The Cult of We by Eliot Brown & Maureen Farrell Summary
Overview of The Cult of We
Inside WeWork's $47 billion implosion: how Adam Neumann's charismatic cult of personality and unchecked ambition transformed office space into a cautionary tale that shocked Silicon Valley and became required reading for startup founders everywhere.
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Key takeaways
When a $47 Billion Dream Became a Cautionary Tale
A charismatic Israeli entrepreneur with flowing hair convinced the world's smartest investors that his office-sharing company would revolutionize how humanity works, lives, and connects. By 2019, WeWork was valued at $47 billion-more valuable than Ford, FedEx, or Delta Airlines. Then, in a matter of weeks, nearly $40 billion of that value evaporated. This wasn't just a business failure; it was a spectacular collision between one man's messianic vision and an investment world desperate to believe in the next big thing. The story reveals how easily brilliant people can be seduced by charisma, how quickly herd mentality replaces critical thinking, and why the line between visionary and con artist often depends on timing. What makes this tale particularly unsettling is how quickly the lessons were forgotten-within a year, Silicon Valley was back to worshipping founder-CEOs with unchecked power, proving that we're destined to repeat this cycle until we fundamentally rethink how we evaluate ambition.
From Failed Baby Clothes to Manufacturing a Movement
Silicon Valley's Founder Worship Meets Mutual Fund FOMO
The $10 Trillion Delusion: When Crazy Became a Virtue
The Emperor Has No Clothes: When Reality Finally Arrived
Pandemic, Collapse, and the Lesson We Refuse to Learn
Why We're Destined to Repeat This Tragedy
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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