Back Where I Never Wanted to Be
There are places in life you hope you never have to visit again.
For me, the hospital is one of them.
This time, I’m not here as the patient. I’m here as a visitor and caregiver for my mother.
In 2023 and 2024, the hospital became a place I knew far too well. My first extended stay came after a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic. The second marked the beginning of my End Stage Renal Disease journey. Those experiences changed my life in ways I never imagined.
After each acute hospital stay, I was transferred to a physical rehabilitation unit. One of the most eye-opening lessons I learned was that simply lying in a hospital bed can cost you about 10 percent of your strength each day. It’s amazing how quickly the body can weaken when it’s not moving.
During rehab, the therapists asked me a question I’ll never forget:
“What kind of quality of life do you want to have?”
That question became my motivation.
The first rehabilitation stay lasted about two weeks. The second was about a week. Every exercise, every painful step, every frustrating moment had one goal—to reclaim as much of my independence as possible.
Walking through these same hallways today feels surreal. There are familiar faces everywhere. Several providers have recognized me, which is both heartwarming and a little funny. It’s strange when people remember you not because you were a regular customer, but because they helped you through some of the hardest chapters of your life.
Now the roles have changed.
I’m the one sitting beside the bed.
I’m the one encouraging someone else.
I’m the one helping navigate questions, translating when needed, and trying to bring a little comfort during an uncertain time.
Life has a funny way of bringing us full circle.
As difficult as hospitals can be, they also remind us of something important: healing doesn’t always happen the way we expect. Sometimes we’re the ones receiving the care. Other times, we’re fortunate enough to be the ones giving it.
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s that difficult seasons don’t last forever. They shape us, strengthen us, and prepare us to help someone else when their turn comes.
So today, I’m choosing gratitude—for the caregivers, for the second chances I’ve been given, and for the opportunity to be there for my mother the same way so many people were there for me.
Tomorrow may bring new challenges, but it also brings new hope. And hope is a powerful medicine.
I Asked AI for a Gap Analysis of Nextdoor. The Results Were Interesting.
Over the past several months, I've asked ChatGPT to help me write dozens of posts about Nextdoor, CEO Nirav Tolia, moderation, shareholder value, AI, surveys, advertisers, community building, and leadership.
So I asked a simple question:
Based on everything I've asked you to write, publicly available information, Nextdoor's financial results, and the stock price, what would you do differently if you were CEO?
The answer wasn't "fire everyone."
It wasn't "replace the board."
It wasn't even "launch more AI."
The biggest gap identified was this:
Nextdoor talks about human connection more than it measures human connection.
The company has made progress with revenue growth, weekly active users, near breakeven adjusted EBITDA, and a substantial cash position.
Yet AI suggested five priorities:
1. Fix trust first.
Create transparent moderator quality assurance, appeals, accountability, and enforcement metrics.
2. Turn AI into a product feature, not a podcast talking point.
Use AI for conflict de-escalation, scam detection, neighbor matching, and improving conversations.
3. Run real behavioral studies.
Pilot mediation labs, MBTI and DISC communication workshops, community service challenges, and neighborhood engagement programs using control groups and measurable outcomes.
4. Treat local advertisers like customers.
Provide responsive support, clear ROI reporting, and escalation paths when issues arise.
5. Create and communicate shareholder value.
Clearly explain how capital is being deployed and how management decisions are expected to improve long-term returns.
What fascinated me was that AI didn't conclude Nextdoor's biggest challenge is technology.
It concluded the challenge is execution.
One thing people often forget is that AI is excellent at analyzing more than numbers. It analyzes patterns, trends, sentiment, behaviors, interactions, and outcomes. That's exactly why it can be useful in understanding how neighbors communicate, where conflict emerges, and what interventions might actually improve trust and engagement.
Imagine if Nextdoor applied the same rigor as an epidemiology study.
Create pilot neighborhoods. Establish control groups. Measure sentiment, retention, advertiser engagement, conflict reduction, and community participation. Publish the methodology, demographics, limitations, and findings.
That's data.
That's science.
That's accountability.
Instead of another survey headline, we'd learn what actually helps neighbors connect.
The most surprising conclusion?
AI suggested the gap between the message and the experience may be larger than the gap between the technology and the opportunity.
That's a leadership challenge.
And leadership is ultimately measured by results.
When Did You Stop Caring? The Power of a Movement
My copy of When Did You Stop Caring? by Natalie Beckerman arrived, and after starting to dig in, all I can say is: wow.
I’ve also been watching some of Natalie’s promotional shorts, and one word keeps standing out to me: movement.
Movements have the power to change people, communities, and sometimes even humanity itself.
Think about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The goal wasn’t getting drenched with a bucket of ice water. The goal was awareness, conversation, and funding research to help stop ALS from devastating more lives.
Think about the Jesus Movement and the impact it had on countless people seeking purpose, faith, and connection.
Think about Pay It Forward. While fictional, the story showed how one person’s actions could inspire others and create a ripple effect of kindness and generosity.
What all of these examples have in common is simple: they started with people who cared enough to act.
Real change doesn’t happen overnight. Habits are built over time. Momentum is built over time. Success is built over time.
That’s something I remind myself of often. I keep pushing. I keep putting one foot in front of the other. I keep looking for opportunities to score a win, no matter how small.
If Natalie’s message inspires even a fraction of that mindset, then it’s a conversation worth having.
If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, you’re missing out.
📚 Amazon: https://a.co/d/0e252vBz
📚 Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-did-you-stop-caring-natalie-beckerman/1150028729?ean=9781969508448
Available now in hardcover, paperback, and digital formats.
The question isn’t whether we can change the world overnight.
The question is: What can we do today to show that we still care?
Loyalty, Accountability, and the Difference Between the Two
On June 22, 2026, Nirav Tolia posted about his longtime professional relationship with Sarah Leary, noting that they’ve worked together for 27 years and that she’s someone he trusts completely. The comments were pulled from his appearance on Ollie Forsyth’s New Economies podcast.
Let me be clear:
I have nothing against Sarah Leary.
I don’t have anything personal against Nirav Tolia, either.
What I am doing is holding a public company CEO accountable for decisions that impact employees, users, advertisers, and shareholders.
There’s a difference.
While podcasts focus on connection, trust, and vision, investors have to evaluate outcomes.
Some questions I continue to ask:
Why should shareholders be excited about a stock trading around $2.16 per share, down on the day?
When will investors see meaningful value creation?
Why spend capital on a Dallas office when much of the work could be performed remotely, potentially reducing costs?
Why promote neighborhood connection while many users continue to report division, moderation concerns, and inconsistent experiences?
Why reference surveys publicly while requests for supporting studies go unanswered?
Speaking of unanswered questions, I’m still waiting for a response regarding a survey request sent to Jacob Chavis.
That experience made me think about Blind, the anonymous workplace app where employees discuss company culture, leadership, compensation, and strategy without attaching their real names. Like any anonymous platform, comments should be evaluated carefully, but it often provides insight that differs from the polished narratives presented in earnings calls, podcasts, and press releases.
What interests me is the gap between internal sentiment and external messaging.
Sometimes Nextdoor reminds me of The Stepford Wives—a place where conformity appears more valued than disagreement. If you fit the narrative, everything is fine. If you challenge it, you may find yourself ignored, blocked, or dismissed.
That’s why feedback matters.
Strong companies don’t improve because everyone agrees.
They improve because leaders are willing to hear perspectives they may not like.
Loyalty is important.
Accountability is more important.
Day #9: Silence Is Still a Response
Today marks Day #9 since I requested the full Home Insurance Insights study from Jacob Chavis.
No study.
No acknowledgment.
No “we’re working on it.”
No response at all.
At this point, I have to assume that if I were a business, user, or investor with an issue, I should expect a similar experience from the company.
And that’s concerning.
Leadership sets culture. Culture drives behavior.
Which brings me to CEO Nirav Tolia.
Nirav, you’re allowing a team you lead to simply not respond. I don’t understand why. According to the original post, the study exists and is available. This should be a simple interaction:
“Thanks for reaching out.”
Attach study.
Or:
“Here’s the link.”
Done.
The entire exchange could probably be completed in less time than it took to read this post.
In fact, if AI is truly the transformational force that Nextdoor leadership frequently discusses, perhaps an AI-powered chatbot could respond with the study automatically.
Instead, we’re on Day #9.
When companies don’t respond to questions, people start wondering whether the issue is process, priorities, or culture.
Either way, silence doesn’t build trust.
It erodes it.
As always, if the study arrives tomorrow, I’ll happily update everyone.