Adam Neumann Quotes

Powerful Adam Neumann for Daily Growth

About Adam Neumann

Adam Neumann, an Israeli-American entrepreneur, is renowned as the co-founder and former CEO of WeWork, a global shared workspace provider that revolutionized the commercial real estate industry. Born on August 19, 1980, in Tel Aviv, Israel, to parents who encouraged entrepreneurial spirit, Adam moved to America at the age of 22 to pursue his dreams. Neumann's journey began with a series of ventures, including a furniture company and a textile business, before co-founding WeWork with Miguel McKelvey in 2010. Driven by a vision to create a collaborative workspace for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small businesses, Adam invested his savings and worked tirelessly to bring WeWork to life. In 2014, WeWork secured a significant funding round, catapulting the company into rapid growth. By 2018, it had expanded to over 200 locations worldwide. However, controversies surrounding Neumann's leadership style and corporate governance issues led to his resignation as CEO later that year. Adam Neumann's influence extends beyond WeWork. His unique approach to business, often characterized by unconventional methods and relentless innovation, has made him a subject of both admiration and criticism. Quotes like "We don't have a failure, we have learning moments" and "If you don't use the stairs, the elevator doesn't get built" encapsulate his philosophies on resilience and progress. Despite the challenges, Adam Neumann remains a symbol of modern entrepreneurship, embodying the spirit of risk-taking, innovation, and relentless pursuit of one's vision. His story continues to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs around the globe.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I want to inspire and empower people to create their own destiny."

This quote by Adam Neumann reflects a visionary perspective that encourages individuals to take control of their own lives and future, rather than passively accepting the circumstances they find themselves in. The essence of his words is about self-empowerment and personal growth, inspiring people to have the confidence to pursue their dreams and goals relentlessly, thus creating their unique destinies. This quote serves as a reminder that each person has the power to shape their own life trajectory, given the right mindset, determination, and effort.

"We believe that the world can be a better place through business."

This quote by Adam Neumann suggests that he believes businesses can play a significant role in making the world a better place. Instead of just focusing on profit, businesses should aim to make a positive impact on society and the environment. By integrating social responsibility and sustainability into their operations, companies have the potential to drive change at a global scale, fostering growth that benefits all stakeholders, including people, communities, and the planet.

"I have a very strong vision of what I want to accomplish."

This quote emphasizes that Adam Neumann possesses a clear and powerful vision for his goals or aspirations. It signifies his determination, focus, and ambition in pursuing his desired outcomes, indicating a strong-willed individual who is not deterred by obstacles on the path to success.

"You're either moving forward or you're not. There's no such thing as standing still."

This quote emphasizes that stagnation is not an option in life, growth and progress are essential. It suggests that maintaining the status quo without advancing or regressing indicates a lack of movement forward. In essence, Neumann's message encourages constant evolution, development, and improvement in all aspects of life to ensure personal and professional growth.

"Entrepreneurship is the new rockstar."

This quote by Adam Neumann suggests that being an entrepreneur, with its associated risks, challenges, and potential for innovation, is now a revered and exciting role akin to being a rockstar. It implies that entrepreneurs, much like musicians, have the power to disrupt, inspire, and create impact in society, making them modern-day heroes or icons. The comparison emphasizes the glamorization of entrepreneurship in contemporary culture, where taking risks, building companies, and creating jobs is seen as a cool and admirable pursuit.

Do I think people who need a good opportunity become harder workers sometimes? Yes.

- Adam Neumann

Think, Need, I Think, Good Opportunity

After I arrived in the United States, I realized that in the army, Israelis learn how to be part of something bigger than themselves.

- Adam Neumann

Learn, United, United States, Israelis

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.

- Adam Neumann

Here, Cool People, TV, Tons

I learned a lot in the naval officers' course. It gave me a lot.

- Adam Neumann

Me, Lot, Learned, Naval

Let's not look at working hard as a negative; let's look at it as an uplifting opportunity for us to be better.

- Adam Neumann

Negative, Working, Better, Uplifting

As far as WeWork is concerned, we're not competing with co-working spaces; we're not competing with office suites. We're competing with work. We think there's a new way of working in the world, and it's just better. For the millenials and everybody that understands collaboration and the sharing economy, that's just the right way for them.

- Adam Neumann

Office, Everybody, Concerned, Right Way

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.

- Adam Neumann

Thought, Navy, Almost, January

I'm dyslexic.

- Adam Neumann

Dyslexic

When I came to the U.S., I tried to take shortcuts to make money - but everything crashed.

- Adam Neumann

Shortcuts, Tried, Take, Crashed

Globalisation for a startup is exciting; you have to learn so fast about the different cultures of the world.

- Adam Neumann

World, Learn, Fast, Startup

It takes courage to be an entrepreneur.

- Adam Neumann

Courage, Takes, Entrepreneur

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.

- Adam Neumann

Advice, Move, Willing, Best Intentions

Life is about being present. Sometimes your home will demand more attention, and you should be there. Sometimes your work is more demanding. But the beautiful thing when you create your life's work is that it always feels like you're on a mission.

- Adam Neumann

Will, Always, Feels, Beautiful Thing

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.

- Adam Neumann

Best, Believe, Doing, Short Term

A capitalistic kibbutz is not a bad idea. You need both.

- Adam Neumann

Bad, Need, Idea, Bad Idea

I believe that when you do what you love, you find higher levels of satisfaction that can compensate for lower income.

- Adam Neumann

Love, Income, Lower, Higher Levels

It's one thing to change regulations on the city level, another on the state, and still another on the federal. The higher the levels are, the more difficult change gets.

- Adam Neumann

City, Level, Still, Levels

I try to surround myself with people smarter than me - if I'm the smartest guy in the room, I change rooms.

- Adam Neumann

Change, Myself, Rooms, Surround

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.

- Adam Neumann

More, Other, Part, Elevator

Technology has made it possible to order food, buy clothes, get a ride - anything you can think of, really - at the touch of a button. But what about having the right people near you when you need them?

- Adam Neumann

Think, Need, Having, Button

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.

- Adam Neumann

Mentor, Idea, Before, Pads

You never know who you're talking to. Don't limit a young student's dream, because that's how we change the world.

- Adam Neumann

Change, Young, Student, Change The World

If you really want to change the world, change kids when they're two.

- Adam Neumann

Change, World, Want, Change The World

How do you change the world? Bring people together. Where is the easiest big place to bring people together? In the work environment.

- Adam Neumann

Work, Big, Work Environment, Change The World

My wife is absolutely one of my key advisors. She comes from a background that's very different than mine.

- Adam Neumann

Wife, Very, Mine, Advisor

Others think their American ways will work in other countries. That's not always accurate and can be disrespectful to the local culture.

- Adam Neumann

Think, Always, Other, Disrespectful

WeWork is my fifth venture. I failed in my first, second and third, had mediocre success in the fourth.

- Adam Neumann

Venture, Failed, Had, Fifth

If it's servicing a real need, that doesn't go away in a recession. If you're serving a true need, and if you have a loyal group of customers that are falling... As the world goes through a tough time, these customers will stay with you.

- Adam Neumann

Through, Away, Recession, Customers

Anybody that wants to be something greater than themselves, that understands that bringing meaning and intention into work and bringing those two things together, is a member of the 'we generation,' and the money tends to follow.

- Adam Neumann

Work, Generation, Anybody, Tends

The right people don't care about a corner office - they care about the culture, if you're mission-driven, what you're going to do to make the world a better place.

- Adam Neumann

Better Place, Going, About, Right People

India is a unique and special place but a challenging business environment.

- Adam Neumann

Environment, Special, Special Place

Serving in the Israeli Army taught me what it means to be part of something greater than yourself.

- Adam Neumann

Army, Taught, Means, Serving

WeWork has always believed that we are better together, and a large part of that is learning from others through meaningful connections and experiences.

- Adam Neumann

Through, Always, Large, Connections

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.

- Adam Neumann

Decade, About, iPod, iPhone

Be the guy that delivers the goods and consistently promise things that you can deliver. Even if you under-promise, it's better than over-promising and not delivering, because you don't get a lot of tries.

- Adam Neumann

Delivering, Tries, Goods, Consistently

If you are open-minded and you let the universe come in, you never know where things might go.

- Adam Neumann

Universe, Never, Might, Open-Minded

There's no one person that can provide all the insights I need to run the business. There are so many aspects to WeWork: Digital, real estate, operations, space, and design. I pick and choose people who can help in each aspect.

- Adam Neumann

Run, Choose, Aspects, Operations

During Shabbat, I am completely cut off, there is no one to talk to, and I do not compromise about it.

- Adam Neumann

I Am, Cut, About, Compromise

I do believe that mentorship is something I did not get in school, and I don't think it exists in school in a sufficient way.

- Adam Neumann

School, Think, Get, Sufficient

New York is the new Silicon Valley.

- Adam Neumann

New York, New, York, Silicon

I never had a traditional mentor. I know people who have been successful with a mentor, but I've never understood why I should limit myself to the knowledge and expertise of one person.

- Adam Neumann

Myself, Mentor, Been, Expertise

Success is not just making money. Success is happiness. Success is fulfillment; it's the ability to give.

- Adam Neumann

Give, Success Is, Making, Fulfillment

I met with my spiritual teacher and went to a therapist. I realized that if I came from a positive place, not only will everyone feel better and I will feel happier, but the company will work better.

- Adam Neumann

Work, Will, Everyone, Therapist

Before I started WeWork, I owned a baby clothing company based in Dumbo, Brooklyn.

- Adam Neumann

Before, Based, Owned, Clothing

When I met my wife, I was focused on making money but failing miserably.

- Adam Neumann

Money, Wife, Making, Making Money

The good thing about India is that they believe something great about themselves.

- Adam Neumann

Believe, Themselves, About, Good Thing

WeWork is a platform that is powered by technology. Our members are running their entire experience with WeWork through the app.

- Adam Neumann

Technology, Through, App, Powered

As a child who lived in a lot of places, one of the hardest things for me was to join a new community. It was hardest at the kibbutz, but that was also one of the most impressive communities.

- Adam Neumann

Community, New, Also, Impressive

I served in the Israeli Navy, and it's not an easy thing.

- Adam Neumann

Navy, Israeli, Served, Easy Thing

When we launched WeWork back in 2010, we saw our opportunity to build community by bringing people together.

- Adam Neumann

Opportunity, Back, Saw, Bringing

I happen to love buildings, and my passion is bringing people together.

- Adam Neumann

Love, Buildings, Happen, Bringing

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.

- Adam Neumann

Business, Role, Plays, Important Role

If more people follow their superpowers - and everyone has one - then we're going to be better as a society.

- Adam Neumann

Everyone, Going, More People, Superpowers

I think all of us naturally want to be a part of a community... at home and at work.

- Adam Neumann

Work, Think, I Think, Naturally

When I was a little kid, me and all my family lived in a house the size of my daughter's room.

- Adam Neumann

House, Kid, Room, Little Kid

Finishing what you started is important.

- Adam Neumann

Important, You, Started, Finishing

As the world becomes a more digital place, we cannot forget about the human connection.

- Adam Neumann

World, Forget, We Cannot, Digital

I believe that if you regularly make the right choice - and it takes practice; it takes effort - the more you make the right choice, the easier it gets.

- Adam Neumann

Effort, Practice, More, Regularly

The most precious resource we have is time.

- Adam Neumann

Time, Precious, Most, Resource

Huge success is very hard to come by.

- Adam Neumann

Success, Very, Huge, Success Is

The one thing we learned about community - you can't force community.

- Adam Neumann

One Thing, About, Learned, The One Thing

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.