Leadership Can't Fix What It Doesn't Experience

I don't believe Nextdoor CEO Nirav Tolia is an active, everyday user of the platform in the same way millions of neighbors experience it.

If he were regularly navigating neighborhood conversations, moderator actions, appeals, and the frustrations many users describe, I suspect the moderation model would look very different today.

Living in an affluent community like Cary Estates, where homes routinely sell in the $10–13 million range, creates a very different environment from that of many neighborhoods across America. Public records show a home purchased through a trust in 2020 that was listed around $12.5 million. That level of insulation can make it difficult to understand the pulse of the average user.

It reminds me of McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski promoting the Big Arch burger. The marketing videos felt staged, and his reaction while eating it came across as less than enthusiastic. Consumers can usually tell when an executive is sampling a product for the cameras versus regularly enjoying it like a customer.

The same principle applies to social media platforms.

My suggestion? Put Nirav Tolia on an episode of Undercover Boss. Have him spend a week shadowing volunteer moderators in neighborhoods that aren't insulated by wealth or status. Let him watch reports come in, observe moderation decisions, see appeals, and experience the frustration that many users describe.

Earlier in my career, I worked for an automotive finance company owned by an automobile manufacturer. One of the employee benefits was an incredible lease program with no out-of-pocket costs, insurance included, and discounted payroll-deducted lease payments.

Why? Because the company wanted employees to drive the product they represented. We became ambassadors. Whether you worked in collections, training, or customer service, you experienced the vehicle firsthand and could speak to it authentically.

That philosophy created better employees and better advocates.

Does every employee at Nextdoor actively use the platform? Do executives, engineers, legal staff, and product managers spend time participating in neighborhood conversations and seeing what moderators and users experience every day?

The best leaders don't manage from a boardroom—they manage from experience. Until leadership truly experiences the platform the way everyday users do, the moderation model risks remaining disconnected from reality.