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> In August 2022, Andreessen Horowitz (A16z) announced its newest investment: It would put $350 million into a company called Flow, which "aims to create a supe
by bko 2y ago
> In August 2022, Andreessen Horowitz (A16z) announced its newest investment: It would put $350 million into a company called Flow, which "aims to create a superior living environment that enhances the lives of our residents and communities" — in other words, rental real estate. The company was founded by a charismatic Israeli-American named Adam Neumann. If the name sounds familiar, it's because Neumann was also the founder of WeWork — a company that was once worth an estimated $47 billion before imploding spectacularly amid accusations that Neumann had, among other things, taken a "sizable chunk" of weed across international borders on a private jet, fired a pregnant employee, and — most importantly — expanded far too quickly, leading to enormous annual losses.
Was this ever addressed by anyone at YC directly? I've heard Andreeson talk about it but never answer the simple question: this guy was extremely irresponsible and unethical, why would you trust him again?
I can't help but feel it worsened their reputation, at least to the normie. Just makes it look like VC is just a big game where if you're in, it doesn't matter much what you do.
- iwontberude 2y agoA16Z are the ultimate crypto bros and you expected better of them?
- reducesuffering 2y agoAlso they never cheerleaded anyone so hard about making a paradigm shift like they did Clubhouse audio app...
- kombookcha 2y agoAs long as you can consistently get enough bag holders through the door for your buddies to cash out with a tidy profit before everything peters out, they won't care that you're a serial flim-flam man. An uncomfortably large amount of alleged VC business acumen in tech is just being a gifted corporate hypeman without that many scrouples. Anyway, I don't blame you for being skeptical, the Flow Monorail is really more of a Shelbyville idea...
- lazide 2y agoAs long as the normie is not writing huge checks or meaningfully influencing actual public policy, their opinion is not exactly that important is it?
- evgwugegwhwgeg 2y ago[flagged]
- llamaimperative 2y agoWhat does YC have to address?
- graemep 2y agoMaybe this: https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/andreessen-horowitz-to-give-50k-to-all-y-combinator-startups-through-start-fund/ https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/andreessen-horowitz-to-... ? Its a very indirect link to Neumann though.
- alephnerd 2y ago> Was this ever addressed by anyone at YC directly Why? YC never invested in Adam Neumann's companies.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]