Day 1: Still Waiting, Nextdoor
Yesterday I sent an email to Jacob Chavis requesting the full research behind Nextdoor's latest insurance study.
Today? Nothing.
No "I'm working on it."
No "You're 57th in line."
Not even a polite "Go pound sand."
In my experience, that's become part of the culture at Nextdoor—where transparency often seems optional and accountability appears to stop somewhere near the top of the org chart. Leadership sets the tone, and that includes CEO Nirav Tolia.
Meanwhile, NXDR climbed another $0.055 today. Maybe the C-suite and Board should send me a thank-you note for suggesting they lean into the circus that is Nextdoor. At least the entertainment value is increasing.
The difference between Nextdoor and the social media platforms it competes with? Those companies may be divisive too, but they consistently generate meaningful revenue and shareholder returns. A pig in a dress is still a pig.
And finally, I got another knock at my virtual door today—from someone at Nextdoor. It happened early this morning Eastern Daylight Time. They're remaining anonymous because they fear the backlash and toxicity they believe exists within the culture.
Sometimes the most interesting conversations happen off the record.
NXDR and The Gambler: Know When to Hold 'Em... and Know When to Walk Away
Looking at the 1-year chart of Nextdoor Holdings (NYSE: NXDR), the stock is up roughly $0.60 year over year, rewarding investors who bought during periods of pessimism.
Based on the historical trading patterns I've observed over the past four years, I believe July could bring another round of profit-taking as short-term investors lock in gains.
Kenny Rogers' The Gambler offers timeless investing wisdom: "Know when to hold 'em" and "know when to walk away." For investors, knowing the difference can mean everything.
That brings me to a larger question.
What is CEO Nirav Tolia doing to ensure minority shareholders receive a meaningful return on their investment?
If AI is truly the future of Nextdoor, why aren't users seeing a steady stream of innovative features that strengthen neighbor relationships and make communities more useful?
Instead, the public conversation often revolves around disputes over moderation, neighborhood division, sponsored surveys, and advertising initiatives.
Likewise, the recent publicity campaign featuring appearances on podcasts and interviews may generate headlines, but has it materially changed user engagement, revenue growth, or investor sentiment? The stock chart suggests investors are still waiting for stronger evidence of execution.
Nirav Tolia graduated from Stanford with a degree in English, and he is clearly an effective communicator. But public companies ultimately succeed by delivering measurable results, not compelling narratives. We expect a strategy supported by transparent metrics and product execution.
Some questions I'd like leadership to answer:
Where are the AI features that materially improve the neighbor experience?
How is AI translating into shareholder value?
Why does the platform still appear more divisive than connective?
What measurable milestones should investors expect over the next 12 months?
How will management demonstrate that AI investments are producing tangible financial returns?
As a shareholder, I want Nextdoor to succeed. But success requires more than media appearances and AI talking points. It requires products that users love, communities that thrive, and financial results that reward investors.
These are my personal opinions and observations and should not be considered financial advice. Always perform your own due diligence before making investment decisions.
Nextdoor's Latest "Study" or Just Another Sales Pitch?
For months, I've been requesting transparency from Nextdoor leadership regarding the surveys and research they publish. I've asked for methodology, sample sizes, demographics, confidence intervals, moderation metrics, and the data behind the headlines.
The questions have largely gone unanswered.
Now we're presented with another report claiming that 74% of Nextdoor neighbors are open to switching home insurance providers. To me, this comes across more like a marketing vehicle designed to encourage insurance companies to advertise on the platform rather than independent research.
Suppose the data is legitimate; great. Show us the methodology. Show us the complete report. Let everyone evaluate the findings for themselves.
Today I sent an email to Jacob Chavis requesting the comprehensive research behind the study. We'll see what happens.
Based on my past interactions with the company, I don't have high expectations. Requests for information have historically gone unanswered or taken an unreasonable amount of time to respond.
Transparency builds trust. Marketing headlines without supporting data create more questions.
I'll happily update this post if and when the full report is provided.
Recruiter... or Resume Sales Pitch? You Decide.
Ever receive a message on LinkedIn that looks like the start of a great career opportunity, only for the conversation to take an unexpected turn?
I recently had an interaction that left me scratching my head. It started like a normal recruiter conversation but quickly shifted into something that felt very different.
Was it a legitimate recruiting discussion, clever marketing, or something in between?
I'll let you decide.
Watch the full video and see the entire conversation for yourself at https://NielFlamm.com/videos/scams.
While you're there, check out the rest of my Internet Garbage—you never know what strange story, movie review, or life experience I'll post next.
📬 What You May Have Missed This Week on NielFlamm.com (June 6-13)
Hello Friends!
Another week has come and gone, which means I somehow managed to produce another collection of blogs, movie reviews, videos, LinkedIn posts, opinions, and assorted Internet Garbage.
If life got busy, here's your weekly recap of everything that happened on NielFlamm.com between June 6 and June 13.
🎬 Movie Reviews
It was another busy week at the theater.
I reviewed Pressure, the fascinating true story about the meteorologists whose weather forecast helped make D-Day possible. It was less about the battle itself and more about the pressure of making decisions that would affect thousands of lives.
I also reviewed Scary Movie 6, where Marlon and Shawn Wayans return with exactly the type of over-the-top parody humor that made the franchise famous. If you're easily offended, it probably isn't for you. If you enjoy ridiculous comedy, you'll probably laugh the entire time.
Finally, I shared my thoughts on Eternity, a movie that explores relationships, death, and the afterlife while asking some interesting questions about love and forever.
If you're trying to decide what to watch, hopefully my reviews save you a little time and money.
🌎 NielFlamm.com Continues to Grow
One of the biggest surprises this week came from looking at my website analytics.
During the past month, more than 800 unique visitors generated over 1,000 page views, with readers coming from all over the world. The largest audiences are currently in China, Vietnam, the United States, and Germany.
When I started this hobby, I honestly thought only friends and family would stop by.
Seeing people I've never met visiting the site is both humbling and motivating, and I appreciate every single visit.
🎥 Videos, Blogs & Other Internet Garbage
There was plenty of content outside of movie reviews this week.
I shared my thoughts on celebrity sports fans and carpetbaggers, those people who somehow become lifelong fans the minute a team starts winning championships while the real fans have been suffering through decades of heartbreak.
I also posted another handicap parking adventure, featuring a driver who apparently believes parking lines are merely suggestions despite having an entire parking lot available.
I shared my appreciation for the growing international audience that continues to find NielFlamm.com, thanking readers around the world for spending time with my content and encouraging them to reach out with suggestions on how I can continue improving.
The website continues to fill up with blogs, videos, podcasts, health updates, technology discussions, humor, random observations, and whatever else happens to cross my mind during the week.
💼 Leadership, AI & Nextdoor Commentary
My ongoing commentary surrounding Nextdoor leadership and corporate communication continued throughout the week.
I discussed Nirav Tolia's comments surrounding artificial intelligence, pointing out that AI has existed in many forms for decades through predictive dialers, automation tools, instructional design software, Grammarly, and other technologies many of us have worked with throughout our careers.
I also examined Nextdoor's moderation model, asking what protections exist to prevent moderator retaliation and whether enough transparency exists when volunteer moderators are making decisions that affect neighbors and local conversations.
Another article compared Nextdoor's constantly shifting messaging to companies like Waffle House and In-N-Out Burger, organizations that have built loyal customer bases through consistency, simplicity, and delivering on a straightforward promise.
I also shared my thoughts on Nirav Tolia's appearance on the New Economies podcast, questioning whether the company is truly listening to user feedback while discussing AI, neighborhood data, and community engagement.
As both a shareholder and former user, I continue to believe transparency, consistency, and accountability are critical ingredients for long-term success.
❤️ Recovery & Life
This week I reflected on celebrating 17 years without a drink and the gratitude I have for everyone who reached out with comments, texts, messages, and encouragement.
The AA chip I picked up wasn't just for me—it serves as a reminder to newcomers that long-term recovery is possible, one day at a time.
Humor, gratitude, and community continue to be some of the greatest gifts of sobriety.
👉 Catch Up!
If you missed anything this week, stop by NielFlamm.com and catch up on the latest blogs, videos, podcasts, movie reviews, opinion pieces, and all the other Internet Garbage I've been creating.
And if you enjoy what you read or watch, please forward this email to a friend and encourage them to subscribe.
Don't gatekeep the Internet Garbage.
Thanks for reading, supporting the site, and following along on this crazy journey.
See you next week!
— Niel