‘WeWork Isn’t a Tech Company; It’s a Soap Opera’

Elizabeth Lopatto, writing for The Verge:

On August 14th, The We Company (the company formerly known as WeWork) filed its mandatory S-1 paperwork to go public, and it’s worth reading in full. I mean, forget the serious stuff for a moment. The thing begins with an epigram: “We dedicate this to the energy of we — greater than any one of us, but inside all of us.”

The energy of we. I get it from a branding perspective — they’re literally calling themselves The We Company — but, you know, normal people would just say “our energy.” I tease Silicon Valley’s tech companies a lot, but New York easily matches them in ego. Look at these kids, literally bending the English language to their will!

Anyway, please join me on an annotated trip through my favorite parts of the mandatory filing.

Lopatto’s piece is a truly joyful look at a wacky company. Anyone who thinks The We Company should be valued at $50 billion is nuts — they’re more like a cult than a tech startup.

★ Friday, 16 August 2019