Hey, remember August 2022, when a16z gave its biggest check — for $350m — to Adam Neumann to create Flow, an apartment startup?

It was a controversial move, considering Neumann’s failure as CEO of the now-bankrupt WeWork. But Flow’s first building is here, and Business Insider’s Ben Bergman was the first journalist to see it.

OK, so what’s the deal?

Flow’s first property is the 639-unit Society Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale. It’s one of six buildings Neumann paid $1B+ for in 2021.

It sounds like Flow WeWork-ified an existing apartment building to be more social, reopening a poolside restaurant and adding fitness classes to a revamped gym, concierge staff, and an app residents can use to communicate.

Staff learn about residents’ hobbies and interests. Tenants are encouraged to network — yes, it has a coworking space — and share their businesses and passions.

Is it expensive?

Less so than you’d think. A one-bed unit at Las Olas is $2.1k, just above Fort Lauderdale’s $2k average.

But when Flow was first announced, it was indicated that residents would somehow gain some sort of equity — something apartments rarely provide.

And? Nada, for now.

So what’s the real appeal?

If you’re willing to knock on your neighbors’ doors with some cookies, you too could turn your apartment complex into a social hub — but Flow facilitates that for its tenants, many of whom seem to be millennials who can’t yet afford a home but crave community.

Whether it’ll fare better than WeWork remains to be seen, and we’ll be curious to know if that equity thing ever shapes up.

Until then… See you at pilates on the pool deck?

We’ve all heard the common question: “Do you want fries with that?”

Now, food brands are asking something else: “Do you want a side dish with your Ozempic?”

The use of weight loss medicines like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy have exploded in the last year, and analysts estimate 7% of the US population (~24m people) will be taking the drugs by 2035.

And because the drugs can reduce calorie intake by up to 30% daily, it’s a trend food companies — and their investors — can’t ignore.

Brands are creating new products to keep up with shrinking consumer appetites, per The Wall Street Journal:

• Nestle, the world’s largest food company, is working on companion products like shakes and bars that would supplement vitamins and minerals and reduce loss of muscle mass.
• Abbott Laboratories, which makes Ensure shakes, is working on a new protein drink specifically for weight loss drug patients.
• Even General Mills is toying with protein-packed products to accompany the new drugs.

And protein shake and powder company BellRing Brands, which has seen revenue rise 22% in the last 12 months, is considering new formulations to include the micronutrients dieters need.

More loss, less cost

Other companies are taking a different approach with new products that mimic the effects of weight loss drugs, without the prescriptions and high prices.

• Startup Supergut makes prebiotic mixes, shakes, and bars, which it calls “nature’s Ozempic.” It’s seen a 50% increase in sales in the past month.
• And, in a worrisome trend, supplement brands are slinging berberine, a natural compound found in plants that took off on social media and can carry serious risks.

Whether brands decide to tweak existing products, shrink portion sizes, or launch new, weight loss-friendly options, will likely depend on how many people adopt these drugs.

For now, we’re putting our money on Nestle releasing a protein KitKat.