Day 27: When Silence Becomes the Message
Today marks Day 27 since I requested the full methodology and report for a study published by the Nextdoor Communications team, with Jacob Chavis listed as the contact.
Twenty-seven days.
No report.
No methodology.
No acknowledgment.
Ironically, I recently received a “Thank you for sharing your thoughts” response to one of my comments from NextDoor Service. My reply was simple: Will someone finally address why Jacob Chavis has not provided the report? (See attached image.)
At this point, the larger question isn’t about the report.
It’s about leadership.
How does any manager—regardless of where they sit in the organization—allow a straightforward request to go unanswered for nearly a month?
While thinking about this, I reflected on CEO Nirav Tolia’s executive compensation disclosed in the SEC filings.
One of the performance metrics still indicated the company was operating at a loss, yet an annual bonus was awarded.
That reminded me of my years living in Las Vegas.
I’m not much of a gambler. I mostly played slot machines because they’re easy. But I understand enough Blackjack to appreciate how winning and losing work.
Imagine sitting at a Blackjack table with a $50 bet.
The dealer finishes with 20.
I finished with 18.
I lost.
Now imagine the casino sliding me $60 and saying:
“You didn’t win, but you came close. Here’s your $50 back, plus a $10 bonus.”
No casino on the Las Vegas Strip would operate that way.
Why?
Because bonuses are generally associated with achieving the positive desired outcome rather than falling short of it.
That’s why executive compensation receives so much scrutiny. Investors, employees, and customers want to understand whether incentive plans truly reward the outcomes that create long-term value.
As a shareholder, I believe communication, accountability, and executive incentives all point back to the same principle:
Results matter.
So does transparency.
I’d love to hear your perspective. Should executive bonuses primarily reward positive business outcomes, or is there a place for rewarding progress even when key financial goals haven’t yet been fully achieved?
Join the discussion at NielFlamm.com.
