I Didn’t Win… And You Didn’t Either (Probably) 💰🎰
I didn’t win the lottery.
And guess what? You didn’t either.
How do I know? Because this weekend’s lotto jackpots are still sitting at over $1 BILLION combined.
That’s right, billion with a B. Enough money to put me in a tax bracket where I’d suddenly need a team of accountants explaining tax-friendly countries.
Just kidding, IRS.
Sorta. 👀
Tonight’s Mega Millions jackpot is $604 million, and Saturday’s Powerball jackpot is $457 million.
When — not if — I win, I already have a few plans.
First stop? Camino Real Chevrolet because of the Camino Gals. A Z06 Corvette will do just fine. Yes, there is a ZR1, but even imaginary billionaire Niel still likes a good deal. Some habits don’t change.
Then maybe a house on the beach, because waking up to the ocean sounds slightly better than checking emails.
After that? Helping communities and causes I care about.
At some point, how much money does one person need to stack away just because? There’s a difference between living comfortably and hoarding a mountain of cash you could never possibly spend.
That being said, if the winning numbers hit… no, I am not suddenly available to an eighth-removed cousin from my ex-wife’s side of the family. Also, please don’t invite me into your “once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity” that suspiciously feels like Devil Corp wearing a fancy suit.
Dream big. Have fun.
After all…
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
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:
Evil Dead Burn — The Deadites Are Back Again
The Evil Dead franchise continues, and of course, I had to see where the story goes next.
After the original The Evil Dead in 1981, Evil Dead II, the 2013 continuation, and Evil Dead Rise, the newest chapter brings back the supernatural chaos, the Necronomicon, and yes... the power tools.
Because it's Evil Dead.
I break down how Evil Dead Burn connects to the previous movies, the callbacks fans will notice, why this one deserves the big screen experience, and where I hope the franchise goes next.
Is it scary?
Is it gory?
Does it belong with the rest of the Evil Dead universe?
I talk about it all in the latest Junk Cast review.
Watch it here:
🎬 https://NielFlamm.com/videos
While you're there, check out the rest of the good, the bad, and the stupid.
You've been warned.
Day 25: Stock Price, Strategy, and the Question of Accountability
Day 25.
Still no response from Jacob Chavis regarding my request for the full study information published by the Nextdoor Communications team, listing him as the contact.
No study.
No methodology.
No acknowledgment.
As of this post, Nextdoor (NXDR) is trading around $2.33 per share.
For me, with my modest investment, that represents a small gain.
But I continue asking the bigger question:
What exactly are investors buying into?
Nextdoor launched over 15 years ago. The company continues discussing technology, AI, growth opportunities, and the future of connecting neighbors.
Those are great talking points.
But eventually the conversation has to shift from possibilities to results.
Technology alone does not fix execution.
Podcasts do not fix execution.
Social media posts do not fix execution.
A true change in direction does.
Speaking of technology, there are companies building solutions around the Nextdoor ecosystem — lead generation, sales performance, advertising optimization, and analytics.
My concern as a shareholder is simple:
Trust.
If my experience requesting information connected to a published study is any indication, what happens when a larger issue requires escalation?
What happens when a business partner, advertiser, or technology provider needs support when something actually impacts revenue?
Ignoring a simple question is easy.
Solving difficult problems requires a culture of ownership.
This is not about one email.
It is about what behaviors become acceptable.
Leadership sets expectations.
Processes become culture.
Culture becomes results.
A saying I continue coming back to:
“We tolerate what we allow.”
Shareholders, users, advertisers, and partners should always ask:
What are we allowing?
Join the discussion on NielFlamm.com.
#Nextdoor#NXDR#Leadership#Accountability#CorporateGovernance#InvestorRelations#Technology#AI#CustomerExperience#BusinessStrategy#Transparency