Stanford GSB: View From The Top S7E1: Sarah Friar, MBA ’00, On How To Make Strategic Career Risks
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Dec 11, 2023 
Guest Sarah Friar, CEO of Nextdoor, shares insights on taking strategic career risks, leveraging technology to unite people, and fostering strong communities. She discusses the importance of empowering individuals in companies to contribute diverse ideas and viewpoints, the value of human connection, and using AI to enhance user engagement and promote positive interactions on social platforms.
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Roots Of Community Commitment
- Sarah Friar grew up in a tight-knit Northern Ireland village where her parents served as nurse and personnel manager.
- That upbringing grounded her belief in investing back in community and neighborly responsibility.
Career Zigzags That Built Resilience
- Friar recounted taking risky early-career moves: mining work in Ghana and then South Africa after apartheid.
- Those zigzag risks taught her to embrace unexpected opportunities and learn from misfit experiences.
Failing Forward At Goldman
- After being passed over for partner at Goldman, Friar realized she was 'set free' to pursue work with more purpose.
- That failure catalyzed moves to Salesforce and later Square, aligning career with passion and impact.