Day 41: Culture Is Measured One Interaction at a Time
Today is Day 41 since I requested a Nextdoor study.
It's Saturday, so I'm going to assume I won't receive a response today. I'll also assume Day 42, Sunday, will likely pass the same way.
That doesn't change anything.
If there's one lesson this experience has reinforced, it's this:
Persistence matters.
I'm still asking the question.
I'm still documenting the journey.
I'm advocating for better communication and accountability.
While doomscrolling today, I came across this short Facebook Reel about car sales:
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18xmmVf8Ee/
The message wasn't really about selling cars.
It was about culture.
The speaker talked about doing a "vibe check." Walk around. Observe how people are treating one another. Are they smiling? Are they engaged? Are they happy? What does the culture feel like?
That immediately made me think about Nextdoor.
Over the past several weeks, I've left feedback, recommendations, and questions on Nirav Tolia's X posts, Sarah Leary's posts, and Nextdoor's social media channels. I assume those notifications were received, but I haven't seen an acknowledgment from the CEO. The same pattern has continued with my request to Jacob Chavis for a study that remains unanswered.
It brings me back to a simple question:
How do you treat people?
A while back, I wrote that I try to treat the environmental engineer with the same respect I'd give the CEO.
That isn't just something I write.
It's something I try to live.
When I go to Regal Cinemas, I thank the employees who carry my oversized popcorn and Pepsi Zero because one hand is occupied with a cane.
At White Horse Auto Wash, I spend time getting to know the staff. Connor and I recently talked about The Odyssey and seeing it on the giant IMAX screen in Pooler, Georgia.
When I bring an AA meeting into a detox facility, I ask residents their names, thank them for being there, and try to make them feel seen.
None of those moments make headlines.
But they shape culture.
Culture isn't created during an annual leadership summit.
It isn't built during a podcast interview.
It isn't defined by a mission statement hanging on a wall.
Culture is built one interaction at a time, one conversation at a time, and one decision at a time.
That's why I keep asking questions.
Because every unanswered email, every ignored request, and every missed opportunity to engage is also part of a company's culture.
Join the discussion at NielFlamm.com/blog. Leave some feedback—I'd love to hear from you.
Why the Silence? Reflections on Day 36
It's very late at night...or very early in the morning, depending on your perspective.
A thought crossed my mind as I reflected on the past 36 days of waiting for a response to a simple request.
Why the silence?
To be transparent, there have been a few responses along the way. Nextdoor Support initially communicated with me until I asked follow-up questions. @John T. Williams from Investor Relations responded after I mentioned filing complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, although I believe he is no longer with the company following an unrelated email mistake. NextDoor Service has also interacted through comments on LinkedIn.
But from others, including Jacob Chavis, the press team, and CEO Nirav Tolia, there has been no direct response.
That led me to ask myself a question—not because I know the answer, but because it's one possible explanation among many.
Do they see someone like me as simply not worth responding to?
Or is it something else?
Perhaps they're following company policy.
Perhaps they've been advised not to engage.
Perhaps they're overwhelmed with other priorities.
Perhaps they don't believe a response would change anything.
Perhaps they view me as a disruptor.
Or perhaps they simply don't know how to respond.
I don't know.
What I do know is the lesson I learned early in my career:
Treat the environmental engineer with the same respect you would give the Chief Executive Officer.
Titles change. Job descriptions change. Companies come and go. Respect shouldn't.
One of the best leaders I ever worked with told me that every interaction is an opportunity to reinforce a culture—or weaken it. Sometimes, a simple acknowledgment is all someone is looking for.
This post isn't about assuming motives. It's about asking whether responsiveness and respect should be part of a company's culture, regardless of who asks.
What do you think? When someone reaches out professionally, does every inquiry deserve at least an acknowledgment?
Join the discussion on NielFlamm.com.
Leadership Starts with How I Treat the "Little Person"
Today, while making my usual social media rounds, I shared my dissatisfaction with Nextdoor, its culture, and CEO Nirav Tolia.
I started thinking about where I learned one of the most valuable lessons of my life.
It wasn't in a boardroom or a Stanford classroom.
It came from working everyday jobs—sweeping floors in a deli, delivering newspapers, cleaning gum off a movie theater carpet, and doing the kinds of jobs that keep society moving.
Those experiences taught me a simple creed:
Treat everyone as if they were the CEO.
The person making the sandwich at Jersey Mike's. The attendant pumping gas in Oregon. The landscaping crew cleaning up the neighborhood. The janitor, the cashier, the receptionist, the call center agent.
Everyone deserves to be acknowledged. Everyone deserves to be heard.
That's where I believe the culture problem at Nextdoor begins.
I'm not a billionaire investor. I'm not a celebrity entrepreneur. I don't have a television show or a Founding Shark title. And I don't automatically agree with every mention of AI as the solution to everything.
Does that mean my feedback should be ignored? My questions silenced? My LinkedIn account blocked for expressing shareholder concerns?
Leadership isn't measured by how you treat influential people. It's measured by how you treat the person with no power at all.
I'd rather treat the building environmental services engineer like they're the CEO than imitate a CEO who dismisses the little person.
Because one approach builds loyalty and trust.
The other builds resentment.