My wife is absolutely one of my key advisors. She comes from a background that's very different than mine.
WeWork is a platform that is powered by technology. Our members are running their entire experience with WeWork through the app.
A capitalistic kibbutz is not a bad idea. You need both.
One of the difficult things in a high-growth company is that, even with the best intentions, the company moves so fast, and growth happens so regularly. When you move at that rate, you have to be willing to change, and you have to be willing to take advice.
I believe that when you do what you love, you find higher levels of satisfaction that can compensate for lower income.
Before WeWork, I had a baby clothing company. When I started out, I had no real contacts in the garment business and no mentor to guide me on how things worked. I just had an idea to put pads on the baby clothes on to protect the baby's knees.
When I moved to New York City from Israel, I came here with the idea to get a great job, have tons of fun, and make a lot of money. Growing up in Israel, I watched a lot of American TV, and I thought it's what the 'cool' people did, and I wanted the same thing.
When I came to the U.S., I tried to take shortcuts to make money - but everything crashed.
Globalisation for a startup is exciting; you have to learn so fast about the different cultures of the world.
Others think their American ways will work in other countries. That's not always accurate and can be disrespectful to the local culture.
I believe that doing the right thing will not only create the best culture and the best product, but you'll also make the most money - even if you're making decisions that lose you money in the short term.
I'm dyslexic.
I served in the Israeli Navy, and it's not an easy thing.
Once you choose to enter a WeWork, you choose to be part of something more 'we' than 'me.' People start coming together. They'll see each other in the elevator; they talk in the stairways. There's a thousand other things they do.
Finishing what you started is important.
Mentorship plays such an important role in business - we know it's a must - and I believe schools should embrace it in a much fuller way.
Do I think people who need a good opportunity become harder workers sometimes? Yes.
The '90s and early 2000s were the 'I' decade. iPhone, the iPod - everything was about me. Look where that got us? In a terrible recession.
When I started at Baruch in January 2002, I was almost 23 years old. I'd previously spent five years as an officer the Israeli Navy. I did what I thought you were supposed to do at that age - a little studying and a lot of trying to have fun.
Serving in the Israeli Army taught me what it means to be part of something greater than yourself.
