Nirav Tolia: Nextdoor. How neighborhood chatter went global

Nirav Tolia: Nextdoor. How neighborhood chatter went global

Many of us don’t know our neighbors anymore — and Nirav Tolia wanted to change that. He walked away from millions in stock options at Yahoo and eventually co-founded Nextdoor, the hyperlocal social network where neighbors share local news and recommendations. Along the way, he learned that for a digital service, Nextdoor demanded a ton of manual work: drawing neighborhood boundaries with Sharpies, sending individual “invite” postcards by snail mail, talking to neighbors about the information they wanted. After 8 years of grind, Nirav stepped away as CEO, only to return 6 years later to spearhead an ambitious rebrand of Nextdoor, which now has 100 million users around the world.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why Nirav walked away from millions in stock options to launch his own business
  • How the failure of an early business helped fuel Nextdoor’s success
  • How not having an initial vision for your brand can be a superpower.
  • Why apps that focus on “local” are so hard to master
  • Why Nirav believes” local” is a massive untapped opportunity in tech.


This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineers were Kwesi Lee and Jimmy Keeley.


Follow How I Built This:

Instagram

@howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook

How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram

@guy.raz

X → @guyraz

Substack

guyraz.substack.com

Website

guyraz.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episoder(780)

Honest Tea: Seth Goldman

Honest Tea: Seth Goldman

In 1997, after going for a long run, Seth Goldman was frustrated with the sugar-filled drinks at the corner market. So he brewed up a beverage in his kitchen, and turned it into Honest Tea. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

16 Jan 201729min

Drybar: Alli Webb

Drybar: Alli Webb

A decade ago, full-time mom Alli Webb noticed a gap in the beauty market: there was nowhere that just focused on blow-drying hair. Now with 70 locations, Drybar is testament to Webb's motto: Focus on one thing and be the best at it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

9 Jan 201732min

Zumba: Beto Perez & Alberto Perlman

Zumba: Beto Perez & Alberto Perlman

Zumba began as a mistake: aerobics teacher Beto Perez brought the wrong music to class, then improvised a dance routine to go with it. For his students, it was more fun than work — and it eventually grew into one of the biggest fitness brands in the world. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2 Jan 201737min

Warby Parker: Dave Gilboa & Neil Blumenthal

Warby Parker: Dave Gilboa & Neil Blumenthal

In 2008, it was nearly impossible to buy a fashionable, affordable pair of glasses online. That simple frustration inspired the idea behind Warby Parker – and disrupted the eyewear industry. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

26 Des 201630min

Melissa & Doug: Melissa And Doug Bernstein

Melissa & Doug: Melissa And Doug Bernstein

Melissa and Doug Bernstein's first success was a wooden 'fuzzy puzzle' of farm animals. Today, Melissa & Doug makes over 2,000 kinds of toys and serves as an antidote to the rise of digital toys. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

19 Des 201636min

Patagonia: Yvon Chouinard

Patagonia: Yvon Chouinard

In 1973, Yvon Chouinard started Patagonia to make climbing gear he couldn't find elsewhere. Over decades of growth, he has implemented a unique philosophy about business, leadership and profit. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

12 Des 201625min

Serial Entrepreneur: Mark Cuban

Serial Entrepreneur: Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban made millions off of tech startups, then billions off of stocks — and later went on to buy and revive the Dallas Mavericks. He has come to define the persona of the serial entrepreneur. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

5 Des 201633min

Angie's List: Angie Hicks

Angie's List: Angie Hicks

In 1996, Angie Hicks spent hours reading contractor reviews to members over the phone. Today, the online review and referral service, Angie's List, is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

28 Nov 201629min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

stopp-verden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
dine-penger-pengeradet
e24-podden
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
finansredaksjonen
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
pengepodden-2
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
pengesnakk
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
utbytte
aksjepodden
rss-sunn-okonomi
lederpodden
stormkast-med-valebrokk-stordalen
okonomiamatorene
rss-rettssikkerhet-bak-fasaden-pa-rettsstaten-norge-en-podcast-av-sonia-loinsworth
shifter