“The Cost of Silence” — A Totally Fictional #Nextdoor Boardroom Dialogue

Nirav Tolia (President):

“Alright everyone, quick update. We’ve chosen to limit engagement on #LinkedIn and #Facebook.”

Board Member #1:

“Limit… as in turn off comments?”

Nirav:

“Exactly. It’s safer.”

Investor #1:

“Safer than what—conversation?”

CFO:

“Just to clarify, this requires ongoing spend: executive review, legal oversight, comms approvals, IT controls, moderation queues…”

Intern (Kyle):

“I’ve been refreshing the dashboard every 30 seconds to make sure comments stay off, sir.”

Clown (Bubbles):

(Honk)

“Couldn’t we just… let people talk?” (Honk)

Nirav:

“Absolutely not. Engagement is unpredictable.”

Board Member #2:

“So instead, we pay teams across leadership, legal, comms, IT, and moderation… to stop engagement?”

Mime:

(silently acts out shoveling money into a furnace, then shrugs)

Investor #2:

“What’s the total cost so far?”

CFO:

“Hard to say, roughly $20,000 per month. It’s more than the cost of allowing comments.”

Board Chair:

“And the upside?”

Nirav:

“Control.”

Intern (Kyle):

“Sir… someone asked a question.”

Nirav:

“Emergency meeting. Shut it down.”

Clown (Bubbles):

(Honk Honk)

“You know what’s cheaper than all this? Transparency.”

(Honk)

Mime:

(Nods Emphatically)

#Nextdoor #Leadership #CorporateSatire #DigitalEngagement #TransparencyMatters #Boardroom #CostOfSilence #CommunityTrust #SocialMediaStrategy #NiravTolia