we're signing
on a personal guarantee.

01:45:13.400 --> 01:45:15.997
This piece for your if you really want
to understand first because we were

01:45:16.080 --> 01:45:18.437
going to go public. That debt I had that

01:45:18.520 --> 01:45:23.197
after an IPO you're supposed to be
in a lockup period, so that they can't use

01:45:23.280 --> 01:45:26.797
that as collateral. So I wrote in the
documents that for the six month after

01:45:26.880 --> 01:45:31.317
the IPO it's personal guarantee. But I
forgot my lawyers forgot to write but if

01:45:31.400 --> 01:45:36.117
there's not an IPO on so there wouldn't
be then that guarantee goes away. So

01:45:36.200 --> 01:45:40.517
I say to her no we're
personally guaranteed.

01:45:40.600 --> 01:45:44.037
Our relationship I think we
all get to a moment where the

01:45:44.120 --> 01:45:46.797
two sides get actually tested. Something

01:45:46.880 --> 01:45:51.157
real happened. Yeah. Many ways Rebecca
could have answered this. Many ways

01:45:51.240 --> 01:45:53.517
other partners could have reacted.

01:45:53.600 --> 01:45:55.277
She took a deep breath.

01:45:55.360 --> 01:45:58.997
She looked at me and goes

01:45:59.080 --> 01:46:02.557
"You know my mom's house in upstate
New York she owned it for 30 years she

01:46:02.640 --> 01:46:06.117
doesn't have a mortgage.
We could move there with five kids at

01:46:06.200 --> 01:46:09.437
the time we'll take our five kids.
We're going to home school for a little we

01:46:09.520 --> 01:46:11.517
don't need to send them for school.

01:46:11.600 --> 01:46:14.877
Uh you're going to take a second to find
yourself again. If you want to go back

01:46:14.960 --> 01:46:19.757
into business amazing. If you don't
we'll move to Costa Rica. We'll do a

01:46:19.840 --> 01:46:23.437
little real estate. Kids will be
home school we'll surf every day.

01:46:23.520 --> 01:46:25.477
It'll work out either way. Amazing. No

01:46:25.560 --> 01:46:28.597
matter what you got me and the kids.

01:46:28.680 --> 01:46:33.597
What are you crying about?
At this moment I understood something.

01:46:33.680 --> 01:46:36.557
When we're children and we have
a hard moment when we really

01:46:36.640 --> 01:46:39.997
have a hard moment with our parents
like a difficult that you're like

01:46:40.080 --> 01:46:42.477
suppose you trust them
and they're not there for you.

01:46:42.560 --> 01:46:45.797
That's why it's so sad when children go
through horrible things. There's no one

01:46:45.880 --> 01:46:50.717
there. But as adults
if we do have a partner

01:46:50.800 --> 01:46:53.797
if we have a few close friends they
say you have one close friend you have a

01:46:53.880 --> 01:46:58.397
whole world. If we have a few
close friends if we have a family

01:46:58.480 --> 01:47:02.717
suddenly I felt like I'm not a child
anymore. And there's something I can

01:47:02.800 --> 01:47:05.317
lean on. It's not the end of the world.

01:47:05.400 --> 01:47:09.597
But she looks at my face and she sees
that I'm not I'm almost there she knows

01:47:09.680 --> 01:47:12.237
me well but no she didn't get me over
the hump. I'm still a little depressed

01:47:12.320 --> 01:47:15.837
and it's not like me cuz
I don't get depressed.

01:47:15.920 --> 01:47:19.637
And she goes and by the way
something I've meant to tell you

01:47:19.720 --> 01:47:22.077
when we You you were broke. I find you

01:47:22.160 --> 01:47:27.077
much sexier broke than I do with money.

01:47:27.160 --> 01:47:32.240
Then I smiled. Now I wasn't happy.

01:47:32.800 --> 01:47:36.237
I walked downstairs. Remember I had
15 days to pay back from the 30 million

01:47:36.320 --> 01:47:38.677
that doesn't exist.

01:47:38.760 --> 01:47:41.117
I walked downstairs.

01:47:41.200 --> 01:47:46.357
I have three employees. A week ago,
I had 13,000. I went down from 13,000 to

01:47:46.440 --> 01:47:49.717
three cuz now it's all gone. The three
family office who came just joined me a

01:47:49.800 --> 01:47:53.517
few months ago to manage all this money
that now we don't have. And I'm smiling.

01:47:53.600 --> 01:47:57.917
6:00 a.m. We started at 6:00 a.m. cuz we
had to deal with this horrible situation.

01:47:58.000 --> 01:48:01.877
And I'm smiling. And they're
like, "Why are you smiling?"

01:48:01.960 --> 01:48:05.317
I said, "First of all, I'm smiling
cuz it's all going to work out." They

01:48:05.400 --> 01:48:08.317
thought I lost my They're very rational
investors. They're world-class. They're

01:48:08.400 --> 01:48:09.997
all three of them are with me still.

01:48:10.080 --> 01:48:12.277
Elon, DJ, and Max, they're unbelievable.

01:48:12.360 --> 01:48:13.517
So, I said, "We're going to work out.

01:48:13.600 --> 01:48:17.637
It's all going to work
out because I believe.

01:48:17.720 --> 01:48:21.037
And I don't know how, and I don't know
why. This was the darkest moment. Dawn

01:48:21.120 --> 01:48:24.717
is coming. Just going to take
a deep breath. Going to show itself.

01:48:24.800 --> 01:48:29.320
And my wife thinks I'm sexy.

01:48:32.840 --> 01:48:37.560
Amazing. Do you know who saves the day?

01:48:37.920 --> 01:48:41.520
If you wrote the movie, who saves the day?

01:48:42.200 --> 01:48:45.880
But how? Who is his messenger?

01:48:46.880 --> 01:48:49.637
Do you know that by talking to you now
I'm actually understanding myself what

01:48:49.720 --> 01:48:51.757
happened? Do you know
how many times you told me

01:48:51.840 --> 01:48:54.357
that I should talk about this and I
haven't? And you're like, "Adam, we

01:48:54.440 --> 01:48:58.997
should talk about it."
And I was not expecting us to talk about

01:48:59.080 --> 01:49:02.357
this today. I was expecting
to talk about a lot of other things.

01:49:02.440 --> 01:49:04.757
But by saying it, I myself am
understanding something. There's some

01:49:04.840 --> 01:49:08.237
actions I'm going to need
to do after than this. Massa.

01:49:08.320 --> 01:49:10.797
Massa saves the day. How?

01:49:10.880 --> 01:49:13.957
He pays back the debt. How? He calls

01:49:14.040 --> 01:49:18.557
through Marcelo with his team. They
call Marcelo calls him for a meeting. So,

01:49:18.640 --> 01:49:24.160
here's okay. So, now we're going to
connect and this is all going to connect.

01:49:24.800 --> 01:49:28.117
This is back to belief.
I celebrate the holidays. I'm

01:49:28.200 --> 01:49:31.957
celebrating Yom Kippur. It's the day
of How do you say that word? Atonement

01:49:32.040 --> 01:49:35.877
atonement? Atonement.
It's a day of reflection.

01:49:35.960 --> 01:49:38.757
We don't eat. We don't drink. We pray.

01:49:38.840 --> 01:49:41.837
Or we pray to go to the next
version of ourselves.

01:49:41.920 --> 01:49:44.997
We pray to be forgiven
for all of our sins.

01:49:45.080 --> 01:49:47.317
We pray to learn from our past mistakes.

01:49:47.400 --> 01:49:51.197
And it's Rosh Hashanah and then Yom
Kippur. And in Rosh Hashanah, a close

01:49:51.280 --> 01:49:54.877
friend of mine comes with me and he's
Everybody around me is down, by the way.

01:49:54.960 --> 01:49:57.957
They're all people are really crying
People are really affected by what

01:49:58.040 --> 01:50:02.917
happened. And I'm very affected because
I feel extremely bad for the employees

01:50:03.000 --> 01:50:05.317
and for everybody that was
at the churning with me.

01:50:05.400 --> 01:50:08.317
The investors, all the investors except
for us have all made money already

01:50:08.400 --> 01:50:11.320
multiple times.

01:50:11.480 --> 01:50:15.437
I have this sense of belief.
I don't know how it's going to work out.

01:50:15.520 --> 01:50:19.157
And so, we do the this Rosh Hashanah
and this and then and then between Rosh

01:50:19.240 --> 01:50:24.117
Hashanah and Yom Kippur and then
Yom Kippur happens and we're

01:50:24.200 --> 01:50:28.117
praying. And there are many different
without getting into in Judaism, there's

01:50:28.200 --> 01:50:30.797
different sectors and they
don't all get along.

01:50:30.880 --> 01:50:34.037
And I practice with many different
sectors. I practice with this sector and

01:50:34.120 --> 01:50:37.557
that sector. So, three different sectors
who do not get along with each other,

01:50:37.640 --> 01:50:40.077
which is a shame, but it's the truth.

01:50:40.160 --> 01:50:45.157
All three of them send representatives
to pray with me that day that Yom Kippur.

01:50:45.240 --> 01:50:48.237
One of the biggest rabbis sends his sons.
They've never not prayed with him

01:50:48.320 --> 01:50:52.357
in Yom Kippur. The other one, the head
of the organization and his number one guy

01:50:52.440 --> 01:50:55.917
comes eight ton,
the guy that spoke in and his

01:50:56.000 --> 01:51:00.437
Michael Bird. All these people come
together around me and we are praying

01:51:00.520 --> 01:51:02.637
like there is no tomorrow.

01:51:02.720 --> 01:51:05.717
We're praying for a miracle.

01:51:05.800 --> 01:51:10.597
And suddenly before it ends, Max, one
of the three, comes. I see on his face he

01:51:10.680 --> 01:51:13.757
has something really important to tell me.
He said, "Max, this is all business.

01:51:13.840 --> 01:51:16.237
Don't talk to me. 24 hours no talking
business. This is no business." And he's

01:51:16.320 --> 01:51:19.517
sitting there. He can't help himself.
He said, "They keep trying to want to tell

01:51:19.600 --> 01:51:21.197
me something." I said, "Max, please.

01:51:21.280 --> 01:51:24.717
Unless it's life and death,
I need you to let the sun go down. Just

01:51:24.800 --> 01:51:29.837
participate. Enjoy. Join us.
We're not talking business."

01:51:29.920 --> 01:51:34.157
And it ends. And he says to me,

01:51:34.240 --> 01:51:38.117
"You won't believe this.
Marcelo is inviting you

01:51:38.200 --> 01:51:43.640
for a meeting. He wants
to work the situation out."

01:51:45.840 --> 01:51:50.037
I go and meet Marcelo. He basically says,

01:51:50.120 --> 01:51:55.760
"Adam, we trusted you.
We invested tremendous amount.

01:51:56.720 --> 01:51:59.797
We want to now save the day the way we
want to save the company the way we see

01:51:59.880 --> 01:52:02.997
fit. We would like you
to give us the keys.

01:52:03.080 --> 01:52:07.437
In return for that, we will pay your debt
in full. So, no one has a gun to your head

01:52:07.520 --> 01:52:10.597
because we don't like how
they're treating the situation."

01:52:10.680 --> 01:52:14.197
Again, at this point, they were from the
outside because everybody else was able

01:52:14.280 --> 01:52:18.077
to keep them locked out.
This is what was really happening.

01:52:18.160 --> 01:52:20.637
If I would have gone before we If we
were together, they wouldn't have been

01:52:20.720 --> 01:52:25.000
able to keep them locked out,
but they kept them locked out.

01:52:25.840 --> 01:52:29.157
We will pay you and

01:52:29.240 --> 01:52:32.637
we'll buy your controlling shares

01:52:32.720 --> 01:52:37.720
for approximately $100 million.
It's supposed to be even more.

01:52:38.160 --> 01:52:39.717
We will uh

01:52:39.800 --> 01:52:43.477
pay back your debt 100% and in full and

01:52:43.560 --> 01:52:48.637
on time. And and then
we're going to go and we're

01:52:48.720 --> 01:52:53.357
going to invest an amount in the company
so the company can go to its next level.

01:52:53.440 --> 01:52:56.317
And we will buy from you and from all
the other shareholders at the discounted

01:52:56.400 --> 01:52:59.877
valuations, the approximate valuation
of $10 billion. The last valuation was was

01:52:59.960 --> 01:53:01.197
40.

01:53:01.280 --> 01:53:04.997
Uh 30% which will be a billion to you

01:53:05.080 --> 01:53:07.117
and 2 billion to cuz I own 30% of their

01:53:07.200 --> 01:53:10.197
slots, of everything, minus their piece.

01:53:10.280 --> 01:53:14.437
Um and there was the Miguel part and 2
billion to everybody else. All your

01:53:14.520 --> 01:53:17.117
investors, all the employees, everybody.

01:53:17.200 --> 01:53:20.677
And we said yes. And I stepped down.

01:53:20.760 --> 01:53:24.357
And they put Marcelo the beginning
was running it himself.

01:53:24.440 --> 01:53:28.397
Um interactions with Marcelo were always
whatever he promised that would happen.

01:53:28.480 --> 01:53:32.157
And um and then he chose
the CEO that he chose.

01:53:32.240 --> 01:53:36.117
He asked me to not be as close. Again,
this is back to the old playbook. This

01:53:36.200 --> 01:53:40.677
is the playbook of keep the founder away
and like this. And they come in and the

01:53:40.760 --> 01:53:45.437
thing on the first day they do is they
fire all the people closest to me.

01:53:45.520 --> 01:53:48.917
The problem is they were the ones who
knew everything. They're the only ones

01:53:49.000 --> 01:53:53.237
who knew. Not only ones who knew.
They lived it and breathed it. But it's an

01:53:53.320 --> 01:53:56.837
old playbook. You kill the king and then
you take out the king then you kill all

01:53:56.920 --> 01:54:00.437
of his loyalists. I they called me
the two biggest loyalists called me said,

01:54:00.520 --> 01:54:02.957
"Adam, should we stay cuz the business
will go down?" I said, "Of course you

01:54:03.040 --> 01:54:06.197
should stay." They got
fired first. They put a new

01:54:06.280 --> 01:54:10.677
CEO. And we negotiated
the three and remember

01:54:10.760 --> 01:54:13.277
when we negotiated the reason I stepped
down also and the reason I accepted this

01:54:13.360 --> 01:54:15.957
we negotiated 3 billion for the whole
company, not just 3 billion for

01:54:16.040 --> 01:54:20.437
everybody to take out money.
And uh 3 billion for the whole company.

01:54:20.520 --> 01:54:24.677
So the company is funded. They have
a new CEO. And the payment is scheduled.

01:54:24.760 --> 01:54:28.117
The 3 billion to the company money
in the company goes in. The 3 billion for

01:54:28.200 --> 01:54:31.957
because it's their company now and they
own most of it. The 3 billion that's for

01:54:32.040 --> 01:54:34.677
everybody else is scheduled to come in

01:54:34.760 --> 01:54:38.517
April 1st, 2020.

01:54:38.600 --> 01:54:41.797
Corona hits. March. And the last day of

01:54:41.880 --> 01:54:44.437
March we get a letter from SoftBank

01:54:44.520 --> 01:54:49.637
saying, "Force majeure." And though
it wasn't in the contract, uh we're not

01:54:49.720 --> 01:54:54.517
paying. So all the money that I thought
was coming was going to go. By the way, by

01:54:54.600 --> 01:54:59.077
this point I'm a practiced samurai.

01:54:59.160 --> 01:55:03.717
Deep breath. But and Rebecca a month
before said it's never coming. She

01:55:03.800 --> 01:55:06.557
she was never She
was like it's never coming.

01:55:06.640 --> 01:55:08.277
Uh she was like too good to be true.

01:55:08.360 --> 01:55:11.157
We're going to We're going to have
a little more. We're not out yet. I took a

01:55:11.240 --> 01:55:14.917
deep breath. Didn't come
in and I got the last gift

01:55:15.000 --> 01:55:18.117
that master gave me. Gift of litigation.

01:55:18.200 --> 01:55:22.157
Litigated. We learned a lot about that.

01:55:22.240 --> 01:55:24.797
I don't know if you want another story,
but I could tell you how it goes from

01:55:24.880 --> 01:55:28.757
there, but What was it like having

01:55:28.840 --> 01:55:32.597
people write things about you that are
not true? You know are not true. What's

01:55:32.680 --> 01:55:35.397
that like? You know, connecting to what

01:55:35.480 --> 01:55:39.797
you and I just spoke about. There are
a lot of things I knew I was giving away

01:55:39.880 --> 01:55:41.557
when I stepped down.

01:55:41.640 --> 01:55:44.997
The one thing I completely missed was

01:55:45.080 --> 01:55:48.637
that I was giving away my narrative.

01:55:48.720 --> 01:55:51.957
I had a platform and I had a microphone.

01:55:52.040 --> 01:55:56.997
And then in one day,
I stepped down which to the un

01:55:57.080 --> 01:56:01.317
to the eye that's not experienced >> Yeah.
probably means he must has been

01:56:01.400 --> 01:56:02.877
wrong. Everything he did was wrong.

01:56:02.960 --> 01:56:05.997
Otherwise, he wouldn't have given them
back the keys. The story that you just

01:56:06.080 --> 01:56:09.677
heard the build up, they didn't
No one knew any of it. Yeah.

01:56:09.760 --> 01:56:11.317
That was a hind That's something I now

01:56:11.400 --> 01:56:16.877
understand. So, I handed
over the control over my

01:56:16.960 --> 01:56:21.677
narrative. You were never
accused of doing anything illegal.

01:56:21.760 --> 01:56:26.717
You were never brought up on any
charges. It was all just innuendo,

01:56:26.800 --> 01:56:31.357
storytelling. It was me being a novice

01:56:31.440 --> 01:56:33.557
to the game of life when it comes to

01:56:33.640 --> 01:56:37.397
communication Yeah. and uh media.

01:56:37.480 --> 01:56:41.237
I remember the first time I met you, you
did not need to You didn't need to hear

01:56:41.320 --> 01:56:45.197
the story to know the story. Yeah.
And another person when we met both of you

01:56:45.280 --> 01:56:46.957
at the same time and we're in Malibu.

01:56:47.040 --> 01:56:50.037
Marc Andreessen.
Marc Andreessen calls me a few weeks

01:56:50.120 --> 01:56:54.477
after I stepped down.
Knowing that because he heard so much

01:56:54.560 --> 01:56:57.997
noise from the media, that must not be
the He knew what the story wasn't. Yeah.

01:56:58.080 --> 01:57:00.757
He didn't know what the story was and in
hindsight now that I know him and Ben so

01:57:00.840 --> 01:57:03.757
much better, we've
spoken about it a little.

01:57:03.840 --> 01:57:08.717
For them, getting such media coverage
and hearing so many stories means pick

01:57:08.800 --> 01:57:11.837
up the phone and call. Yeah.
>> There's something very interesting.

01:57:11.920 --> 01:57:14.837
There's an opportunity here. Yeah,
something's going on that's not being

01:57:14.920 --> 01:57:16.837
said. All because this story that's

01:57:16.920 --> 01:57:20.557
being being shouted, it's too much. Not

01:57:20.640 --> 01:57:25.517
only is it too much in their eyes,
we know what WeWork built. Yeah. We know

01:57:25.600 --> 01:57:29.397
Mark says this is a I've shared
this before, but I think it's relevant.

01:57:29.480 --> 01:57:32.157
He calls, first phone call, Adam,
you might not know who I am. I'm Marc

01:57:32.240 --> 01:57:36.437
Andreessen, I'm an investor. I said,
Mark, I know exactly who you are. A16Z

01:57:36.520 --> 01:57:37.637
were already very big at this point.

01:57:37.720 --> 01:57:39.757
This is 2019, right after

01:57:39.840 --> 01:57:42.717
a little after. This is a 2020.

01:57:42.800 --> 01:57:46.037
And he goes, and what do you think? And I
start telling you a little bit what I

01:57:46.120 --> 01:57:50.237
think, and I'm speaking a little bit
like the story that's being told about me.

01:57:50.320 --> 01:57:53.717
And he goes, oh, you're still at that
stage. I said, what stage is that, Mark?

01:57:53.800 --> 01:57:56.437
The one where you believe what other
people are saying about you, and you

01:57:56.520 --> 01:57:59.917
forgot what actually happened.

01:58:00.000 --> 01:58:02.837
This is like the first time I met Marc
Andreessen. Like, I love this guy. This

01:58:02.920 --> 01:58:07.317
is amazing. I said, well, well, Mark,
yes, you might be right. He goes, would

01:58:07.400 --> 01:58:09.277
you like me to tell you what we think

01:58:09.360 --> 01:58:13.517
about you here at A16Z? I said, please.

01:58:13.600 --> 01:58:18.277
He said, you're the only company in our
entire portfolio, at the time about 400,

01:58:18.360 --> 01:58:20.237
today over 1,000.

01:58:20.320 --> 01:58:22.957
You're the only company in our portfolio

01:58:23.040 --> 01:58:27.837
who every single startup that we have
either is using today or used in the

01:58:27.920 --> 01:58:31.877
past. We have no other company
that we could say that about.

01:58:31.960 --> 01:58:34.837
What you've built was not built
in one room with a bunch of engineers.

01:58:34.920 --> 01:58:39.157
Actually, your tech was your weakest link.
We can talk about that one day.

01:58:39.240 --> 01:58:43.677
What you built is you had
to be in 50 countries. You

01:58:43.760 --> 01:58:47.037
were in 70 languages. You were doing
construction. You built a brand. You

01:58:47.120 --> 01:58:51.357
created a movement. The word WeWork
is said as a verb almost. It means I've

01:58:51.440 --> 01:58:53.957
made the WeWork. He said, do you know
how many pitches we get under we work of

01:58:54.040 --> 01:58:55.957
this and the we work of that?" Yeah.

01:58:56.040 --> 01:59:00.637
You You created a category.
That's what we think.

01:59:00.720 --> 01:59:04.157
Um I said, "Thank you so much."
And I hung up the phone.

01:59:04.240 --> 01:59:07.517
Missing the fact that he actually wanted
to do some business or get to know me

01:59:07.600 --> 01:59:10.717
better. Cuz I was at that stage.
But back to

01:59:10.800 --> 01:59:13.557
your question.

01:59:13.640 --> 01:59:17.397
I handed over the mic. Yeah. And I

01:59:17.480 --> 01:59:20.757
didn't understand that by doing so

01:59:20.840 --> 01:59:22.597
the story's going to run away from me.

01:59:22.680 --> 01:59:27.517
Yeah. But because we never
actually did anything of the

01:59:27.600 --> 01:59:29.517
things that you just said. Yeah.

01:59:29.600 --> 01:59:33.237
All it was was a story.
Yeah. Makes a good book.

01:59:33.320 --> 01:59:35.077
I heard it makes a good television show.

01:59:35.160 --> 01:59:39.757
Yeah. But um But if I
haven't So, I haven't watched

01:59:39.840 --> 01:59:42.957
the television show. Yeah. I watched
the first episode cuz my friend Stephen

01:59:43.040 --> 01:59:48.040
Langman really wanted me to. But

01:59:48.400 --> 01:59:52.477
I know from my friends who watched and
people watch it and the stories in this

01:59:52.560 --> 01:59:54.637
If they have 30% of the story right,

01:59:54.720 --> 01:59:56.157
that would be a big number. What's

01:59:56.240 --> 01:59:59.597
interesting about the TV series about

01:59:59.680 --> 02:00:02.677
you, I'll call it a smear piece,

02:00:02.760 --> 02:00:07.237
is everyone I know who's seen it

02:00:07.320 --> 02:00:10.917
thought that both you and Rebecca were
the heroes of the story, which is a

02:00:11.000 --> 02:00:16.317
funny thing to come out from
a smear piece being the heroes.

02:00:16.400 --> 02:00:19.557
I think this is connected
to what we said before.

02:00:19.640 --> 02:00:23.077
I think truth

02:00:23.160 --> 02:00:25.037
and authenticity

02:00:25.120 --> 02:00:27.917
are the biggest tools that we can have.

02:00:28.000 --> 02:00:34.240
So, even though I gave away the mic Yeah.
and let everyone else run with it

02:00:34.800 --> 02:00:38.517
somehow the truth even
in something that was

02:00:38.600 --> 02:00:42.197
supposed to be a smear piece, floated
to the top. And I'll tell you a little bit

02:00:42.280 --> 02:00:47.477
how I think. So, Jared Leto. So,
we talked about Andrew Finkelstein.

02:00:47.560 --> 02:00:50.877
He's a character in our story, I see,
which is excellent. He made sure, by the

02:00:50.960 --> 02:00:53.197
way, to write himself out of every show.

02:00:53.280 --> 02:00:55.317
Cuz he's in Hollywood, he's very powerful.

02:00:55.400 --> 02:00:59.517
Uh but not not this one. He doesn't
get to write himself out of this one.

02:00:59.600 --> 02:01:03.477
Andrew Finkelstein keeps getting
email from Jared Leto's uh agent saying

02:01:03.560 --> 02:01:07.477
Jared's going to play Adam.
He's a method actor. He must meet Adam.

02:01:07.560 --> 02:01:10.797
And I'm ignoring.
Ignoring, ignoring, ignoring.

02:01:10.880 --> 02:01:14.197
And and

02:01:14.280 --> 02:01:18.077
eventually Andrew calls me and he says,
"Look, Adam, they're driving crazy.

02:01:18.160 --> 02:01:19.437
Can't we take one meeting with the guy?

02:01:19.520 --> 02:01:23.477
He'll come in, he'll come out. He's a
movie star, he's an Oscar winner. Be fun."

02:01:23.560 --> 02:01:26.157
So, I have a defamation lawyer at the
time and we're going to show it's going

02:01:26.240 --> 02:01:28.477
to come out. We're like, "How's it legal?

02:01:28.560 --> 02:01:33.117
How can Apple tell a story about us
using our name that we haven't approved,

02:01:33.200 --> 02:01:35.317
that we haven't read,
that we didn't write?"

02:01:35.400 --> 02:01:37.917
And this whole thing, if you're a public
figure, you could do this, could do

02:01:38.000 --> 02:01:41.317
that. I think 15 years ago it wouldn't be.
Today, obviously, it is. Social

02:01:41.400 --> 02:01:44.237
media today, we're in a different place.

02:01:44.320 --> 02:01:48.237
And but I remember talking to the lawyer.
I said, "Look, Adam, if it's so

02:01:48.320 --> 02:01:52.517
horrible because Jared Leto is also
a producer in this, a credit, at least

02:01:52.600 --> 02:01:54.037
we'll tell him some of the true story.

02:01:54.120 --> 02:01:57.517
And maybe it will play
favorable for us." Mhm.

02:01:57.600 --> 02:02:00.717
I I also remember the whole time
reaching out to Apple and sort of being

02:02:00.800 --> 02:02:03.797
I sent an email directly
to Tim Cook, actually,

02:02:03.880 --> 02:02:08.317
saying if Apple is all about personal
privacy and safety and security,

02:02:08.400 --> 02:02:12.117
how can on the one hand you be that when
it represents your iPhone, but when it

02:02:12.200 --> 02:02:16.277
comes to you making content, you can
use a person's name and a person's family

02:02:16.360 --> 02:02:19.557
and a person in a story that I know
you're not going to have the right story

02:02:19.640 --> 02:02:24.637
cuz you guys never spoke to me.
So, factually wouldn't be correct.

02:02:24.720 --> 02:02:28.277
We never got a response from Tim. I did
We did get a response from his lawyers

02:02:28.360 --> 02:02:31.797
that read the following.
You're going to like this one.

02:02:31.880 --> 02:02:35.320
We reviewed the series again.

02:02:35.600 --> 02:02:39.637
Your claims will go to court.
You will litigate for 3 years and you

02:02:39.720 --> 02:02:43.637
will lose. We're moving forward. You're
a public figure and you will lose. Not

02:02:43.720 --> 02:02:47.760
you're wrong, or you're
this, or you're that.

02:02:48.240 --> 02:02:53.517
Um So, that was that. So,
then we say, "Okay, to Jared Leto,

02:02:53.600 --> 02:02:57.077
we say fine." And we meet him in Miami.

02:02:57.160 --> 02:03:01.317
He walks into the house. Sure I met him
before. He's a little shorter than me.

02:03:01.400 --> 02:03:04.837
Looks up, puts his hands
on my face like this.

02:03:04.920 --> 02:03:07.637
And in a his version
of my accent, I think it's a

02:03:07.720 --> 02:03:12.637
very good accent. A very good but very
good demeanor. And he And he had it.

02:03:12.720 --> 02:03:15.517
And in a demeanor, in his version
of Adam Neumann, starts talking to me and

02:03:15.600 --> 02:03:18.717
saying how he's been looking at me for 3
months, and this, and this, and I'm I'm

02:03:18.800 --> 02:03:21.517
not familiar with Hollywood. I've never
met method actors. The whole thing for

02:03:21.600 --> 02:03:24.117
me is a little bit outrageous.

02:03:24.200 --> 02:03:27.077
And And And we just do this thing
for the next hour and a half. And then

02:03:27.160 --> 02:03:29.477
Rebecca is there and stooping. Then at one
point, he looks at Rebecca, he goes,

02:03:29.560 --> 02:03:32.957
"You know, there's this thing when you
and I are stooping." He goes, "Jared,

02:03:33.040 --> 02:03:35.517
you and I are not stooping. It is a

02:03:35.600 --> 02:03:37.917
television show. It is not the truth."

02:03:38.000 --> 02:03:42.557
She's laughing, but it's It's a surreal
moment. You asked, "How does that feel?"

02:03:42.640 --> 02:03:44.997
I'm looking in and he said, "I'm going
to have these prosthetics." And the guys

02:03:45.080 --> 02:03:49.277
say, "How you going to Then he sits
at the table, the kids start walking in.

02:03:49.360 --> 02:03:53.317
And they say, "Who is this?" And I said,
"This guy is going to play me in a

02:03:53.400 --> 02:03:56.877
television show." And they go like,
"Well, wait, but he's shorter, but he

02:03:56.960 --> 02:04:00.317
doesn't look like you, but this."
And every every kid has his own very smart

02:04:00.400 --> 02:04:04.077
thing to say. This is in the midst
of Corona all of this is happening. And we

02:04:04.160 --> 02:04:07.557
finish our 2 hours together.
And I walk Jared outside. He asked me if

02:04:07.640 --> 02:04:11.317
we can have a picture together. Yeah,
I am there. Interesting thing for him,

02:04:11.400 --> 02:04:15.437
which is I'm sure usually he's
the one that people take pictures with.

02:04:15.520 --> 02:04:19.677
He looks at me, he goes, "Listen,
this was supposed to be a smear. You're

02:04:19.760 --> 02:04:22.757
calling it a smear piece. This was
supposed to be a takedown. I know cuz I

02:04:22.840 --> 02:04:26.477
read the script."
It's a shame we didn't meet before, cuz

02:04:26.560 --> 02:04:29.477
I would have gone
and fought for the script.

02:04:29.560 --> 02:04:34.597
But don't worry. I now know who you are,
and I'm going to play you the right

02:04:34.680 --> 02:04:37.797
way." I said, "Who is that, Jared?"
He said, "Adam, I truth. I'm a method

02:04:37.880 --> 02:04:42.117
actor, but there's the real Jared.
The real Jared loves music.

02:04:42.200 --> 02:04:46.437
I love being on stage. I love being
a rock star. You're a rock star. I'm going

02:04:46.520 --> 02:04:50.277
to play you like a rock star. I saw your
family. I saw your kids. You're a good

02:04:50.360 --> 02:04:55.277
guy. What I was told was not accurate. I
wish I knew it before." He said it twice.

02:04:55.360 --> 02:04:58.237
"But don't worry about it. You're going
to come out like a rock star. Just do me

02:04:58.320 --> 02:05:01.357
a favor. Don't watch the show."

02:05:01.440 --> 02:05:03.237
And you kept your word.
>> I said, "You got it."

02:05:03.320 --> 02:05:04.557
>> Beautiful. I said, "You got it."

02:05:04.640 --> 02:05:07.837
>> Beautiful. But let's let's let's really

02:05:07.920 --> 02:05:09.717
go into this for a second.

02:05:09.800 --> 02:05:15.077
How many times in life do we think,
"The IPO is supposed to be my big moment.

02:05:15.160 --> 02:05:16.637
>> Yes. >> The moment I
was going to was going to

02:05:16.720 --> 02:05:20.277
be amazing." Ends up being a total utter

02:05:20.360 --> 02:05:23.077
catastrophe. Never even get to the IPO.

02:05:23.160 --> 02:05:26.397
The television show coming out
was supposed to be this horrible moment.

02:05:26.480 --> 02:05:30.877
Even my team, by the way, uh got very
stressed about that television show. Was

02:05:30.960 --> 02:05:35.237
supposed to be that horrible moment
where it all goes down. And yet it comes

02:05:35.320 --> 02:05:38.637
out and the day after it comes out, the

02:05:38.720 --> 02:05:41.677
inbound starts. Entrepreneurs wanting

02:05:41.760 --> 02:05:45.797
investments, partners wanting to partner,
employees, everything. It was

02:05:45.880 --> 02:05:47.317
>> It's fascinating. >> floodgates.

02:05:47.400 --> 02:05:48.837
>> I've never seen that happen before.

02:05:48.920 --> 02:05:50.677
There's a very famous story in the Bible

02:05:50.760 --> 02:05:53.717
about it. The Jews led by Moshe Moses

02:05:53.800 --> 02:05:57.997
are coming out of Egypt. And the local
all the local nations are very afraid

02:05:58.080 --> 02:06:01.357
they're going to come and there's this
Balak and Balaam, a king and a sorcerer.

02:06:01.440 --> 02:06:04.517
He wants to curse the Jews. And the
sorcerer says to the king, "Look, the

02:06:04.600 --> 02:06:07.717
Jews they have God. It's hard
to curse them. I I don't want

02:06:07.800 --> 02:06:11.117
to do this." And it said the story
is longer, but he says, "I'll dream I'll

02:06:11.200 --> 02:06:15.397
meditate about it." And in the dream,
God tells him, "Don't curse the Jews."

02:06:15.480 --> 02:06:18.477
He wakes up in the morning and he says
to the king, "God spoke to me. Don't

02:06:18.560 --> 02:06:23.077
curse the Jews." And even though he was
in he was working for the negative side,

02:06:23.160 --> 02:06:25.957
even people who work for the negative
side have their own connection to the

02:06:26.040 --> 02:06:28.397
universe. It takes power
to be on both sides.

02:06:28.480 --> 02:06:32.077
And three times and eventually the king
forces him, pays him a fortune, forces

02:06:32.160 --> 02:06:35.997
him to this. They go in a mountain and
he's starting to curse the Jews and the

02:06:36.080 --> 02:06:39.837
blessings come out. And he's cursing
the Jews and the blessings come out.

02:06:39.920 --> 02:06:44.437
Eventually at his last curse he
foresees Messiah and the entire

02:06:44.520 --> 02:06:46.637
coming in the salvation of the world.

02:06:46.720 --> 02:06:48.397
Crazy story. So that's where in the

02:06:48.480 --> 02:06:49.757
Bible is where we hear stories like

02:06:49.840 --> 02:06:53.717
this. I think the truth is the truth is

02:06:53.800 --> 02:06:57.717
the truth. Yeah. I think if
I were to have done something

02:06:57.800 --> 02:07:01.237
that was actually one of those
things that he said before

02:07:01.320 --> 02:07:05.637
it would have ended differently. Yeah.
I think I was saved by actually my

02:07:05.720 --> 02:07:09.837
relationship with Rebecca.
She kept me straight

02:07:09.920 --> 02:07:13.317
honest loyal. Yeah.
We didn't keep our word

02:07:13.400 --> 02:07:17.277
every time but we tried so hard to do
the best we could. Yeah. We kept our

02:07:17.360 --> 02:07:21.677
commitments. We we did our version
of what we thought was right to do. Yeah.

02:07:21.760 --> 02:07:25.997
And even though a lot of our close friends

02:07:26.080 --> 02:07:29.277
used to say is to walk into a room I
had a thousand friends. Then in one day I

02:07:29.360 --> 02:07:32.957
went down to five of them
were my family. Yeah. And

02:07:33.040 --> 02:07:36.317
even that was a gift. The other The other
thing that's interesting about the

02:07:36.400 --> 02:07:41.157
smears Rebecca was always smeared. Oh,
she got the worst of it. We didn't even

02:07:41.240 --> 02:07:44.317
speak about that. >> that it
was as if they were saying she

02:07:44.400 --> 02:07:45.997
was incompetent because she was a woman.

02:07:46.080 --> 02:07:50.797
That's what it was all about which was
like is that the story in 2020? That the

02:07:50.880 --> 02:07:52.877
because she's a woman she's incompetent?

02:07:52.960 --> 02:07:56.197
That's what the smears were.
>> how many times I think when things like

02:07:56.280 --> 02:07:58.997
this happen the women the woman gets

02:07:59.080 --> 02:08:00.957
portrayed even worse. But anyway, let's

02:08:01.040 --> 02:08:04.717
be clear. I was CEO and chairman. Yeah.

02:08:04.800 --> 02:08:08.517
The 100% it wasn't Rebecca. But they

02:08:08.600 --> 02:08:13.357
negated the fact of what she
brought to you which you recognized.

02:08:13.440 --> 02:08:14.757
>> And and what she brought to the brand.

02:08:14.840 --> 02:08:17.957
You know if if you just as a word
the brand that everybody knows we work

02:08:18.040 --> 02:08:20.157
everybody knows we work Adam and Miguel.

02:08:20.240 --> 02:08:24.277
Yeah. Was a hard working let's go build
office space where this logo with the

02:08:24.360 --> 02:08:27.757
man with the hammer we started breaking
the Macintosh computer. You would have

02:08:27.840 --> 02:08:31.917
loved it as Miguel did it as original
hammer breaking the original Macintosh

02:08:32.000 --> 02:08:35.997
computer. A little bit of a I
think of a old Steve Jobs

02:08:36.080 --> 02:08:39.157
that old commercial with
with the woman throwing.

02:08:39.240 --> 02:08:43.117
Um when Rebekah walked into WeWork in the

02:08:43.200 --> 02:08:47.477
first 90 days,
she created do what you love,

02:08:47.560 --> 02:08:51.117
create your life's work, build
a world where people make a life

02:08:51.200 --> 02:08:53.757
and not just a living. She gave it so

02:08:53.840 --> 02:08:55.877
much intention and so much meaning that

02:08:55.960 --> 02:08:59.237
then I ran with it like it was nobody's

02:08:59.320 --> 02:09:02.237
business, but she brought, which is what

02:09:02.320 --> 02:09:07.357
she always does, intention, meaning,
in other words, authenticity. For people

02:09:07.440 --> 02:09:09.237
who know Rebekah, she does not lie.

02:09:09.320 --> 02:09:12.317
Yeah. If she does something wrong, she
will tell you. All you need to do is ask

02:09:12.400 --> 02:09:16.597
her. Tell me what
happens with the IPO. So,

02:09:16.680 --> 02:09:19.877
you're not going to discuss, you're
taking the whole thing. They get it in.

02:09:19.960 --> 02:09:21.917
Okay. Let's do it. So, let's do it.

02:09:22.000 --> 02:09:25.677
Let's go for it. So, April
1st, money doesn't come in.

02:09:25.760 --> 02:09:29.317
The whole world is under Corona. I'm
sure everybody that is listening to this

02:09:29.400 --> 02:09:31.117
can remember where they were April 1st.

02:09:31.200 --> 02:09:33.917
Even my kids realized the money wasn't
coming. They go, "Daddy, it's April's

02:09:34.000 --> 02:09:36.997
Fools' Day. So, of course the money
was never going to come in." I'm like,

02:09:37.080 --> 02:09:40.397
"Yeah, you guys are geniuses." We're
in Israel at the time cuz we always wanted

02:09:40.480 --> 02:09:43.237
to try to live there
and this was our opportunity.

02:09:43.320 --> 02:09:47.117
And suddenly a second
ago in the end of 2019

02:09:47.200 --> 02:09:49.677
when we stepped down and the media
and all the craziness felt like we were

02:09:49.760 --> 02:09:53.077
secluded and the whole world was open
and we were like locked up. Suddenly

02:09:53.160 --> 02:09:54.797
everybody was sort of where we were.

02:09:54.880 --> 02:09:57.517
Yeah. But we had 6 months head's up.

02:09:57.600 --> 02:10:00.357
We're ready for We already We were
already in the bunker when that hit.

02:10:00.440 --> 02:10:03.437
Yeah. Remember from the story, we did
have the original amount of money that

02:10:03.520 --> 02:10:06.557
was given to us. We never got the bill,
but we got that original amount that

02:10:06.640 --> 02:10:09.597
they bought from us to pay. We had a team.

02:10:09.680 --> 02:10:12.957
And we just got to work. When everybody
else was busy understanding what

02:10:13.040 --> 02:10:17.197
happening, I started we started learning
how to trade stock and and how to invest

02:10:17.280 --> 02:10:20.357
in different ways and small businesses
and big businesses and early stage and

02:10:20.440 --> 02:10:24.557
late stage. Even though we weren't using
a big pool of capital, we were hungry,

02:10:24.640 --> 02:10:28.117
and we were ready and willing and with
a very open mind. And the world just

02:10:28.200 --> 02:10:32.037
changed, but part of how I have
approached life like a child, okay,

02:10:32.120 --> 02:10:35.117
today's a new day. Now there's Corona,
what does that mean? What's going to go

02:10:35.200 --> 02:10:37.077
up now? What's going to go now?

02:10:37.160 --> 02:10:42.037
So, as as as all
of that is occurring, this

02:10:42.120 --> 02:10:46.077
is the beginning, the seeds were starting
to grow. What's going to set residential?

02:10:46.160 --> 02:10:48.677
Residential's going to be interesting
cuz even if people stop going to the

02:10:48.760 --> 02:10:50.877
office, the home is where the heart is.

02:10:50.960 --> 02:10:54.997
So, park that aside.
The litigation starts because we want to

02:10:55.080 --> 02:10:58.437
we want to uh to get paid
the 3 billion that was

02:10:58.520 --> 02:11:01.237
promised not just to us for a third of it,
but the other 2 billion is all the

02:11:01.320 --> 02:11:03.357
investors, all the employees, everybody.

02:11:03.440 --> 02:11:06.517
And it was promised,
it was signed, it's contractual.

02:11:06.600 --> 02:11:08.797
So, we start getting into litigation.

02:11:08.880 --> 02:11:13.677
And as we get into litigation, we move
now from Israel back to the Hamptons. We

02:11:13.760 --> 02:11:17.677
live in East Hampton, Andrew
Finkelstein is living right next to us.

02:11:17.760 --> 02:11:19.597
Another interesting thing about him, so

02:11:19.680 --> 02:11:23.237
many close friends that I had

02:11:23.320 --> 02:11:27.157
disappeared when this happened. I do
think that's probably the saddest thing

02:11:27.240 --> 02:11:30.077
of the whole thing. Yeah.
And some of them don't think they

02:11:30.160 --> 02:11:33.877
disappeared, and I forgive.
So, I'm like I'm I'm over it.

02:11:33.960 --> 02:11:38.077
But, you really get measured when
your friends are in their toughest moment.

02:11:38.160 --> 02:11:40.717
And you don't get measured, by the way,
it's nice to send a text and to pick up

02:11:40.800 --> 02:11:44.597
a phone call. >> Mhm. But Andrew
calls me and goes, "Hey Adam, you know

02:11:44.680 --> 02:11:48.517
I'm a Hollywood agent, Corona, I can do
my work from anywhere. Do you want me to

02:11:48.600 --> 02:11:49.957
come and live next to I'll rent a house.

02:11:50.040 --> 02:11:52.797
It's nice to know you're going through
a tough time. We'll hang out, we'll do a

02:11:52.880 --> 02:11:55.637
we'll do our own co-working space,
we'll make a WeWork out of the one of the

02:11:55.720 --> 02:11:58.757
houses. >> Beautiful.
We'll do a beach house co-working,

02:11:58.840 --> 02:12:02.237
our own WeWork, we'll have fun,
we'll work from the jacuzzi.

02:12:02.320 --> 02:12:04.237
I said, "Sounds amazing, Andrew."

02:12:04.320 --> 02:12:08.957
And uh and he moves in, so he's there with
us, and he's in the house next door, and

02:12:09.040 --> 02:12:12.677
we're there. And we are

02:12:12.760 --> 02:12:14.717
starting this litigation,

02:12:14.800 --> 02:12:19.957
and it's not working. It's not working
because the contract wasn't perfect and

02:12:20.040 --> 02:12:24.277
we didn't did it and we weren't there
and SoftBank is very powerful and they

02:12:24.360 --> 02:12:26.837
don't want to pay and they did put
the money in the business and they control

02:12:26.920 --> 02:12:30.277
the business now, so we
can't get any information.

02:12:30.360 --> 02:12:35.517
And I am a person until this point
that has always negotiated with power and

02:12:35.600 --> 02:12:38.717
leverage. I'm very good at momentum.

02:12:38.800 --> 02:12:40.157
When I have the leverage and I have the

02:12:40.240 --> 02:12:43.197
power, I'm very good at negotiate.

02:12:43.280 --> 02:12:45.917
But now I have no leverage, no power.

02:12:46.000 --> 02:12:48.277
I'm completely on the outside.

02:12:48.360 --> 02:12:50.797
Nothing I can do. We're litigating.

02:12:50.880 --> 02:12:54.037
The litigation doesn't look like
it's headed in the right direction

02:12:54.120 --> 02:12:57.757
because of a variety of reasons,
but also because WeWork's not really

02:12:57.840 --> 02:13:00.917
partnering with us cuz we're we're the
founder that was funded outside with the

02:13:01.000 --> 02:13:05.157
start. And at this point, if you're
in WeWork, you believe 100% not 90 to all

02:13:05.240 --> 02:13:07.997
the press that you read because that's
And I do think the world's different

02:13:08.080 --> 02:13:09.597
today. I hope people today don't believe

02:13:09.680 --> 02:13:11.277
everything they read, but this is still

02:13:11.360 --> 02:13:15.077
2020. People are just wising up. And

02:13:15.160 --> 02:13:19.077
I remember going and I was doing
these meditation sessions

02:13:19.160 --> 02:13:20.997
of an hour each.

02:13:21.080 --> 02:13:22.997
And I'm doing one of those. And as I'm

02:13:23.080 --> 02:13:26.237
like very deep while listening to music,

02:13:26.320 --> 02:13:28.277
I suddenly have this

02:13:28.360 --> 02:13:31.197
again, moment of vision. This basically

02:13:31.280 --> 02:13:35.357
what I see is that if a different person,
if I found someone who could get

02:13:35.440 --> 02:13:38.957
excited about WeWork and would
want to take WeWork public,

02:13:39.040 --> 02:13:42.597
SPACs for or at the time
so through a SPAC,

02:13:42.680 --> 02:13:45.797
then must sign SoftBank and all people
fighting thing that three billion

02:13:45.880 --> 02:13:48.957
wouldn't would want to take the company
public cuz they own the majority of it,

02:13:49.040 --> 02:13:52.277
would settle the litigation
cuz no worth fighting it,

02:13:52.360 --> 02:13:56.717
and would let the company go public. And
if all those things went out perfectly,

02:13:56.800 --> 02:13:58.797
then everything would be resolved.

02:13:58.880 --> 02:14:02.877
I come out of the meditation.
I call my dad, who I'm very close to. He's

02:14:02.960 --> 02:14:06.437
actually right outside here hanging
out right now waiting for me.

02:14:06.520 --> 02:14:08.557
He was surfing with me this morning.

02:14:08.640 --> 02:14:12.357
And I say, "Dad, I have an idea.
I'll find a guy. He'll

02:14:12.440 --> 02:14:15.717
say he wants to invest, we'll take
the company public, SoftBank will settle,

02:14:15.800 --> 02:14:18.557
everybody will get paid, SoftBank will
make back their money, everybody will be

02:14:18.640 --> 02:14:20.837
happy. It's all It's
all going to work out.

02:14:20.920 --> 02:14:23.717
Cuz I don't know, that's too many
things that are going to work out.

02:14:23.800 --> 02:14:26.997
And my dad and I argue, he does not
believe in God and I believe in God. I

02:14:27.080 --> 02:14:29.877
said, "Dad, if this happens,
will you believe in God?"

02:14:29.960 --> 02:14:33.197
Looking for an opportunity.
He goes, "No. I'd believe that I have a

02:14:33.280 --> 02:14:38.077
very talented son." I say,
"Okay." He laughs cuz I said,

02:14:38.160 --> 02:14:42.437
"Okay." I call you BS. I say,
"Give me two names of people that

02:14:42.520 --> 02:14:46.317
might find WeWork exciting." They
give me two names. Meeting number one,

02:14:46.400 --> 02:14:48.157
meeting number two. Second meeting, the

02:14:48.240 --> 02:14:50.317
guy goes gaga.

02:14:50.400 --> 02:14:53.757
He loves it. He He sends me back. He

02:14:53.840 --> 02:14:57.437
ends up taking it public.
He knew Steve Steve Jobs when Steve Jobs

02:14:57.520 --> 02:15:00.397
was this, he was part of the company back.
He knew this story, knew that

02:15:00.480 --> 02:15:04.077
story. Had all these stories in his head
that fit this perfectly. But I was very

02:15:04.160 --> 02:15:05.277
clear, I said, "Here's what I would do."

02:15:05.360 --> 02:15:09.277
I gave a clear plan of how to make
WeWork profitable. Again, I still know

02:15:09.360 --> 02:15:12.477
the levers to pull. Yeah. I told him
exactly what to do. I understand the

02:15:12.560 --> 02:15:14.597
pieces on the board. We have no power.

02:15:14.680 --> 02:15:18.397
We brought the guy to basically do
the SPAC, but we're litigating at the same

02:15:18.480 --> 02:15:22.517
time. They're in control and they don't
want settle cuz they don't want to pay

02:15:22.600 --> 02:15:25.037
anything. They don't want to pay
a billion, they don't want to pay.

02:15:25.120 --> 02:15:28.237
We're going back and forth, back and
forth, and we try to give them this IPO,

02:15:28.320 --> 02:15:30.437
but they don't know that they want to go
public, and they don't know they will do

02:15:30.520 --> 02:15:32.837
well public cuz they're
not sure that anybody

02:15:32.920 --> 02:15:36.157
the spark in WeWork is gone. So, they're
not sure that's going to solve their

02:15:36.240 --> 02:15:38.717
problems, and the last thing they need
is another headache. So, they're going

02:15:38.800 --> 02:15:42.837
public was good, but not enough to push
it over the edge. And part of what

02:15:42.920 --> 02:15:46.477
happens when you do a litigation
is everybody does discovery,

02:15:46.560 --> 02:15:48.757
everybody does all the different things,
and and you say, "Oh, we're going to say

02:15:48.840 --> 02:15:50.797
all these things about you. You're going
to say all these things about this, and

02:15:50.880 --> 02:15:53.517
this happened, that happened.
Your fault, our fault."

02:15:53.600 --> 02:15:57.157
And we're getting very close to end the
contract's going to say this, contract's

02:15:57.240 --> 02:16:02.477
going to say that. And we're
getting very close to a to a

02:16:02.560 --> 02:16:05.957
litigation date.
To a to a court date. They're going to

02:16:06.040 --> 02:16:09.077
court, and then you're going
to fight whose contract is right.

02:16:09.160 --> 02:16:13.397
And very close to it, after we all
basically everybody threatens everybody

02:16:13.480 --> 02:16:17.197
with everything, we agree on a settlement.

02:16:17.280 --> 02:16:21.077
And the settlement is this complicated
thing where the money will get paid in 6

02:16:21.160 --> 02:16:24.157
months. First, the company will
go public, then this and all these

02:16:24.240 --> 02:16:27.277
different things, and then the money
will get paid after. And this is 4 days

02:16:27.360 --> 02:16:31.357
before Rebecca gives birth. And I had
a lawyer at the time who ran his own

02:16:31.440 --> 02:16:32.757
firms, and his name was Eric Schiffer.

02:16:32.840 --> 02:16:38.117
Now, he's a partner with me.
And he and I agreed to a settlement.

02:16:38.200 --> 02:16:41.637
It's all happening on Zoom, cuz this is
Corona, so this whole things happening

02:16:41.720 --> 02:16:44.877
on Zoom. Their lawyers, our lawyers,
and they spend 10 times as much as we're

02:16:44.960 --> 02:16:47.197
spending. They have
the biggest lawyer in the world.

02:16:47.280 --> 02:16:51.117
And Andrew Finkelstein, our Hollywood
friend, is sitting right behind the

02:16:51.200 --> 02:16:53.877
screen. And for 3 weeks
as this negotiation is

02:16:53.960 --> 02:16:57.757
going, he does not work. He's just doing
that. And then I go, they say, "Andrew,

02:16:57.840 --> 02:17:01.397
you need to work." He said, "I'm in
Hollywood. The biggest show in the world

02:17:01.480 --> 02:17:04.877
is happening right now in front of my
face, and I'm not missing a beat." Let

02:17:04.960 --> 02:17:08.717
me be. Wow. Corona, remember,
no acting, no nothing's happening.

02:17:08.800 --> 02:17:11.797
He's there, and once in a while, when
he feels there's something important to

02:17:11.880 --> 02:17:14.037
say, he writes it on a piece of paper.

02:17:14.120 --> 02:17:19.037
He shows it to me above the screen.
I read, I listen. Again, who do you trust?

02:17:19.120 --> 02:17:21.877
Puts it down. We're negotiating,
negotiating, and at some point they're

02:17:21.960 --> 02:17:24.677
like, "We're going to pay. We're going
to do this. We're going to do that. And

02:17:24.760 --> 02:17:27.597
and but we're going
to pay you in 6 months."

02:17:27.680 --> 02:17:30.277
I say, "It's not It's not
It's not going to work."

02:17:30.360 --> 02:17:33.437
And he said this. I said, "Look, even
Marcelo, even if I wanted to, you know,

02:17:33.520 --> 02:17:36.557
I can't go back to Rebecca and make
decisions like this together. I can't

02:17:36.640 --> 02:17:39.477
tell her in 6 months. She's It's not
going to work." He goes, "Call Rebecca,

02:17:39.560 --> 02:17:43.277
and I want to talk to her." She's 4 days
before giving birth. We call that stage,

02:17:43.360 --> 02:17:46.437
with six kids, we've seen it
a few times, couch commander.

02:17:46.520 --> 02:17:50.317
That's when she's on the couch,
and orders are given, couch commander.

02:17:50.400 --> 02:17:53.000
And

02:17:53.880 --> 02:17:57.837
I tell I I I tell I So, I get up to to
call her in, cuz that's what he said,

02:17:57.920 --> 02:18:01.357
and then we all know each other. And
Andrew picks up the paper, "If you call

02:18:01.440 --> 02:18:05.877
her in, we will all be
in court next week. You fix it.

02:18:05.960 --> 02:18:10.957
I I read it. I sit back down. I said,
"You know what, Marcel? On second thought,

02:18:11.040 --> 02:18:13.837
let's figure this out. Let's just agree
how are we going to be protected?" And

02:18:13.920 --> 02:18:16.917
we basically work out the deal that's
going to be done, but we get paid in 6

02:18:17.000 --> 02:18:20.717
months after the IPO, after this, after
that, with all these babies and us. Not

02:18:20.800 --> 02:18:23.877
just us, all the employees.
But it's the best we could get. We

02:18:23.960 --> 02:18:27.277
couldn't get a better settlement,
and if I don't settle, there's no IPO. And

02:18:27.360 --> 02:18:28.557
again, I tried to do what I think is

02:18:28.640 --> 02:18:30.637
best for everybody. And I felt taking it

02:18:30.720 --> 02:18:34.357
public if I get the chance. We agree?

02:18:34.440 --> 02:18:38.077
I go to Rebecca to tell her
the great success that we did.

02:18:38.160 --> 02:18:42.117
She goes, "No." So, what do you mean?
What do you mean, no?

02:18:42.200 --> 02:18:45.517
She said, "For 10 years you're running
this business, never have I told you

02:18:45.600 --> 02:18:49.797
once what to do. This is how much
the narrative is wrong. Once."

02:18:49.880 --> 02:18:53.957
She's very respectful. She can give
advice. She would not tell me what to

02:18:54.040 --> 02:18:55.597
do. She respects this is my business.

02:18:55.680 --> 02:18:59.157
She supports it. It's our business
in equity holding, but she's very

02:18:59.240 --> 02:19:02.957
respectful. I'm very respectful of her
businesses. But they didn't pay us. We

02:19:03.040 --> 02:19:06.397
had a contract. We didn't get paid.
One time you do it to us, we learn the

02:19:06.480 --> 02:19:10.637
mistake. Second time, why are we
agreeing as a settlement for all of us?

02:19:10.720 --> 02:19:14.317
Not just for us, for the employees,
for to get paid in a year and a half.

02:19:14.400 --> 02:19:17.997
Please, go back and said, "No deal. I'll
see you in court." Said, "No, you don't

02:19:18.080 --> 02:19:21.437
understand. The IPO will blow up
the whole thing." Said, "No, they'll fold.

02:19:21.520 --> 02:19:25.077
They're bluffing."
They're acting like a bully.

02:19:25.160 --> 02:19:29.477
And my father was a bully. And there's
only one way to deal with a bully.

02:19:29.560 --> 02:19:33.117
Gun to their head. They're bluffing.

02:19:33.200 --> 02:19:37.717
I'm like and I'm this is after I'm like
this is an emotional roller coaster. I

02:19:37.800 --> 02:19:41.197
go with Andrew and I to get Andrew's
with me. He's like, "Oh, I thought we

02:19:41.280 --> 02:19:44.997
had it." I'm like, "Oh, I thought we had
it." We're done. Then Eric Seiler calls

02:19:45.080 --> 02:19:49.677
me. Very famous phone
call in our Fortnite lore.

02:19:49.760 --> 02:19:51.557
Goes, "Adam, I just learned something."

02:19:51.640 --> 02:19:54.957
I said, "What is it, Mr. Seiler?"
Again, he owns his own firm.

02:19:55.040 --> 02:19:57.997
"I don't work for you. I work for Rebecca.

02:19:58.080 --> 02:19:59.957
I said, "How did you learn that?"

02:20:00.040 --> 02:20:02.797
He goes, "Well, she called me
and completely disagrees with my legal

02:20:02.880 --> 02:20:06.317
strategy and told me they were
going to court, not settling.

02:20:06.400 --> 02:20:09.477
It's different from what you and I agreed.
Therefore, I work for her, not

02:20:09.560 --> 02:20:13.717
for you." I said, "Well,

02:20:13.800 --> 02:20:18.117
I feel like I work for her because I know
that all my blessings come from my wife."

02:20:18.200 --> 02:20:22.277
>> Yeah. And if she feels strongly about
something, I support her. I There's no

02:20:22.360 --> 02:20:25.197
question she has better intuition than me.

02:20:25.280 --> 02:20:28.717
So, I support her. You support me. Then

02:20:28.800 --> 02:20:31.037
yes, we're going to go with her way."

02:20:31.120 --> 02:20:34.037
He goes, "Okay then, just wanted
to clarify that." I said, "What do you

02:20:34.120 --> 02:20:37.557
think's going to happen?" He goes, "I
don't know. This is uncharted territory.

02:20:37.640 --> 02:20:41.397
I would I would accept." I said,
"Well, what if they do? What if

02:20:41.480 --> 02:20:43.717
she's right and they do?" He goes,
"You don't understand. They gave all these

02:20:43.800 --> 02:20:47.077
promises." I said, "Eric, we just
litigated for a year about all these

02:20:47.160 --> 02:20:50.557
promises about a contract. What's
a promise? They did the money's in the

02:20:50.640 --> 02:20:53.600
bank, or it's not."

02:20:53.720 --> 02:20:58.237
So, he goes, "Okay. Let's get on the call.

02:20:58.320 --> 02:21:00.557
It's going to be a very bad Zoom."

02:21:00.640 --> 02:21:03.397
We get on the Zoom with the litigators,
with the this, with the that. They have

02:21:03.480 --> 02:21:06.517
their general counsel,
some scary individuals.

02:21:06.600 --> 02:21:10.677
I basically say, "Look, guys, it's not
me anymore. It's It's It's really It's

02:21:10.760 --> 02:21:14.397
me and Rebecca. We make choices together.

02:21:14.480 --> 02:21:19.160
We have a scheduled
C-section Friday, 9:00 a.m.

02:21:19.480 --> 02:21:24.677
Which is also the first the day of Purim

02:21:24.760 --> 02:21:26.037
holiday.

02:21:26.120 --> 02:21:29.077
If the money is not in the bank at 8:30,

02:21:29.160 --> 02:21:33.677
all of it, we'll see you in court.
And even though court is in 8 days, the

02:21:33.760 --> 02:21:37.677
court date, which is the bris of my new
son that's going to be born, I will miss

02:21:37.760 --> 02:21:40.997
the bris, or I will do it in the
courtroom. But, I will see you in

02:21:41.080 --> 02:21:45.997
court." Boom! Explosions.
Ba ba. Screaming. Da

02:21:46.080 --> 02:21:49.637
da da. Andrew behind the scenes
is like this. Tragedy.

02:21:49.720 --> 02:21:52.477
Done. Done. Before you're
watching the movie, you

02:21:52.560 --> 02:21:53.797
and I be like, that's it. It's gone.

02:21:53.880 --> 02:21:57.677
We're saying in court. Next scene,
court. With the bris happening outside

02:21:57.760 --> 02:22:01.837
of the court with the rabbi,
with the mohel.

02:22:01.920 --> 02:22:04.197
4 hours later, Marcelo calls me.

02:22:04.280 --> 02:22:07.237
He's on the walker.
He's on the walker with the video. He's

02:22:07.320 --> 02:22:10.797
saying, "Going Adam,
please call Rebecca in."

02:22:10.880 --> 02:22:13.357
So, I said, "Okay, Marcelo."
Call Rebecca. It's just Marcelo, no

02:22:13.440 --> 02:22:17.837
litigators, no one else.
And she said something beautiful. Said,

02:22:17.920 --> 02:22:22.237
"Rebecca and Adam, I want
to apologize to both of you.

02:22:22.320 --> 02:22:24.877
You guys were 10 years ahead of your time.

02:22:24.960 --> 02:22:29.717
It could be that if you had the keys
to this car when you needed the keys to

02:22:29.800 --> 02:22:32.557
the car, and we would have
been in a different place.

02:22:32.640 --> 02:22:35.477
It is what it is. We are where we are now.

02:22:35.560 --> 02:22:39.517
The money will be in your account 30
minutes before your planned C-section.

02:22:39.600 --> 02:22:42.997
I have my word, but separate from it,
you will see it. You do not need to go

02:22:43.080 --> 02:22:47.037
forward with the litigation.
Let's be partners. I'm going to bring in

02:22:47.120 --> 02:22:50.037
a CEO. I'm going to choose
to do things my way.

02:22:50.120 --> 02:22:54.277
I know to call you if I need to.
I respect you. You respect me. Let's move

02:22:54.360 --> 02:22:57.117
like that." I say,
"Thank you, Marcelo." I look at

02:22:57.200 --> 02:22:59.557
Rebecca. She goes, "All good?" I said,
"You're not worried?" I said, "I'm not

02:22:59.640 --> 02:23:01.877
worried. This is We're all good."

02:23:01.960 --> 02:23:06.077
I say, "Thank you." At 4:30 a.m.,
don't ask me how I didn't

02:23:06.160 --> 02:23:09.997
know money could transfer.
4:30 a.m., it hits the account.

02:23:10.080 --> 02:23:12.757
9:00 a.m., we're in the birthing room.

02:23:12.840 --> 02:23:18.117
Our sixth son, Moses, is born.
Amazing story. That is the true story.

02:23:18.200 --> 02:23:19.437
>> Wow. That's what actually happened.

02:23:19.520 --> 02:23:21.637
>> That's amazing.
The fact that they chose

02:23:21.720 --> 02:23:24.437
to make her the villain cuz it's easy.

02:23:24.520 --> 02:23:27.637
Yeah. >> By the way, it shows
you a lot about society. Yeah.

02:23:27.720 --> 02:23:32.237
But not only is it not true,
it's Whenever people hear something I've

02:23:32.320 --> 02:23:35.757
learned, when you hear two stories,
there's a small group saying one story

02:23:35.840 --> 02:23:38.357
and a large group agreeing,

02:23:38.440 --> 02:23:43.757
listen to that small group and really
take your time listening. Yeah.

02:23:43.840 --> 02:23:46.517
Beautiful. This will be
the last piece, and then I

02:23:46.600 --> 02:23:49.757
think we can, uh, Move on. We can

02:23:49.840 --> 02:23:52.037
part ways with WeWork once and for all.

02:23:52.120 --> 02:23:56.277
A year into this with this CEO,
I see that they're not managing right.

02:23:56.360 --> 02:23:58.357
Stock starts dropping. It's a year in.

02:23:58.440 --> 02:24:01.717
We're like, "Oh my god, they're doing
all the Not one thing that we would have

02:24:01.800 --> 02:24:04.997
suggested." I call a few people, say,
"Hey, if we put We have money at this

02:24:05.080 --> 02:24:07.517
stage again." They said, "Hey, if I put
a big check, will you guys come in with

02:24:07.600 --> 02:24:11.757
me?" Immediately, one day, commitments
to a billion. Now, it's not that they

02:24:11.840 --> 02:24:14.757
did We didn't send the documents.
We didn't do it, but it was so quick that

02:24:14.840 --> 02:24:17.757
it would have come. We would have raised
more if we needed it. Cuz I told people

02:24:17.840 --> 02:24:20.837
exactly what I was going to do.
And again, Corona was happening. Buildings

02:24:20.920 --> 02:24:25.277
were empty. It was very clear at least
to us what the right thing would be to

02:24:25.360 --> 02:24:28.557
create a movement back to to to deal
with the situation cuz these moments of

02:24:28.640 --> 02:24:33.077
change for creatives who are in their
field, those are the biggest moments.

02:24:33.160 --> 02:24:36.757
Mhm. This was my market. This was office.
This was a change. It wasn't the

02:24:36.840 --> 02:24:39.877
end of office. It was time for a new
office. And I called the CEO. I was

02:24:39.960 --> 02:24:43.757
like, "Look, we have a soft commitments
for a billion, and but we're ready to

02:24:43.840 --> 02:24:46.917
go. I want to share with you the strategy.
I want to say this. We will

02:24:47.000 --> 02:24:49.437
invest into the company. We will buy in.

02:24:49.520 --> 02:24:52.717
We want to support. We just want to make
sure we have the same this." We want to

02:24:52.800 --> 02:24:55.797
share it with you, and we want to help
you. Let's make this company successful.

02:24:55.880 --> 02:24:57.757
Corona should be the win, not the loss.

02:24:57.840 --> 02:25:03.077
Schedules it all with us. Our investors,
top guys, on the plane. We're all on our

02:25:03.160 --> 02:25:06.837
way to go. Sends me a text,
"I'm sorry, Adam.

02:25:06.920 --> 02:25:10.157
Whatever reason, it's a pass. I will
pass." Cancel the meeting. Cancel the

02:25:10.240 --> 02:25:13.517
meeting. Never takes it. Wow. Drives the

02:25:13.600 --> 02:25:16.837
company all the way to bankruptcy.

02:25:16.920 --> 02:25:20.317
We were ready to put our money. Yeah.
We brought new money, and we brought a new

02:25:20.400 --> 02:25:23.237
plan. Now, I'm not telling
you that it would have worked.

02:25:23.320 --> 02:25:26.517
>> No, you All I know. Can't know.
All I'm telling you it would have been

02:25:26.600 --> 02:25:27.757
different. I'm just telling you what

02:25:27.840 --> 02:25:30.597
happened. Yes.

02:25:30.680 --> 02:25:34.077
Yeah. And that was that. That's wild.

02:25:34.160 --> 02:25:37.717
Okay. What is Flow?

02:25:37.800 --> 02:25:39.797
So, you asked how it's all connected.

02:25:39.880 --> 02:25:43.717
Yeah. As all of this is happening, Marc
Andreessen is us. Called the first time,

02:25:43.800 --> 02:25:46.797
we missed the fact.
Called the second time.

02:25:46.880 --> 02:25:49.597
Then an article in The Wall Street
Journal comes up saying that Adam

02:25:49.680 --> 02:25:52.957
Neumann's family office has purchased
over a billion dollars worth of real

02:25:53.040 --> 02:25:55.357
estate in South Florida. We're living in

02:25:55.440 --> 02:25:58.757
We've moved to Miami at this stage. And

02:25:58.840 --> 02:26:02.477
he calls Mark and he says, "Hey Adam,
I thought" cuz every time the end of every

02:26:02.560 --> 02:26:04.997
call said, "If you're going
to do something, let's talk."

02:26:05.080 --> 02:26:06.797
Said, "I thought we said that we're
going to talk if you're doing

02:26:06.880 --> 02:26:09.277
something." I said, "Yeah, of course
we are." Said, "You're honestly doing

02:26:09.360 --> 02:26:12.117
something. You bought a lot of real
estate." Said, "No, Mark, that's just

02:26:12.200 --> 02:26:16.397
real estate." Cuz no, it's not. It's
your idea for the future of living. It's

02:26:16.480 --> 02:26:20.477
a new brand. It's WeLive, but better.

02:26:20.560 --> 02:26:25.197
I say, "Well, honestly speaking,
yes, I've been having the thoughts."

02:26:25.280 --> 02:26:28.717
And I but it's not that. Said, "Do you
have an idea?" Said, "I do." Said, "Are

02:26:28.800 --> 02:26:31.557
you clear about how you're going to do
it?" Said, "I don't care about how it

02:26:31.640 --> 02:26:33.677
starts." Said, "Do you have a name?"

02:26:33.760 --> 02:26:36.357
Said, "I don't." Said,
"Do you want to talk about it?"

02:26:36.440 --> 02:26:42.157
Said, "Whenever you want."
And we're going to really connected. And

02:26:42.240 --> 02:26:44.557
I said, "Let's talk about it."
Said, "Okay."

02:26:44.640 --> 02:26:47.837
And we sort of leave it in the air.
I still don't follow up. So, the

02:26:47.920 --> 02:26:50.757
settlement is February 2021.

02:26:50.840 --> 02:26:52.677
We are starting to purchase real estate

02:26:52.760 --> 02:26:57.797
and do all these different things.
Show is going to come out March 2023.

02:26:57.880 --> 02:27:00.477
And March 2022. >> Right, the next year.

02:27:00.560 --> 02:27:03.037
>> a year. It's quick. One year. And and

02:27:03.120 --> 02:27:08.397
the team is starting to stress out that
the show is going to come out to smear

02:27:08.480 --> 02:27:11.117
our name, ruin everything.
>> And we just spent the past two years

02:27:11.200 --> 02:27:15.397
fixing everything one step after the
other. They're freaking out. Until then,

02:27:15.480 --> 02:27:16.397
we didn't care. There was a belief.

02:27:16.480 --> 02:27:19.037
There's a team. >> I remember
speaking to you then, and I

02:27:19.120 --> 02:27:24.197
remember how uh how much anxiety there
was around this thing that you have no

02:27:24.280 --> 02:27:26.637
control over. Do you remember
what do you thought was

02:27:26.720 --> 02:27:30.677
going to happen? No. You said you had
two ideas. One, you said you should

02:27:30.760 --> 02:27:33.237
write a book and it should come out
the next day with the true story.

02:27:33.320 --> 02:27:35.237
>> Oh, that's interesting.
>> But then we wouldn't have been able to

02:27:35.320 --> 02:27:38.077
do this today. So, it's good I didn't
listen. But it would have worked. Yeah.

02:27:38.160 --> 02:27:39.317
He said you should own your narrative.

02:27:39.400 --> 02:27:42.557
The bottom line of what you told me is,
"Adam, your narrative was taken away.

02:27:42.640 --> 02:27:47.197
You should own it." I didn't fully
understand back then what you meant.

02:27:47.280 --> 02:27:50.397
The other thing he said is,
"I don't know how.

02:27:50.480 --> 02:27:54.637
I have a weird feeling that because
you've never done anything actually wrong,

02:27:54.720 --> 02:27:57.037
people are going to not interpret it
the way they're intending to it." And he

02:27:57.120 --> 02:27:59.797
said, "Don't hold He said, "I can't
explain to you how that's logical cuz I

02:27:59.880 --> 02:28:03.597
know it's a takedown."
I said, "I don't know."

02:28:03.680 --> 02:28:07.557
And so the team is now very worried cuz we

02:28:07.640 --> 02:28:11.517
have worked one foot after the other
to to build ourselves from the beginning

02:28:11.600 --> 02:28:13.797
business-wise and reputation-wise.

02:28:13.880 --> 02:28:17.117
A lot of people believe this false story
suddenly. And again, I'm walking into a

02:28:17.200 --> 02:28:20.077
room every time needing
to explain what really happened.

02:28:20.160 --> 02:28:25.717
And they're worried. And so it's going
to come out and that's a horrible thing.

02:28:25.800 --> 02:28:28.797
Oh, we have Marc Andreessen that's been
calling us. I'm an hour before the call

02:28:28.880 --> 02:28:31.037
with Marc. I really have nothing to say.

02:28:31.120 --> 02:28:36.157
Yeah. And this is back to that same story.

02:28:36.240 --> 02:28:38.957
I called my partner Ilan. I was like,
"Ilan, I'm canceling the call." He goes,

02:28:39.040 --> 02:28:41.357
"No, you're not." I was like, "I'm
canceling the call." He goes, "Why? Marc

02:28:41.440 --> 02:28:44.317
was excited about the call. He said,
"Finally you're talking." And like,

02:28:44.400 --> 02:28:46.357
"Marc's excited. Don't cancel."

02:28:46.440 --> 02:28:49.437
I said, "Well, I don't have anything
to say." He said, "Yes, you do. You have a

02:28:49.520 --> 02:28:53.557
vision in your head. It doesn't have
a name. It's a new business. You have the

02:28:53.640 --> 02:28:56.797
vision of the future of how
people are going to live.

02:28:56.880 --> 02:28:59.917
Tell him that." I said,
"I'm not clear about it yet."

02:29:00.000 --> 02:29:03.397
He said He said, "Adam, I'm your partner.
It's hiding inside of you.

02:29:03.480 --> 02:29:08.237
Yeah. It's your perfect founder market
fit for this thing. It's always been

02:29:08.320 --> 02:29:10.757
there. It's your original idea.
Your original idea was no WeWork. Your

02:29:10.840 --> 02:29:13.477
original idea was called concept
living when you're in college.

02:29:13.560 --> 02:29:16.637
It's your original idea. It's from the
kibbutz. It's how people live. It's the

02:29:16.720 --> 02:29:19.277
future of living. Tell him that."

02:29:19.360 --> 02:29:22.437
I said, "Ilan, I'm not I'm not ready to
say it. He's the biggest investor in the

02:29:22.520 --> 02:29:26.597
world. I don't want to half thought idea.
I really want to articulate it clear."

02:29:26.680 --> 02:29:30.277
He goes, "No problem. Tell him
you'd love to do it face-to-face.

02:29:30.360 --> 02:29:32.717
He's going to invite you. It's going
to take a second. We're going to get a

02:29:32.800 --> 02:29:36.677
second to get our act together. We'll
do it then. Call is about to come. I'm

02:29:36.760 --> 02:29:40.237
sweating. I can't believe why I'm
sweating. This is after the all this

02:29:40.320 --> 02:29:43.917
stuff. What Why am I again acting like
I'm a 32-year-old? What am I stressed

02:29:44.000 --> 02:29:47.717
about? We own all this stuff.
We're doing. We're building. We're

02:29:47.800 --> 02:29:51.877
my family. I've learned a lot. I'm in a
much better place. I feel happier. What

02:29:51.960 --> 02:29:55.717
am I How am I stressed again like I'm
invest like I'm pitching to an investor

02:29:55.800 --> 02:29:59.197
at age 28. >> Yeah.
At the exact same time that I have

02:29:59.280 --> 02:30:04.637
that thought, my second feeling is like,
"Wow, I like this. I miss this. This is

02:30:04.720 --> 02:30:05.957
how it feels to be in the ring."

02:30:06.040 --> 02:30:10.157
>> Yeah. >> I feel alive.
I get on the call and very honestly I

02:30:10.240 --> 02:30:13.797
say I have I say what I say. I say I
want to do it face-to-face. Talk for a

02:30:13.880 --> 02:30:16.517
minute about other stuff said,
"Would be my pleasure."

02:30:16.600 --> 02:30:18.637
A week later he invites me.

02:30:18.720 --> 02:30:23.757
We go to Malibu.
Four weeks later we sit down.

02:30:23.840 --> 02:30:25.957
And the whole way >> Is this the
first time you're meeting him in

02:30:26.040 --> 02:30:28.597
>> First time meeting face-to-face.
Never met before. Didn't know he was that

02:30:28.680 --> 02:30:30.557
tall? Yeah. He's tall guy. Very tall.

02:30:30.640 --> 02:30:34.957
>> Taller than me? Yeah. Him,
his head of his crypto fund Chris

02:30:35.040 --> 02:30:39.677
Dixon, and another tall guy.
All of them first time. We're in Malibu.

02:30:39.760 --> 02:30:44.037
We walk in. And

02:30:44.120 --> 02:30:48.637
we start talking. It's high-level. Da da
da da da. Everybody sits down. And Mark

02:30:48.720 --> 02:30:53.317
like starts saying, "So, Adam, we're all
here. We'd like to hear." Yeah. I say,

02:30:53.400 --> 02:30:56.797
"Mark, I would like to talk about WeWork
first and my lessons learned." He said,

02:30:56.880 --> 02:30:59.077
"You don't need to." I said,
"I understand. I would really

02:30:59.160 --> 02:31:01.437
like to." He goes, "Adam, let's be clear.

02:31:01.520 --> 02:31:05.997
We called you here because we know that we
think has happened. Assume that we've

02:31:06.080 --> 02:31:09.677
spoken to most people that have ever
worked with you. Definitely to an

02:31:09.760 --> 02:31:13.517
engineer that has ever worked with
you and all of your board members.

02:31:13.600 --> 02:31:16.637
Let's talk about the future of living."

02:31:16.720 --> 02:31:19.557
I say, "Mark, I really appreciate it.

02:31:19.640 --> 02:31:21.437
I've never spoken to you about this.

02:31:21.520 --> 02:31:24.957
Especially if you know so much about it,
maybe I can learn one more thing. I know

02:31:25.040 --> 02:31:27.917
I learned a lot, but maybe there's one
more lesson hiding there. Yeah. I want

02:31:28.000 --> 02:31:31.397
to talk about it.
And this for those people who know Mark,

02:31:31.480 --> 02:31:34.717
he'll say twice, but if you let him loose,
he's going to go and there is no

02:31:34.800 --> 02:31:37.997
filter and it's going to be some of
the smartest things you've ever heard in

02:31:38.080 --> 02:31:43.037
your life. Yeah. He almost does
a version of this. He said, "Okay, Adam,

02:31:43.120 --> 02:31:46.117
let's go." And we go
for it and for the next hour

02:31:46.200 --> 02:31:51.397
and a half, not only do I share what I
share, I learn at least five new things

02:31:51.480 --> 02:31:54.277
about it. The craziest
one being he goes, "Hey,

02:31:54.360 --> 02:31:57.717
when you took the money from Benchmark,
did you ever check how many founders

02:31:57.800 --> 02:32:02.037
they ever ousted?" I said,
"No." He goes, "Interesting.

02:32:02.120 --> 02:32:05.677
Jack Dorsey, uh Travis Kalanick."
And then he names

02:32:05.760 --> 02:32:08.557
five other ones. He goes, "They're
known for it. So, it's not that they said

02:32:08.640 --> 02:32:11.437
they're great investors, but this has
happened there many times. Did you even

02:32:11.520 --> 02:32:13.797
know that?" I said, "No, I didn't."

02:32:13.880 --> 02:32:16.357
He goes, "Okay, so we learned one
thing about you. You did not do your

02:32:16.440 --> 02:32:18.317
homework." Yeah. I said, "No, I did not.

02:32:18.400 --> 02:32:21.157
I trusted." Yeah. He goes, "Okay."

02:32:21.240 --> 02:32:25.837
We then talked for the next 3 hours
then we talk about the future of living.

02:32:25.920 --> 02:32:28.317
He said, "Adam, what would you want to
solve if you solve What do you think the

02:32:28.400 --> 02:32:33.517
two biggest problems?" I said, "Loneliness
and ownership." He goes, "Great. How are

02:32:33.600 --> 02:32:36.557
we going to solve that?"
And then we talked about how I think

02:32:36.640 --> 02:32:40.797
we're going to solve that.
And at the end he goes, "So,

02:32:40.880 --> 02:32:44.077
what do you think about considering you
partners?" Cuz by this point I'm funding

02:32:44.160 --> 02:32:47.237
the business 100% on my own. I don't
want partners. I don't need partners.

02:32:47.320 --> 02:32:49.357
I'm traumatized. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

02:32:49.440 --> 02:32:52.357
I said, "I genuinely didn't think about
it." He goes, "Well, how about you do

02:32:52.440 --> 02:32:55.437
your homework and call a lot
of people who we've been

02:32:55.520 --> 02:32:59.997
investors of cuz we've already
called a lot of people that know you.

02:33:00.080 --> 02:33:03.757
See what you think."
And basically for the next 6 months we

02:33:03.840 --> 02:33:07.997
get to know each other, but as we're
getting to know each other, we shape The

02:33:08.080 --> 02:33:10.797
business already existed. There were
buildings already bought a small tech

02:33:10.880 --> 02:33:14.837
company that we were using. There were
things that were occurring already.

02:33:14.920 --> 02:33:19.077
But oh, we shape it
even bigger. And Mark is

02:33:19.160 --> 02:33:20.717
playing a very active role and every

02:33:20.800 --> 02:33:23.037
time I think big, he thinks bigger. But

02:33:23.120 --> 02:33:27.757
not the way Masa thought
bigger, grow faster.

02:33:27.840 --> 02:33:30.557
The way think longer.

02:33:30.640 --> 02:33:33.877
Build a better product. Take your time.

02:33:33.960 --> 02:33:37.797
Yeah. Don't worry about profitability
not because you're chasing revenue.

02:33:37.880 --> 02:33:39.277
Don't worry about profitability because

02:33:39.360 --> 02:33:42.757
if we can actually challenge loneliness

02:33:42.840 --> 02:33:46.557
and ownership in a real way,
we're going to have a world-changing

02:33:46.640 --> 02:33:49.957
business. Yeah. And Mark
says to me, and I am here

02:33:50.040 --> 02:33:53.797
to build the big one. Yeah. Not the middle
one. So it's again that energy of

02:33:53.880 --> 02:33:57.237
wow, here's someone thinking as big
or bigger than me. Mhm. But he's not

02:33:57.320 --> 02:34:00.517
telling me go crazy. He's teaching me
and he's teaching me history. Said great

02:34:00.600 --> 02:34:02.717
tech teams are small, they're not big.

02:34:02.800 --> 02:34:05.957
Starts naming every single great tech
product that was built and how it was

02:34:06.040 --> 02:34:08.597
built. And as we do
this partnership and Ben

02:34:08.680 --> 02:34:11.757
Horowitz is starting to jump in, but
the first board meeting was only Mark and

02:34:11.840 --> 02:34:13.757
starting the second Ben joins.

02:34:13.840 --> 02:34:17.517
The one thing we agreed in advance
is when it comes to technology,

02:34:17.600 --> 02:34:19.277
they will help choose the leaders.

02:34:19.360 --> 02:34:24.477
Great. Amazing. They will help choose the
leaders and on our board meetings, we're

02:34:24.560 --> 02:34:26.957
going to spend time talking about
the whole business, but we're really going

02:34:27.040 --> 02:34:30.597
to spend time talking about tech.
Cuz when it comes to building a brand, a

02:34:30.680 --> 02:34:34.077
global movement or real estate,
they truly trust me. Comes to building

02:34:34.160 --> 02:34:38.037
technology, they wanted me to truly
trust them. Great. Now even though my

02:34:38.120 --> 02:34:42.517
investors before were
tech investors, not once

02:34:42.600 --> 02:34:47.237
did they give any advice. No.
I love this. I'm like, Great. And then

02:34:47.320 --> 02:34:50.517
Mark has the aha moment that even
takes it to the next level.

02:34:50.600 --> 02:34:53.597
Said how much money looked at all of
my real estate portfolio. He said choose

02:34:53.680 --> 02:34:56.437
the best. Tell me how much equity it is.

02:34:56.520 --> 02:35:00.797
And that's how we're going to invest.
So I put 350 million in the form of equity

02:35:00.880 --> 02:35:04.157
of real estate, not debt, not value
of real estate, just the equity.

02:35:04.240 --> 02:35:08.597
And they put 350 million cash.
We both had skin in the game. The one rule

02:35:08.680 --> 02:35:11.797
between the two of us they told us
that I don't want to align with you. Even

02:35:11.880 --> 02:35:14.637
though you weren't actually misaligned
with your investors cuz you didn't do

02:35:14.720 --> 02:35:17.837
anything wrong, Yeah. not only was there
the perception of misalignment, you

02:35:17.920 --> 02:35:21.917
found yourself misaligned. Let's make
a rule. When you buy, we buy. When you

02:35:22.000 --> 02:35:25.877
sell, we you sell. We're together.
I said, great rule. Great rule. Can't wait

02:35:25.960 --> 02:35:29.717
to be with you aligned. And just to

02:35:29.800 --> 02:35:33.037
lend this point home and then we'll
take it to what it is that we've been

02:35:33.120 --> 02:35:35.797
building. It's time to find a CTO.

02:35:35.880 --> 02:35:38.677
Something people don't know about Flow,
Flow spends more money on technology

02:35:38.760 --> 02:35:40.357
than anything else, not on real estate.

02:35:40.440 --> 02:35:44.917
Really? We'll explain a second why.
So, it's time to find a CTO.

02:35:45.000 --> 02:35:48.157
And we go on this 6-month journey
of interviewing the best on the planet cuz

02:35:48.240 --> 02:35:52.157
we're not going to make that mistake
again. We get to four final candidates.

02:35:52.240 --> 02:35:55.877
And I choose my final one and then
I introduce all four to Ben.

02:35:55.960 --> 02:36:00.197
And Ben Horowitz was an amazing CEO
himself, but also a coach of CEOs. He's

02:36:00.280 --> 02:36:04.677
a great recruiter and hirer, seen it all,
done it home. And Ben interviews, I

02:36:04.760 --> 02:36:07.637
interview. Ben calls me.
He goes, "Hey Adam, I

02:36:07.720 --> 02:36:10.797
finished my four interviews. I know my
pick." I said, "Great." He goes, "First,

02:36:10.880 --> 02:36:14.037
I'm going to tell you who you picked."
I said, "Let's go, Ben." Cuz you picked

02:36:14.120 --> 02:36:18.037
the Amazon guy. I said, "Yes, I did."
He goes, "Great pick. He has the

02:36:18.120 --> 02:36:23.157
experience. He's a great guy. He worked in
a great company. He checks all the boxes."

02:36:23.240 --> 02:36:27.677
He's not your guy. I said, "Why, Ben?"
Cuz your guy's the WhatsApp guy.

02:36:27.760 --> 02:36:30.117
I said, "Why is my guy is the WhatsApp
guy?" Cuz I'm going to tell you

02:36:30.200 --> 02:36:32.957
something. His name is Scott.
I'm going to tell you something about

02:36:33.040 --> 02:36:35.477
Scott that Scott doesn't
know about himself.

02:36:35.560 --> 02:36:39.437
Scott is extremely smart.
Scott had to architect a very

02:36:39.520 --> 02:36:43.277
complicated situation WhatsApp and dealt
with billions and billions of users and

02:36:43.360 --> 02:36:46.957
huge numbers that you're you have never
imagined the numbers that he dealt. And

02:36:47.040 --> 02:36:49.437
we know about his engineering team and
how he cleaned it up and how he did the

02:36:49.520 --> 02:36:52.997
architecture and there's a lot of really
good things that we did our diligence on.

02:36:53.080 --> 02:36:56.717
But Scott has one quality that builds
excellent tech teams that you need. I

02:36:56.800 --> 02:36:59.877
said, "What is that?" He said, "When
someone says something stupid next to

02:36:59.960 --> 02:37:03.157
Scott, Scott does this with his face.

02:37:03.240 --> 02:37:06.517
He can't help it.
He doesn't even know he does it."

02:37:06.600 --> 02:37:09.917
I get it. And Ben, that's important
for our tech team? He goes, "It's the most

02:37:10.000 --> 02:37:13.397
important." I said, "Why?" Cuz I'm going
to tell you a secret about tech teams

02:37:13.480 --> 02:37:15.717
and why small tech teams are great. One

02:37:15.800 --> 02:37:18.477
bad apple ruins the whole thing.

02:37:18.560 --> 02:37:23.797
We always manage to the lowest basis,
not to the highest. He can't help it.

02:37:23.880 --> 02:37:27.397
Even if you won't be able to tell them
you're fired, they will see on his face

02:37:27.480 --> 02:37:31.597
that he thinks they are not great and
they will go find another job. But this

02:37:31.680 --> 02:37:35.637
for Flow? Yeah. Flow's tech team needs
to be world class cuz Flow's trying to

02:37:35.720 --> 02:37:39.277
solve very large problems.
And it's going to take time to build

02:37:39.360 --> 02:37:42.397
what you're going to build. And we have
to make sure the core is correct because

02:37:42.480 --> 02:37:46.277
if our foundation is not there, we won't
be able to deliver on this big mission.

02:37:46.360 --> 02:37:48.557
>> Amazing. He's your guy.

02:37:48.640 --> 02:37:51.597
Again, old Adam might have argued. Yeah.

02:37:51.680 --> 02:37:55.797
New Adam chose his partners because of
what they know and what he doesn't know.

02:37:55.880 --> 02:37:58.957
>> And what they bring. Yeah.
I don't know if Ben thought this was

02:37:59.040 --> 02:38:02.397
going to be an argument or not. I said,
"Great. Yes." Yeah. He was like, "That's

02:38:02.480 --> 02:38:04.077
it?" I said, "Of course that's it.

02:38:04.160 --> 02:38:06.357
That's why That's why we're partners.

02:38:06.440 --> 02:38:09.397
I know you know more than me
and obviously I didn't do a good job last

02:38:09.480 --> 02:38:13.397
time on this topic.
Bring it on." Yeah. And we recruit

02:38:13.480 --> 02:38:16.277
Scott. Yeah. How many

02:38:16.360 --> 02:38:18.717
uh CTOs did you hire in the past?

02:38:18.800 --> 02:38:22.237
>> Six. And how many
has he hired in the past?

02:38:22.320 --> 02:38:26.117
He's hired so many entrepreneurs, by
the way, who act as CTOs at the beginning

02:38:26.200 --> 02:38:29.757
right in pure tech companies
or more than just a tech company.

02:38:29.840 --> 02:38:32.997
In pure tech companies, you are the

02:38:33.080 --> 02:38:36.797
uh many times the founder is the CTO at
the beginning. And then they all have to

02:38:36.880 --> 02:38:40.237
hire CTOs. Yeah. So he has over
a thousand companies. So he's done He's

02:38:40.320 --> 02:38:43.397
done this over a thousand times
this way or that way sometimes directly,

02:38:43.480 --> 02:38:45.877
sometimes indirectly.
So No questions asked.

02:38:45.960 --> 02:38:49.197
>> level of experience that

02:38:49.280 --> 02:38:51.517
feels good trusting. It's also this

02:38:51.600 --> 02:38:56.397
connects to our past.
At WeWork, because we were trying,

02:38:56.480 --> 02:38:59.997
especially now that we know the story,
at some point to start chasing revenue.

02:39:00.080 --> 02:39:04.117
Yeah. We were trying to build
systems that can count and manage.

02:39:04.200 --> 02:39:09.117
At Flow, from the first day, our mission
was oneness. One is for a person in

02:39:09.200 --> 02:39:12.637
themselves, person
in their community, and a person

02:39:12.720 --> 02:39:14.437
in the natural world.

02:39:14.520 --> 02:39:16.557
To achieve that, you need to build

02:39:16.640 --> 02:39:20.597
technology. Now, we talk a lot about AI

02:39:20.680 --> 02:39:25.197
to think instead of humans. At Flow,
we talk about AI to empower humans to be

02:39:25.280 --> 02:39:26.637
the best version of themselves.

02:39:26.720 --> 02:39:30.237
>> Beautiful. To create spaces that
empower humans to be the best version of

02:39:30.320 --> 02:39:31.917
themselves.

02:39:32.000 --> 02:39:34.197
Our technology does not need to think

02:39:34.280 --> 02:39:37.597
for us. It needs to make everything so

02:39:37.680 --> 02:39:40.837
smooth and make things work so

02:39:40.920 --> 02:39:45.757
organically that we can be part
of something greater than ourselves.

02:39:45.840 --> 02:39:50.077
And that's why our CTO was such
an important pick. So, now he starts and

02:39:50.160 --> 02:39:53.637
it's 3 weeks into the job.
And Adam says, "Hey Adam,

02:39:53.720 --> 02:39:57.517
I have good news and bad news.
The good news is I have an idea of the

02:39:57.600 --> 02:40:01.597
architecture that would build what we
need to build to deliver on your vision,

02:40:01.680 --> 02:40:03.917
solving loneliness of solving ownership

02:40:04.000 --> 02:40:06.277
and solving loneliness and on creating

02:40:06.360 --> 02:40:09.357
this energy of oneness or togetherness."

02:40:09.440 --> 02:40:12.717
The bad news is current real estate

02:40:12.800 --> 02:40:17.237
technology is built on databases

02:40:17.320 --> 02:40:21.277
and does not put the resident or the
member first. Puts a lot of other things

02:40:21.360 --> 02:40:25.837
first, but not that. We're going to have
to build it from scratch. All of it.

02:40:25.920 --> 02:40:29.397
Back to the WeWork days, I was told
by many CTOs I need to build from scratch.

02:40:29.480 --> 02:40:32.677
I build all the time from scratch and I
had nothing or very little to show for

02:40:32.760 --> 02:40:35.357
it. Yeah. So, he goes,
"I'm not sure I'm ready for

02:40:35.440 --> 02:40:39.157
this adventure. But, you're in luck.
I have a board meeting next week. I truly

02:40:39.240 --> 02:40:42.637
trust my partners. If you're
ready to walk in and present

02:40:42.720 --> 02:40:46.797
how you're going to build real estate
from scratch architecture, be my guest.

02:40:46.880 --> 02:40:50.197
I'm just telling you this might be
a short partnership for the two of us and

02:40:50.280 --> 02:40:54.277
I really started to like you. It's only
been 3 weeks, but I like the energy."

02:40:54.360 --> 02:40:56.437
He goes, "I'll take my chances."

02:40:56.520 --> 02:40:59.357
And he goes, "That's why I'm here."
He goes, "By the way, I'm here to fulfill

02:40:59.440 --> 02:41:01.197
your vision." He said, "I want
to explain to you something that I'm going

02:41:01.280 --> 02:41:04.197
to tell them. Your vision
is going to change so many

02:41:04.280 --> 02:41:07.797
times that if I don't give you
an extremely flexible system that's truly

02:41:07.880 --> 02:41:10.877
rethinking everything, I won't be able
to keep up with you. I might at the

02:41:10.960 --> 02:41:14.317
beginning, but one day you're going
to ask for something I can't do.

02:41:14.400 --> 02:41:17.837
I'm going to preempt it. But,
it's going to be tough for you

02:41:17.920 --> 02:41:20.637
because then I'm going to tell you I
need a year for you not to bother me.

02:41:20.720 --> 02:41:23.957
And all the little things that our CTOs
might have built for you, nice apps and

02:41:24.040 --> 02:41:27.517
front facing and all that gimmicks,
you won't going to have any gimmicks.

02:41:27.600 --> 02:41:30.677
And when I'm done with what I'm doing,
you're going to have a powerful system

02:41:30.760 --> 02:41:35.077
that can basically tackle
on the future of how we live.

02:41:35.160 --> 02:41:39.197
He goes into the board meeting,
and you should have been there. They go

02:41:39.280 --> 02:41:44.037
at it for 3 hours. I don't have a lot
to say because it's not my field.

02:41:44.120 --> 02:41:48.797
Mark then Mark is very strong
in architecture. Ben is very strong in use

02:41:48.880 --> 02:41:52.957
cases and how it's used and they
just go. And after 3 hours,

02:41:53.040 --> 02:41:56.437
they say, "We agree."

02:41:56.520 --> 02:41:59.997
Then go out to dinner,
and they we are they argue between

02:42:00.080 --> 02:42:04.237
between themselves for another
2 hours about it. Big decision.

02:42:04.320 --> 02:42:08.517
It's a very big turn and the guy
just started. It's a lot of trust.

02:42:08.600 --> 02:42:12.437
And at the end of it, Ben is like,
"Adam, I'm good." I said, "Why?" Because

02:42:12.520 --> 02:42:16.517
cuz Mark is good. We've been
working together for 30 years.

02:42:16.600 --> 02:42:21.277
And I love this, by the way.
For me, this is no problem.

02:42:21.360 --> 02:42:24.477
We've been working together for 30 years
and I know when to trust my partner.

02:42:24.560 --> 02:42:28.117
He's good, I'm good. It's like,
"You guys are good, I'm good."

02:42:28.200 --> 02:42:33.517
And we start this journey of rethinking
how the architecture for and I say

02:42:33.600 --> 02:42:36.077
architecture, I mean
the digital architecture

02:42:36.160 --> 02:42:40.877
in a way that will allow us
to put the resident, the member

02:42:40.960 --> 02:42:44.677
>> digital architecture so important in
housing? I don't understand. So, without

02:42:44.760 --> 02:42:47.437
giving away all of our secrets, I'll
explain to you how it's built. Think of

02:42:47.520 --> 02:42:49.797
it as a database that's built data on

02:42:49.880 --> 02:42:54.477
data on data on data.
And now you want to put AI on top of it.

02:42:54.560 --> 02:42:56.757
You're really getting the top layer.

02:42:56.840 --> 02:43:00.077
You're not actually understanding
everything. And if you want to leverage

02:43:00.160 --> 02:43:03.757
technology in a way that truly
understands everything,

02:43:03.840 --> 02:43:08.357
you have to re-architect how the data
is stored from the beginning. From the

02:43:08.440 --> 02:43:11.917
beginning. You have to actually rethink
it. And this is where we got luckier

02:43:12.000 --> 02:43:15.117
than smart. This is 2 and 1/2 years ago.

02:43:15.200 --> 02:43:18.917
Blockchain is in place.
AI is in place, not the way it is today,

02:43:19.000 --> 02:43:23.077
but it's all starting. So, everything
is built taking in mind the newest way of

02:43:23.160 --> 02:43:27.437
doing things. It's the edge of the edge
of how to build things. And I told you

02:43:27.520 --> 02:43:30.957
that we're going to have a board meeting
in 2 days. We're going to present for

02:43:31.040 --> 02:43:33.757
the first time how not only it all comes

02:43:33.840 --> 02:43:38.117
together theoretically, but how
it's working and how it's starting to

02:43:38.200 --> 02:43:41.797
deliver. And it's going to only
work better from here, but we see the

02:43:41.880 --> 02:43:43.157
results. And how do we see the results?

02:43:43.240 --> 02:43:46.637
In much more profitable buildings,
but we're also seeing much happier

02:43:46.720 --> 02:43:50.437
residents, much more connected. How many
buildings are there now? So, Flow now

02:43:50.520 --> 02:43:54.637
has nine buildings, four in the US
and five in Saudi Arabia. Mhm.

02:43:54.720 --> 02:43:57.197
And we're doing it by tackling the

02:43:57.280 --> 02:44:01.917
technology, the brand, what it represent,
and the experience. And we're

02:44:02.000 --> 02:44:03.917
really doing it one thought at the time.

02:44:04.000 --> 02:44:08.117
Yeah. And again, the big difference from
the past, we're not rushing. Yeah. We're

02:44:08.200 --> 02:44:13.117
going after the right product.
And we're doing it in a way

02:44:13.200 --> 02:44:17.077
that's truly going to make you,
the user, feel like you're having this

02:44:17.160 --> 02:44:19.757
experience that's truly unique.

02:44:19.840 --> 02:44:23.397
And when we talked about this 2 year
years ago, we said mind, body, and soul,

02:44:23.480 --> 02:44:27.477
and how it all comes together. People
maybe had a little tough time. Everybody

02:44:27.560 --> 02:44:29.517
wants to feel like they're in flow.

02:44:29.600 --> 02:44:31.517
Everybody understand what flow state is

02:44:31.600 --> 02:44:34.597
for them. Everybody is is

02:44:34.680 --> 02:44:36.677
connecting to it, and the buildings are

02:44:36.760 --> 02:44:40.157
really starting to show. Each time that

02:44:40.240 --> 02:44:44.957
you have a new building, do you learn
new things about what works and what

02:44:45.040 --> 02:44:47.317
doesn't work? >> What a great
question. We just launched

02:44:47.400 --> 02:44:51.157
a new building in Brickell, Miami. 632

02:44:51.240 --> 02:44:54.797
apartments, very large,
Brand new, completely empty.

02:44:54.880 --> 02:44:58.077
And Flo is not just able to run buildings.
Flo is now developing the

02:44:58.160 --> 02:45:01.437
beginning of small neighborhoods. So,
it's a single building, but there are

02:45:01.520 --> 02:45:03.877
three more plots at 6.2 acres, which for

02:45:03.960 --> 02:45:05.997
Miami is a very large plot. To build

02:45:06.080 --> 02:45:11.997
over 2,200 apartments with office space,
with retail, with a school that we're

02:45:12.080 --> 02:45:15.437
considering >> community.
>> community. And as you start thinking

02:45:15.520 --> 02:45:17.837
about it as a community, you start
saying, "Well, what does a community

02:45:17.920 --> 02:45:20.837
need?" You're only limited to just
a single building. You say, "What are

02:45:20.920 --> 02:45:23.917
obvious things about community? What
would they need? A barber shop, it needs

02:45:24.000 --> 02:45:27.117
a nail salon, it needs But then it
needs this film community, needs a coffee

02:45:27.200 --> 02:45:30.557
shop." And you start adding all these
things that make it tremendous sense.

02:45:30.640 --> 02:45:34.477
And what else does community? Community
loves music. Community loves food.

02:45:34.560 --> 02:45:37.637
Community loves art. And you start
thinking of all those things bringing

02:45:37.720 --> 02:45:41.077
together, and before you know it, we get
to not just experience all these things,

02:45:41.160 --> 02:45:44.037
but experiment them. So, I'll give you
an example. Do you know how many times

02:45:44.120 --> 02:45:48.237
you've driven by empty construction
sites that are fenced up? Yeah.

02:45:48.320 --> 02:45:50.797
So, we had three of those cuz we
have one finished building and three

02:45:50.880 --> 02:45:53.917
construction sites. We take one of them.

02:45:54.000 --> 02:45:58.317
And uh this was Rebecca's idea,
actually. And we plant We put sand to

02:45:58.400 --> 02:46:00.197
make it like a beach. We put palm trees.

02:46:00.280 --> 02:46:04.157
We put a little uh you know,
the the indigenous uh

02:46:04.240 --> 02:46:06.117
structures that they
love to create in Miami.

02:46:06.200 --> 02:46:08.077
>> Yeah. Yeah,
like a tiki hut, but a large

02:46:08.160 --> 02:46:10.437
one. That's kind of a floor. We're like,
"We're going to do music here three

02:46:10.520 --> 02:46:13.277
times a week. And here's two food trucks.
And we're going to open it up

02:46:13.360 --> 02:46:16.357
for the public." >> Beautiful,
like a park. Like a park.

02:46:16.440 --> 02:46:19.837
Costs very little to do. But for the next
2 years, instead of having an empty

02:46:19.920 --> 02:46:23.317
construction site, you give to the
community. This one is on the river. We

02:46:23.400 --> 02:46:25.517
say, "Hey, what about a farmers market?"

02:46:25.600 --> 02:46:27.797
We launch a farmers market. Great.

02:46:27.880 --> 02:46:31.437
>> We have this amazing woman, her name
is Shelly. Do you remember Jelena's? Yeah.

02:46:31.520 --> 02:46:33.637
She used to be the CEO of Jelena's.

02:46:33.720 --> 02:46:37.317
She has you If you remember Jelena's,
you know what she does. The best. She

02:46:37.400 --> 02:46:40.557
the best food, and from what I hear
from a lot of people, the best experience.

02:46:40.640 --> 02:46:41.877
>> Yeah. She brings it all together.

02:46:41.960 --> 02:46:45.317
>> Yeah. So, we say to Shelly, all we have
to say is we want a farmers market with

02:46:45.400 --> 02:46:48.797
intention. It's like an AI.
You just give it a prompt.

02:46:48.880 --> 02:46:53.077
You come to the farmers market,
every booth has a story. This mother, this

02:46:53.160 --> 02:46:57.237
daughter, this local, this and they're
all so inspired. Now, people start

02:46:57.320 --> 02:47:00.517
walking it and they're so inspired.
And now you're giving to your local

02:47:00.600 --> 02:47:03.637
community, but what you're really
doing is you're also attracting a lot of

02:47:03.720 --> 02:47:07.237
people and you're starting to tell
the flow story. And it actually starts and

02:47:07.320 --> 02:47:09.877
at the beginning but we can't get a lot
of people there cuz no one's ever heard

02:47:09.960 --> 02:47:14.557
of this farmers market. So, we start
a yoga class and we launch a runs club.

02:47:14.640 --> 02:47:17.917
And we launch a walking club cuz some
people prefer walking than running. And

02:47:18.000 --> 02:47:20.717
before you know it, there are over
a thousand people coming. There was one, I

02:47:20.800 --> 02:47:24.677
didn't see the last one cuz I was here
with you. There was one yesterday.

02:47:24.760 --> 02:47:29.077
And it's every week. And the more
exciting the environment is downstairs,

02:47:29.160 --> 02:47:33.277
the more it affects the upstairs.
And people start coming in. And now all

02:47:33.360 --> 02:47:36.557
these tours are coming.
And because we're leveraging and then we

02:47:36.640 --> 02:47:40.877
write a sign on the building,
what if it all goes right?

02:47:40.960 --> 02:47:44.477
And 2 weeks ago someone goes on their
boat on the river and takes a video.

02:47:44.560 --> 02:47:46.277
What if it all goes right?

02:47:46.360 --> 02:47:49.157
This is a woman with 13,000 followers.

02:47:49.240 --> 02:47:52.837
She gets 22 and a half million views.

02:47:52.920 --> 02:47:56.797
She went viral. And she writes,
"Sometimes it only takes

02:47:56.880 --> 02:48:00.757
one sentence to lift you up." She must
have not been the only person. It was

02:48:00.840 --> 02:48:05.557
shared over 1.8 million times. It was
huge numbers. All it said is what if it

02:48:05.640 --> 02:48:09.357
what if it all goes right, but it
was on a building. Yeah. Landlords don't

02:48:09.440 --> 02:48:14.397
usually say things. No.
And what do you think by the way came up

02:48:14.480 --> 02:48:18.277
with that sentence? The person
who people like to make a villain.

02:48:18.360 --> 02:48:21.557
Of course. Classic Rebecca.
Classic. Because it's

02:48:21.640 --> 02:48:23.957
so I said where did you come up with
that sentence? I said where did you come

02:48:24.040 --> 02:48:26.077
up with that sentence? She said it's you.

02:48:26.160 --> 02:48:28.557
You think it's always going to come
no matter what happened to you in your

02:48:28.640 --> 02:48:32.677
life, you found a way to think what if
it all goes right. Yeah. You stand for

02:48:32.760 --> 02:48:36.397
it. So, I put it on the building. She
has a way of building brands that is so

02:48:36.480 --> 02:48:40.717
authentic. Yeah. I am now understanding
there's so much depth there by the way.

02:48:40.800 --> 02:48:43.637
She does 3 hours a week.
The rest is all us.

02:48:43.720 --> 02:48:45.037
Because we don't need more than that.

02:48:45.120 --> 02:48:47.597
>> Yeah. And she doesn't need to get She
gave us more than that, we couldn't keep

02:48:47.680 --> 02:48:52.477
up. And she's full-time mom. And just
launched a school and is doing all these

02:48:52.560 --> 02:48:55.557
different things that she's doing. Yes,
full-time mom, just launched a school.

02:48:55.640 --> 02:48:58.917
She's doing a lot. Yeah.
She's She's tackling the world the way

02:48:59.000 --> 02:49:01.277
she sees it in a way to make a difference.

02:49:01.360 --> 02:49:05.077
But you suddenly have this flow building.
It has a farmers market. It

02:49:05.160 --> 02:49:09.557
has a park. Everybody's coming in. Tours
are flying in. We don't know what to do

02:49:09.640 --> 02:49:13.317
with them. And because of our same
architecture, that digital architecture

02:49:13.400 --> 02:49:16.997
we spoke about, it works very well
connecting to social media. We can count

02:49:17.080 --> 02:49:20.197
and measure every lead that comes in.
We can start pulling a lever. We can do a

02:49:20.280 --> 02:49:24.237
million things that other landlords
can't do. We start pulling that lever in

02:49:24.320 --> 02:49:27.837
that new building and it's
filling up so fast. First of

02:49:27.920 --> 02:49:31.797
all, that I've now taken floor I'm I'm
I'm slowing down for a second cuz when

02:49:31.880 --> 02:49:34.717
something is working that well, you got
to take a second, take a breath and say,

02:49:34.800 --> 02:49:39.077
"Wait, maybe it's priced wrong.
Maybe But it's filling up at least at five

02:49:39.160 --> 02:49:42.517
times the speed of the market.
It traditionally would take 18 months to

02:49:42.600 --> 02:49:45.797
fill up a building of a building
with 400 apartments. That's the market

02:49:45.880 --> 02:49:49.957
number. This building has 632 apartments.
It will fill up in 6 months.

02:49:50.040 --> 02:49:54.477
Wow. And that's just the beginning. Then
to maintain it, it will be main- It will

02:49:54.560 --> 02:49:57.477
be We're going to use AI to keep it
maintained. We have a team to do that

02:49:57.560 --> 02:50:01.117
cuz it's very creative, leveraging a lot
of tools. But afterwards, to maintain

02:50:01.200 --> 02:50:03.277
it, you'll do it with a lot less people.

02:50:03.360 --> 02:50:06.197
And the other thing that we've
done in this community,

02:50:06.280 --> 02:50:09.957
another lesson from the past, we have
ambassadors that live there. Each one of

02:50:10.040 --> 02:50:12.157
them chooses a topic that they love.

02:50:12.240 --> 02:50:15.797
They host events. They make
it all happen. We just empower

02:50:15.880 --> 02:50:19.597
them through the app, through the tech
to be able to do. Once a month, each one

02:50:19.680 --> 02:50:22.797
of them, five of them, so once a month,
so that's five events a month.

02:50:22.880 --> 02:50:26.117
Then the trainers are from the building,
the yoga instructors are from the

02:50:26.200 --> 02:50:28.717
building, the meditation
is from the building.

02:50:28.800 --> 02:50:31.237
And people are really reacting well to

02:50:31.320 --> 02:50:34.397
it. Beautiful. Tell me, since you and

02:50:34.480 --> 02:50:39.357
Rebecca started your spiritual journey
together, how it has grown. Spoke about

02:50:39.440 --> 02:50:43.717
Shabbat a little bit.
When my boys were born,

02:50:43.800 --> 02:50:47.637
we had an experience with a rabbi that
wouldn't want to get that wasn't willing

02:50:47.720 --> 02:50:51.157
to get paid. He did the bris,
and he wouldn't take

02:50:51.240 --> 02:50:55.517
the money. His name is Rabbi Heller,
and he's a very special person. And no

02:50:55.600 --> 02:50:58.917
matter how much we chased him,
he wouldn't take the money. Until I I I

02:50:59.000 --> 02:51:01.357
sort of didn't believe. I was like,
"Rebecca, this guy is just playing a

02:51:01.440 --> 02:51:04.237
show. I'll I'll force
him to take the money."

02:51:04.320 --> 02:51:07.477
And I go to his house thinking there's
some trick up his sleeve or something,

02:51:07.560 --> 02:51:10.917
and I see a very humble house.
And a very humble man.

02:51:11.000 --> 02:51:15.037
An amazing wife, and amazing kids. I was
so inspired and impressed that I said to

02:51:15.120 --> 02:51:17.757
Rebecca, "We got to find a different
He's not going to take the money. It's a

02:51:17.840 --> 02:51:20.677
no is a no." Let's do something else.

02:51:20.760 --> 02:51:24.557
And he encourages us to practice
more on our own practice.

02:51:24.640 --> 02:51:29.237
Starting by the Friday night and this and
then he encourages us to try Shabbat one

02:51:29.320 --> 02:51:33.037
time. And he asked for it.

02:51:33.120 --> 02:51:34.717
>> What are the rules of Shabbat?

02:51:34.800 --> 02:51:38.477
The rules of Shabbat, forget
this the religious rules. Let's

02:51:38.560 --> 02:51:40.397
do the spiritual rules.

02:51:40.480 --> 02:51:42.277
The rule is that you take one day a

02:51:42.360 --> 02:51:46.237
week, and you disconnect from 24 hours

02:51:46.320 --> 02:51:48.997
from the external world, and you connect

02:51:49.080 --> 02:51:51.397
to the internal world. Yourself, your

02:51:51.480 --> 02:51:56.757
wife, your kids, your close friends.
No technology, no cooking, no working. You

02:51:56.840 --> 02:51:59.437
don't talk about business. No matter
what, no talking about business on

02:51:59.520 --> 02:52:02.837
Shabbat. Best ideas, by the way,
for business come on Shabbat.

02:52:02.920 --> 02:52:05.357
Don't talk about it, but it's the time.

02:52:05.440 --> 02:52:08.357
And it's it's a rule that existed 3,000

02:52:08.440 --> 02:52:12.877
years ago. That's when it comes from.
As relevant as it was then.

02:52:12.960 --> 02:52:15.917
I think it's never been more relevant
than today. And I tell this to people

02:52:16.000 --> 02:52:17.797
all the time. Forget the religious part.

02:52:17.880 --> 02:52:23.157
Take your phone and put it in the cookie
jar. Up there. Close it. And take 24

02:52:23.240 --> 02:52:26.677
hours. And I say, "Here's what you're
going to experience for the about Notice

02:52:26.760 --> 02:52:29.277
how many times for the first 3 hours
you're going to put your hand in your

02:52:29.360 --> 02:52:33.557
pocket to grab that phone." Which
means you're addicted. Yeah. notice it.

02:52:33.640 --> 02:52:36.557
But then make it through the night
and go into the next day. And I said, "I

02:52:36.640 --> 02:52:39.317
don't care if you do it on Saturday
or Sunday, choose your day." You know, the

02:52:39.400 --> 02:52:42.437
Pope that passed away, he used to call
it technology Shabbat. He would preach

02:52:42.520 --> 02:52:46.357
it. He'd say, "Technology Shabbat,
technology Shabbat." And the next day be

02:52:46.440 --> 02:52:49.397
disconnected from the phone. Drive,
do everything else you want to do. Just

02:52:49.480 --> 02:52:52.757
don't use your phone.
Make your plans in advance so it works.

02:52:52.840 --> 02:52:56.277
Tell me afterwards if you had a better
week. If you had a better week, do it

02:52:56.360 --> 02:53:00.717
again. Yeah. I recommend
to anybody that I meet, try

02:53:00.800 --> 02:53:04.277
disconnecting from your phone for 24
hours. When it's hard for the first 5

02:53:04.360 --> 02:53:06.397
hours, be honest about it. You're

02:53:06.480 --> 02:53:10.237
addicted. You can You're allowed to read

02:53:10.320 --> 02:53:13.997
a book. You're encouraged to read a book.
Encouraged to read a book. So

02:53:14.080 --> 02:53:18.237
again, in my practice, you would also
pray and you pray Friday night, you pray

02:53:18.320 --> 02:53:21.957
on Saturday. But I'm putting myself
on the side for a second and I'm saying

02:53:22.040 --> 02:53:25.677
anybody who tries this,
when you disconnect from your phone,

02:53:25.760 --> 02:53:29.757
you're giving a gift to your giving
a gift to your kids. You're disconnected.

02:53:29.840 --> 02:53:33.197
You're disconnected, but you're all much
connected to each other. Especially for

02:53:33.280 --> 02:53:34.877
people who work very hard. Yes.

02:53:34.960 --> 02:53:36.877
>> Imagine the gift
of 24 hours. Before you

02:53:36.960 --> 02:53:40.037
know it, they're going to be 18, they're
going to be out of the house, and you

02:53:40.120 --> 02:53:43.837
missed this beautiful thing. It's
beautiful. When we do it, we don't touch

02:53:43.920 --> 02:53:47.517
anything. Would you say of the different
things you've done that was one of the

02:53:47.600 --> 02:53:51.677
life-changing decisions?
I would say without a doubt that the

02:53:51.760 --> 02:53:55.317
biggest move that I've made
spiritually is keeping Shabbat.

02:53:55.400 --> 02:54:00.037
On those days, the biggest channeling
of ideas for Rebecca and I happen at 8:00

02:54:00.120 --> 02:54:02.797
a.m. Saturday morning.
And remember, we don't

02:54:02.880 --> 02:54:06.517
write also cuz we don't this, so we just
remember them. But the action happens

02:54:06.600 --> 02:54:11.317
Saturday morning. And then
we also host sometimes uh we

02:54:11.400 --> 02:54:14.917
host a Shabbat where everybody
comes together and reads the Torah.

02:54:15.000 --> 02:54:18.357
We host a Shabbat. So then we're hosting
other people and we're bringing them

02:54:18.440 --> 02:54:21.477
together and then everybody
shares this experience.

02:54:21.560 --> 02:54:25.357
And uh and we sit in a circle and we
talk before the Torah reading about this

02:54:25.440 --> 02:54:29.317
week's portion. And we uh we
share how is it relevant to

02:54:29.400 --> 02:54:33.117
our everyday life. But sometimes we
just take the Saturday off and we don't

02:54:33.200 --> 02:54:36.677
participate in that and we're just
with our kids and our friends. Beautiful.

02:54:36.760 --> 02:54:40.037
There's something happening now. I don't
know if you know about it called the

02:54:40.120 --> 02:54:42.517
quiet revolution.
Have you heard this phrase?

02:54:42.600 --> 02:54:44.997
>> Tell me about it. Young people are

02:54:45.080 --> 02:54:47.677
interested in going to church.

02:54:47.760 --> 02:54:52.157
For years and years and years
the people who went to church were

02:54:52.240 --> 02:54:55.197
getting older and older and the amount
of people was declining, declining,

02:54:55.280 --> 02:54:58.037
declining and something happened in the

02:54:58.120 --> 02:55:00.477
last few years where young people are

02:55:00.560 --> 02:55:02.957
interested in going to church

02:55:03.040 --> 02:55:05.837
more Bibles are being sold.

02:55:05.920 --> 02:55:09.317
Something's happening. 100%

02:55:09.400 --> 02:55:11.677
It's everywhere you go. By the way,

02:55:11.760 --> 02:55:14.077
something's happening right now.

02:55:14.160 --> 02:55:16.797
Kawhi likes this discussion. Yeah. Yes,

02:55:16.880 --> 02:55:18.997
people are more open.

02:55:19.080 --> 02:55:21.837
People are ready for it. It's natural.

02:55:21.920 --> 02:55:25.517
I think more and more people here,
here's what I really think. Yeah. As

02:55:25.600 --> 02:55:29.917
technology is going to make us more and
more digitally connected, we're going to

02:55:30.000 --> 02:55:32.277
feel more and more disconnected.

02:55:32.360 --> 02:55:36.597
The more disconnected that we feel
the more we're going to crave a real

02:55:36.680 --> 02:55:40.837
connection. A real connection will never
come by buying another car or buying

02:55:40.920 --> 02:55:43.677
another house or owning
another material good.

02:55:43.760 --> 02:55:45.917
A real connection comes from the inside.

02:55:46.000 --> 02:55:51.117
Yes. A person who has unity from
the inside has unity to the outside.

02:55:51.200 --> 02:55:53.997
Beautiful. Give us a prayer to add.

02:55:54.080 --> 02:55:57.397
When God's going to give us a moment,
I'm going to finish it. But give it a

02:55:57.480 --> 02:56:00.797
sec give God a second.
I think he's giving us a moment.

02:56:00.880 --> 02:56:03.037
I feel the moment. >> I think it's now.

02:56:03.120 --> 02:56:06.837
Here's what I think.
We're connected to this week's portion.

02:56:06.920 --> 02:56:09.157
Yes. We all have something that we're

02:56:09.240 --> 02:56:11.197
slaves to. That's We all have an

02:56:11.280 --> 02:56:16.717
addiction to anger, to ego, to power,
to whatever it is, idol worship that we

02:56:16.800 --> 02:56:19.997
have. We all have an Egypt. We all need to

02:56:20.080 --> 02:56:23.237
leave that Egypt, come out of it.

02:56:23.320 --> 02:56:26.797
When we come out of that Egypt,
we all face the Red Sea.

02:56:26.880 --> 02:56:30.757
When we see that Red Sea, we only have
the courage to walk into it so far that

02:56:30.840 --> 02:56:33.477
we drown. Only when we're
willing to drown, will

02:56:33.560 --> 02:56:37.317
the Red Sea be split
or go to our next level.

02:56:37.400 --> 02:56:40.517
When I go to our next level, we see the
Red Sea split. Suddenly we're like, "Oh,

02:56:40.600 --> 02:56:45.157
everything is okay." Then we forget.
The moment we forget, we step into the

02:56:45.240 --> 02:56:47.437
desert. We all have to walk through our

02:56:47.520 --> 02:56:50.197
version of deserts. That desert is with

02:56:50.280 --> 02:56:54.277
us, us, and God. No one else. The only

02:56:54.360 --> 02:56:57.837
decision we get to have is how long
we're going to journey through that

02:56:57.920 --> 02:57:02.117
desert. Are we going to journey for 14
days, like the children of Israel was

02:57:02.200 --> 02:57:06.397
supposed to, or we're going to journey
for 40 years because we're not learning

02:57:06.480 --> 02:57:10.477
our lesson? Our choice is not are we
going to get into the desert or not.

02:57:10.560 --> 02:57:12.557
It's how long will we be in it. That is

02:57:12.640 --> 02:57:18.077
And once we go out of that desert,
we all have our version of the promised

02:57:18.160 --> 02:57:21.077
land. And if we have the courage to look

02:57:21.160 --> 02:57:26.157
inside, see our own correction, our own
limitation, look at it clearly and say,

02:57:26.240 --> 02:57:29.397
"I see you, and I'm going to get over it.
I'm going to learn. I'm going to

02:57:29.480 --> 02:57:32.997
grow. I'm going to understand that life
is not about falling down, it's about

02:57:33.080 --> 02:57:36.557
how I'm going to get up. I'm going
to fall a thousand times so I can get up a

02:57:36.640 --> 02:57:40.477
thousand and one times." And in
that last time when I get up, and I'm

02:57:40.560 --> 02:57:45.517
actually ready to go to my next
level, I'm going to wish for you,

02:57:45.600 --> 02:57:48.757
for me, and for everybody
who are listening,

02:57:48.840 --> 02:57:52.077
please, may we have the courage to go to

02:57:52.160 --> 02:57:54.317
our next level because we know that the

02:57:54.400 --> 02:57:57.317
promised land is waiting right after it.

02:57:57.400 --> 02:58:01.797
And may we not be afraid when the whole
world is saying this or that about us.

02:58:01.880 --> 02:58:05.997
Who cares? It's about what you think,
what your wife thinks, what your kids

02:58:06.080 --> 02:58:07.957
think, and what the universe thinks.

02:58:08.040 --> 02:58:10.197
Yes. Amen.

02:58:10.280 --> 02:58:15.320
Thank you. Thank you, Asaf. Thank you.

02:58:17.560 --> 02:58:20.080
>> temperature

02:58:22.600 --> 02:58:25.200
temperature

02:58:27.560 --> 02:58:30.160
temperature