Today, while picking up my mail, I came across something that got me thinking. It was a collection of unexpected advertisements, but they all had something in common.
They had my name. They had my mailing address. And they were trying to sell me something.
Sound familiar? You might be receiving the same kind of mail.
Some were from real estate agents offering to evaluate my home's value. Others were from LeafFilter, a former employer of mine, and an HVAC company offering services or a new heating and cooling unit.
So why am I bringing this up in my ongoing Nextdoor case study?
Because Nextdoor doesn't have a monopoly on verified addresses.
The verified address isn't a new invention
Nirav Tolia frequently highlights verified addresses, along with AI, as important differentiators for the Nextdoor platform.
And I understand why knowing that someone is connected to a particular neighborhood can be valuable. It can help create a more localized experience and give advertisers a way to reach people in specific communities.
But let's not pretend that connecting a name to a physical mailing address is some groundbreaking technological achievement.
The United States Postal Service has been delivering mail to addresses for generations.
In fact, the U.S. Postal Service dates back to July 26, 1775, when the Second Continental Congress established the position of Postmaster General and laid the foundation for the American postal system.
That's more than 250 years of connecting people, businesses, and physical addresses.
Businesses already know how to reach households
Think about the companies sending these advertisements.
Real estate agents want homeowners who might be interested in knowing their property's value.
HVAC companies want homeowners who may need maintenance, repairs, or a replacement system.
Home improvement companies want to reach people who might need their products and services.
They can use bulk mailing through the United States Postal Service to put their message directly into a household's mailbox.
They don't need Nextdoor to verify my address.
They don't need a social media account to know where I live.
They don't need an AI assistant to figure out which neighborhood I belong to.
They have a mailing address and a way to reach me.
Of course, direct mail and digital advertising are different channels. Nextdoor can offer targeting, engagement, and interaction that a postcard cannot. I'm not suggesting they're identical.
But the larger point remains: verified addresses are not exclusive to Nextdoor, and they aren't a new concept.
So what's the real competitive advantage?
If Nextdoor wants to promote verified addresses as a major selling point, I'd like to understand what makes its approach meaningfully different.
Is it the ability to target specific neighborhoods?
Is it the ability to combine location information with community interests and engagement?
Is it the quality of the audience data?
Is it better conversion measurement for advertisers?
Those are legitimate questions, and those are the kinds of things that could distinguish a digital advertising platform.
But a verified address alone isn't enough to build a competitive advantage. The real value comes from what a company can do with that information, how responsibly it uses it, and whether it delivers measurable results for advertisers.
And that brings me right back to my recurring question about Nextdoor: What exactly are small businesses getting for their advertising dollars, and how does Nextdoor demonstrate the value?
Nirav, the mailbox has been around for a while
I appreciate that Nextdoor wants to highlight its technology, AI capabilities, and verified neighborhood connections.
But sometimes I think the company spends so much time promoting what it believes makes it unique that it overlooks the fact that many of these concepts have existed for a very long time.
The next time Nextdoor talks about verified addresses as a major differentiator, perhaps someone should take a walk to the mailbox.
The U.S. Postal Service has been connecting businesses with households since the days of the Continental Congress.
Day 143. The mail keeps coming, the questions keep coming, and apparently, verified addresses aren't exactly a new invention.
Nirav, more feedback for you!
