WeWork: Miguel McKelvey

The 'WeWork: Miguel McKelvey' episode of 'How I Built This with Guy Raz' outlines the journey of Miguel McKelvey from his unconventional childhood in a communal living environment in Eugene, Oregon, to co-founding WeWork, a $17 billion company that revolutionized shared workspaces. Raised by a collective of five women, McKelvey's upbringing was steeped in communal values, which later influenced his business philosophy. After pursuing architecture at the University of Oregon and a stint in Japan, McKelvey moved to New York, where he worked on American Apparel store designs, honing skills that would be crucial for his future venture.

McKelvey's partnership with Adam Neumann began serendipitously when they met through a mutual acquaintance. They shared a vision for a workspace that offered more than just a desk, one that fostered community and collaboration. This led to the creation of Green Desk, an eco-friendly shared workspace in Brooklyn. Despite initial challenges, such as convincing landlords to lease space to an unproven business, Green Desk quickly filled up. However, due to differing visions with their landlord partners, McKelvey and Neumann sold Green Desk and used the proceeds to launch WeWork.

With a newfound investor who believed in their $45 million valuation, they opened their first WeWork location in Soho, Manhattan. Despite the space requiring extensive renovations, the duo did much of the work themselves, from IT wiring to soda blasting bricks. Their hands-on approach and commitment to creating a vibrant, community-driven environment paid off as the first WeWork space filled up rapidly. This success laid the groundwork for expansion and attracted further investment, propelling WeWork into a multi-billion-dollar company.