Table of Contents RISK FACTORS Investing in our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider and read carefully all of the risks and uncertainties described below, as well as the other information included in this prospectus, including the consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, before making an investment decision. The risks described below are not the only risks we face. The occurrence of any of the following risks or additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In that case, the trading price of our Class A common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Please refer to “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for more information regarding forward-looking statements. Risks Relating to Our Business Our business has grown rapidly, and we may fail to manage our growth effectively. We have experienced rapid growth in our business, including in the number of our locations and in the size of our membership base. This rapid growth places a significant strain on our existing resources. Difficulties associated with our continued growth could result in harm to our reputation and could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our prospects for continued growth, and on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We expect our capital expenditures and operating expenses to increase on an absolute basis as we continue to invest in additional locations, launch additional solutions, products and services, hire additional team members and increase our marketing efforts. In particular, we expect to continue to invest in local infrastructure to support our continued growth. As we continue to decentralize and localize certain decision-making and risk management functions, we may discover that our internal processes are ineffective or inefficient. In particular, to manage our rapid growth, we will need to enhance our reporting systems and procedures and continue to improve our operational, financial, management, sales and marketing and information technology infrastructure. Continued growth could also strain our ability to maintain reliable service levels for our members. If we do not manage our growth effectively, increases in our capital expenditures and operating expenses could outpace any increases in our revenue, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Our rapid growth may not be sustainable. Our historical growth rates may not be indicative of future growth. The market for our solutions, products and services may not continue to grow at the rate we expect or at all, and our memberships may decline as a result of increased competition in the space-as-a-service sector or the maturation of our business. Additionally, as we grow, the ability of our management to source sufficient reasonably-priced opportunities for new locations of the type we have historically targeted or to develop and launch additional solutions, products and services may become more limited. Our business strategy includes entering into new markets and introducing new solutions, products and services. This strategy is inherently risky, may not be successful and could be costly. As part of our growth strategy, we intend to continue expansion into additional locations in existing and new markets within the United States and throughout the world, while also enhancing our product and service offerings. We may also continue to pursue new strategic opportunities, including real estate acquisition and management. Such expansion efforts also generally involve significant risks and uncertainties, including distraction of management from our existing solutions, products and services and the operations of our existing locations. As we attempt to grow our foothold in an evolving industry and acquire new businesses that enhance value for our members, we may encounter issues and risks not discovered in our development or analysis of such expansion efforts. Our operations in any new markets or solutions, products and services into which we expand may also generate less revenue or cash flow than our core WeWork space-as-a-service offering in our existing locations. Our expansion efforts have required, and we expect them to continue to require, substantial resources and management attention. We spend significant time, money, energy and other resources trying to understand our members’ needs and working to accommodate them, which may include exploring and negotiating for new solutions, 24
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