Day 39: We Tolerate What We Allow

I'm up ridiculously early checking the Tau Epsilon Phi Fraternity, Phi Chi Chapter Alumni Club lottery pool tickets.

Spoiler alert: We didn't win. More on that at NielFlamm.com/blog.

While updating everyone on Discord, I realized something.

Today is Day 39 since I requested a Nextdoor study from Jacob Chavis, and I still haven't received it.

I've said before that I'm not trying to get under the skin of Jacob Chavis, Nirav Tolia, or anyone at Nextdoor.

After reflecting on it, that isn't true.

I do want to create conflict. Not conflict for its own sake, but the kind of conflict that raises awareness, challenges complacency, sparks difficult conversations, and ultimately leads to meaningful solutions and better outcomes.

I want people to ask:

Why are we doing things this way?

Is there a better way?

What are we tolerating that we shouldn't?

If I could put one phrase on every Nextdoor screen saver, it would be:

"We Tolerate What We Allow."

To me, that isn't just a slogan. It's a daily reminder to question the status quo and continuously improve.

As a shareholder, I'd much rather see Nextdoor create sustainable value than have me hoping the South Carolina Education Lottery changes my financial future.

I'm also not willing to normalize a straightforward request going unanswered for 39 days. Maybe there's a good reason. Maybe there isn't. I don't know. If there is one, I'd genuinely welcome hearing it.

One thought has crossed my mind: perhaps several moves down the road, the conversation becomes, "There isn't a study," followed by the obvious question, "Why not?" If that's where this eventually leads, we'll have that discussion when the time comes. Until then, the easiest way to move the conversation forward is with a response.

Leadership shapes culture. In my opinion, the way an organization communicates—or chooses not to communicate—is one of the clearest reflections of that culture. That's why I continue to ask these questions.

One thing I've tried to do differently is encourage discussion.

If you disagree with me, tell me why.

If you think I'm missing something, I'd like to hear it.

Join the discussion on NielFlamm.com/blog. I allow comments because I believe better ideas come from open conversations.