$786 Million and a Lesson in Fraternity Economics
If you've been following along, you know I've somehow become the unofficial Commissioner of the Fraternity Lottery Pool.
With the Powerball jackpot sitting at $786 million, it seemed like the responsible thing to do. (That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.)
Over the past few weeks, I've been collecting money, organizing who is in and who is out, driving to the local Harris Teeter, standing in line, buying stacks of South Carolina Lottery tickets, photographing them, keeping track of everything, and sending the group updates.
At one point, I walked up to the counter and bought $200 worth of lottery tickets.
The cashier gave me that look.
You know the one.
The look that says, "Sir... are we okay?"
Yes, we're okay.
No, gambling isn't one of my problems.
If anything, my problem is volunteering for too many projects.
The funny part is that after all the work that goes into organizing this little adventure, a few of the fraternity brothers have started sounding a bit... ungrateful.
Who knew that trying to make everyone a millionaire could become a thankless job?
Maybe I should charge a convenience fee.
Or a ticket-handling fee.
Or an emotional support fee.
We'll see where this goes. The Lottery Commissioner may be considering early retirement before anyone actually wins enough to retire.
Stay tuned.
There may be more to come.
Until then, if our numbers hit tonight, I promise not to hold a grudge.
Probably.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day — More Than a Superhero Movie?
I went into Spider-Man: Brand New Day expecting another action-packed superhero film.
What I didn't expect was one of the saddest and most emotional stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Why did it hit me that way? And did the ending live up to everything that came before it?
🎬 Watch my full spoiler-filled review at NielFlamm.com/videos/moviereviews and let me know if you agree... or if I'm completely off my rocker.
Day 50: Three Posts, One Question—Where's the Shareholder Value?
Today, Nextdoor published three LinkedIn posts.
Oh, and NXDR is up about $0.05 today.
I mention the stock price because it's relevant to the discussion—not because one day's movement changes my outlook.
1. The Q2 Earnings Call
Nextdoor announced its 2026 Q2 Earnings Call and invited shareholders to submit questions.
On paper, that's encouraging.
In reality, I don't expect a question from an everyday shareholder to reach the executives during the call.
Why?
Because today is Day 50 since I requested a study from Jacob Chavis.
Fifty days.
No acknowledgment.
No response.
If a shareholder can't receive a reply to a straightforward request over 50 days, why should I believe an individual shareholder's question will make it to the floor while institutional investors are waiting in line?
2. Emergency Management
The second post was a repost highlighting emergency management.
I applaud Nextdoor for sharing information that can help keep neighborhoods informed and safe.
That aligns with what I believe the platform should do.
While it wasn't original content, it promoted something worthwhile.
3. A Day in the Life of an Intern
The third post featured design intern Bekah Hufnagel, showcasing a day in the life at Nextdoor's new Dallas headquarters.
It highlighted beautiful office space, food, amenities, activities, and what appeared to be an outstanding intern experience.
Good for Bekah.
Every intern deserves to have a meaningful experience.
It also made me reflect on my own summer internship with the MTA in Brooklyn, New York.
There were no catered lunches.
No coffee bars.
No games.
No flashy headquarters.
The biggest perk I remember was receiving a subway pass so I could travel from Harlem to work each day.
Times change, and workplaces evolve.
But as a shareholder, I still ask the same question:
Is the squeeze worth the juice?
How many of these interns will ultimately join Nextdoor full-time?
How many will build long-term careers there?
What measurable return does this investment provide?
These experiences don't happen by accident.
Leadership approves budgets.
Leadership establishes priorities.
Leadership decides where capital is invested.
Nirav Tolia himself appeared with the interns, as shown on his X account, reinforcing the importance of the program.
Meanwhile, shareholders continue waiting for a return.
Nextdoor currently pays no dividend.
My concern isn't that interns are having a positive experience.
It's whether the company is allocating resources in ways that create lasting value for employees, users, advertisers, and shareholders alike.
That's the question I continue asking.
Join the discussion at NielFlamm.com/blog. Leave some feedback—I'd love to hear from you.
We Expect What We Inspect
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my experience at a local Starbucks where the music being played didn't exactly sound like it came from the corporate-approved playlist. Think death metal, explicit rap, and enough profanity to make me wonder if someone had hijacked the speakers.
I submitted feedback through the Starbucks website chat because I thought someone should know. My goal wasn't to get anyone in trouble. It was simply to share a customer experience that didn't match what I've come to expect from Starbucks.
Fast forward to today.
As I write this blog post, I'm sitting in that same Starbucks.
Something feels different.
I believe the store manager is here. I could be wrong, but here's why I think so:
The music isn't death metal, trap music, or The Best of "Weird Al" Yankovic. It's what I'd expect to hear in a Starbucks.
She's spent a significant amount of time working on an iPad, which looked like inventory or operational work.
She's now working tableside on a laptop.
I overheard what sounded like a discussion about scheduling with one of the baristas.
None of those things stood out to me the last Sunday I visited.
There's an old saying I've used throughout my career:
We expect what we inspect.
Whether you're leading a coffee shop, a Fortune 500 company, or a small business, it's difficult to know what's really happening if leaders never spend time where the work is being done.
Now, am I the reason she's here today?
Probably not.
Did my feedback play some small role?
Maybe.
I have no way of knowing, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise.
What I do know is this: today's customer experience feels noticeably different from the one I wrote about a few weeks ago. The atmosphere is calmer, the music fits the environment, and it feels more like the Starbucks experience I expected in the first place.
Sometimes customers don't expect perfection.
They simply want to know someone is paying attention.
What do you think? Have you ever noticed a business improve after you provided respectful, constructive feedback? I'd love to hear your experience.
Join the discussion on NielFlamm.com.
Help Me Get Off the Tinder… Set Me Up With Someone (Even Someone You Don't Like)
If you're reading this and you're happily married, dating, or know someone who is...
Please set me up with someone.
At this point, I'd even consider someone you secretly can't stand.
Why?
Because it would get me off the Tinder for at least a little while.
A few days ago I wrote about my exciting fictional career as an international drug cartel leader. If you missed that masterpiece, it's over at NielFlamm.com/blog.
Today, I bring you Episode 2 of "As the Scammer Turns."
Like most guys, I don't spend 20 minutes analyzing every profile. It's the 5 Second Rule. Mel Robbins probably didn't intend for it to be used on dating apps, but here we are.
Swipe left.
Swipe right.
Move on.
Being completely transparent, my decision is usually based on whether there's an initial physical attraction. That's online dating in about five seconds.
Then I matched with... let's call them...
"This person."
I use the word person very intentionally.
The first thing that caught my eye?
Height: 6'6".
Now, I'm not opposed to dating a taller woman. I'd happily embrace my Short King era.
The second thing?
The name.
Hamit.
Not exactly a name I hear every day, so I consulted The Google (because I'm old enough to still call it The Google).
According to The Google:
Hamit is a masculine given name of Turkish origin, derived from the Arabic name Hamid, meaning "praiseworthy" or "one who praises."
Well...
That was unexpected.
Then came the line I had been waiting for.
"What's your experience using this dating app like?"
Ding.
Ding.
Ding.
I've seen enough YouTube videos and scam exposés to recognize that one.
It's one of the classic setup questions before they eventually pivot to crypto, gold, forex, or some magical investment opportunity that somehow guarantees 4,000% returns while they're conveniently gorgeous and single.
This one added a new wrinkle.
"I often encounter people trying to sell me products. Have you ever met similar strange people?"
Nice try.
That's basically a scammer asking if I've already met scammers.
It's like a burglar knocking on your door asking if you've had any recent break-ins.
Unfortunately, I forgot to screenshot my response, but I replied that the only things I've been offered so far were some version of a crypto or gold investment.
Then the funniest part happened.
A few hours later, I opened the Tinder again. I don't allow it to send notification alerts to my phone, so I only check it when I feel like it.
The entire conversation...
Gone.
Poof.
Vanished.
Either someone reported the account, or—far more likely—the dude on the other end realized I wasn't going to be an easy target and decided to move on to someone else.
I like to think I failed the scammer interview.
Mission accomplished.
So once again, I'm asking for community support.
If you know a nice, funny, emotionally stable woman somewhere around my age...
Introduce us.
Even if she's someone you've been trying to get rid of.
Let's save everyone involved from another season of The Tinder Files.
Because at the rate I'm going, my next match is going to ask if I'd like to diversify my retirement portfolio before asking what my favorite movie is.