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‘It went to my head’: Adam Neumann has regrets about his time at WeWork

3 points by jkestner 5y ago

emteycz 5y ago
> When asked about reports of boisterous drinking and drug use by employees at WeWork functions, Mr. Neumann said that “we had a fun culture.” He said that as the company grew, its culture should have matured as well: “I think that could've happened sooner.” Is there a company (with more than a few people) without excessive drinking and drugs? Moreover, is there any such thing as "companies maturing"? By my personal anecdote, the older/larger the company, the more decadent are the parties (just as I'd expect in a place where a lot of people make a lot of money).
- jgrahamc 5y ago
  Uh, yeah.
- PragmaticPulp 5y ago
  > Is there a company (with more than a few people) without excessive drinking and drugs? Some times I read HN comments and feel like they’re coming from an alternate universe. This is one of those times. WeWork’s rampant drug culture was an exception, not the norm. If you’re finding yourself surrounded by rampant drug use and alcohol consumption in a work context then you are in a very abnormal place. I’ve never heard of any of these cultures lasting very long because mixing drug/alcohol abuse and business operations isn’t a recipe for a healthy or functioning work environment. WeWork is a case in point.
  - emteycz 5y ago
    Well, after-work context (never during work, not sure if that's what the article meant), but I've never seen otherwise - and I've been in a few 50k+-100k+ companies too. It's usually not visible to the naked eye, but ask and you'll be told/included.
    - smt88 5y ago
      After-work culture is not work culture unless it hurts someone's career to skip the drinking and drugs. WeWork had drinking and drugs at work (they had unlimited beer at many office locations for a long time).
  - GDC7 5y ago
    > If you’re finding yourself surrounded by rampant drug use and alcohol consumption in a work context then you are in a very abnormal place I think one has to differentiate between established companies and startups. Startups are constantly on the verge of death. Every organism which is constantly on the verge of death would engage in extreme behavior to avoid having to face the grim reality. This is true for humans and also true fo abstract human entities such as companies. I am not excusing the behavior , but trying to dig and find the reasons.
- smt88 5y ago
  > Is there a company (with more than a few people) without excessive drinking and drugs? Yes, every company I have ever worked at or had as a client. I don't have any friends at companies like this, either.

3 points by jkestner 5y ago

> When asked about reports of boisterous drinking and drug use by employees at WeWork functions, Mr. Neumann said that “we had a fun culture.” He said that as the company grew, its culture should have matured as well: “I think that could've happened sooner.” Is there a company (with more than a few people) without excessive drinking and drugs? Moreover, is there any such thing as "companies maturing"? By my personal anecdote, the older/larger the company, the more decadent are the parties (just as I'd expect in a place where a lot of people make a lot of money).

jgrahamc 5y ago
Uh, yeah.
PragmaticPulp 5y ago
> Is there a company (with more than a few people) without excessive drinking and drugs? Some times I read HN comments and feel like they’re coming from an alternate universe. This is one of those times. WeWork’s rampant drug culture was an exception, not the norm. If you’re finding yourself surrounded by rampant drug use and alcohol consumption in a work context then you are in a very abnormal place. I’ve never heard of any of these cultures lasting very long because mixing drug/alcohol abuse and business operations isn’t a recipe for a healthy or functioning work environment. WeWork is a case in point.
- emteycz 5y ago
  Well, after-work context (never during work, not sure if that's what the article meant), but I've never seen otherwise - and I've been in a few 50k+-100k+ companies too. It's usually not visible to the naked eye, but ask and you'll be told/included.
  - smt88 5y ago
    After-work culture is not work culture unless it hurts someone's career to skip the drinking and drugs. WeWork had drinking and drugs at work (they had unlimited beer at many office locations for a long time).
- GDC7 5y ago
  > If you’re finding yourself surrounded by rampant drug use and alcohol consumption in a work context then you are in a very abnormal place I think one has to differentiate between established companies and startups. Startups are constantly on the verge of death. Every organism which is constantly on the verge of death would engage in extreme behavior to avoid having to face the grim reality. This is true for humans and also true fo abstract human entities such as companies. I am not excusing the behavior , but trying to dig and find the reasons.
smt88 5y ago
> Is there a company (with more than a few people) without excessive drinking and drugs? Yes, every company I have ever worked at or had as a client. I don't have any friends at companies like this, either.