Communication, Connection, and the Silence in Between
I’ve been writing about my experience as a shareholder and user of Nextdoor, specifically my request to Jacob Chavis for the full insurance study published under his name and contact information.
I asked to understand the methodology, sample size, approach, and factors behind the research. Maybe I would learn something. Maybe there was a best practice to take away.
Today marks Day 25 without receiving the study or a response, despite several emails sent directly to Jacob, with some including Nirav Tolia and the press inbox.
Today, I had a flashback to how this entire journey started.
Before the shareholder questions, before the blogs, before the emails — it started with moderation.
I was suspended several times by local moderators. I appealed. The appeals were denied. Some suspensions appeared connected to being labeled “aggressive” toward a neighbor, questioning moderation decisions, or openly challenging how the platform was operating.
The final suspension came after posting too many for-sale items. I was told to combine items into one post. I followed those instructions — and was suspended again.
In my appeal, I asked a simple question: Where in the Usage Policy or Terms and Conditions does it state the frequency limit or exact number of items a user can post for sale?
That is when the conversation went silent.
I’ve said this many times: we tolerate what we allow.
As CEO, Nirav Tolia shapes the culture, processes, and customer experience on the platform. When I questioned these issues on his LinkedIn posts, I was blocked.
Soon after I began commenting on Nextdoor’s LinkedIn posts about my dissatisfaction with the lack of communication, comments were turned off on those posts. Timing is timing, but from my perspective, the silence continued.
Then came the request to Jacob Chavis for the full study.
Again — silence.
For a platform built around communication and connection, we've spent a lot of time not communicating or connecting.
My bigger question is this:
If this happens over a simple user inquiry and a shareholder asking questions, who else is experiencing the same thing?
Join the discussion:
13 Days. No Study. No Response. No Accountability.
It's been 13 days since I requested the study referenced by Jacob Chavis, Senior Manager of Customer Insights at Nextdoor — and the silence is deafening.
To be clear, #NiravTolia and the C-Suite are aware of this request. They are aware of my pursuit of transparency. And they've made a choice — to say nothing.
Which raises a legitimate question: Does this study actually exist? Or was AI used to generate a news piece with a conveniently buried line inviting requests — banking on no one actually asking?
Here's what I know:
Jacob has blocked me on LinkedIn. His profile returns "doesn't exist" when I search for it. This mirrors Nirav Tolia's behavior exactly. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
From internet research outside of LinkedIn: Jacob is based in New York, attended the University of South Carolina and Columbia University, and began his career as an intern at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia—a meaningful start — one that implies a commitment to accountability and transparency.
Jacob, is Nextdoor the last company you plan to work for? Because factual, documented experiences posted publicly tend to follow professionals to their next landing spot.
To Nextdoor: you don't operate in a vacuum. I tag you across multiple platforms. And the pattern of blocking, ignoring, and hoping critics go away isn't a strategy — it's a liability.
Jacob, is this the hill you want to die on?
🔗 Full commentary and to join the discussion, go to NielFlamm.com/blog
When Words Reveal More Than They Intend - A Closer Look at Nextdoor's Sales Summit Video
On May 15, 2026, #NiravTolia posted a 55-second video from Nextdoor's sales summit in Dallas. For a company that has repeatedly emphasized being mindful of spending, the optics of a travel-intensive sales summit are worth noting — but it's the words in the video that deserve closer examination.
The video is titled: "Why I'm Super Bullish About Nextdoor In 2026."
Let's start there.
Tolia opens with "honestly" and later uses "genuinely." These words are meant to signal authenticity — but they often do the opposite. When a leader prefaces a statement with "honestly," it raises an uncomfortable question: Does that imply the preceding statements weren't? Words carry weight, especially when a CEO speaks to investors, employees, and the market.
He says he hasn't been more "excited about the upside potential of Nextdoor."
Let's unpack that for a moment.
No CEO is going to step in front of a camera and say:
- "We're probably going to fail."
- "We have the wrong people in the wrong seats."
- "Our strategy isn't working, and I'm not sure what to do next."
- "Frankly, our competitors are outexecuting us."
- "Investors should be deeply concerned."
Of course not. Optimism is the job. Enthusiasm is the costume. But enthusiasm is not a turnaround plan.
And yes — of course there's upside. #NXDR is trading roughly 90% below its all-time high. At that level, the only directions are up, sideways, or toward penny stock territory and eventual delisting. Citing "upside potential" when a stock has already lost nearly all of its value isn't bullishness — it's arithmetic.
Then there's this: "We're just getting started."
Just getting started — in year two of a tenure that was itself a return engagement. What exactly has been happening for the past 24 months? Were those months a rehearsal? A warm-up? A prelude to the actual work?
Words have meaning. And when the words chosen by a CEO in a produced, intentional video are "honestly," "genuinely," "excited," "upside," and "just getting started," the cumulative message isn't confidence.
It's a script.
Investors, board members, and employees deserve more than polished optimism delivered from a sales stage. They deserve metrics, milestones, and accountability.
Excitement doesn't move a stock. Execution does.
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