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.

My guest today is Sarah Friar, the CEO of Nextdoor, which connects people in local neighborhoods together. Sarah’s CV sparkles with impressive achievements at interesting businesses, and we spend a lot of time in this conversation thinking through what excellence looks like as a CEO, CFO, equity analyst, and board member. The rest of our discussion is focused on Nextdoor and how the soon-to-be public business is fostering connections between people and businesses in their local areas. I do this podcast so I get to meet and learn from people like Sarah. I could have talked to her for hours. I hope you enjoy this great conversation with Sarah Friar as much as I did. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.------ Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.  Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus Show Notes[00:03:03] - [First question] - What makes an excellent equity analyst[00:05:51] - Things Sarah does differently as an operator because she was an investor[00:08:29] - Key factors that make a great CFO[00:09:31] - The role of the CFO in regards to capital allocation as a company grows[00:11:50] - What convinced her to join Salesforce and Square[00:14:45] - The initial spark and appeal that led her to join Nextdoor[00:17:35] - Existing problems with ‘community’ and how they approach fixing them[00:21:36] - Interesting and compelling data points about in-person interactions[00:23:54] - Network density as a driving factor of product quality[00:26:43] - What gives Nextdoor a unique angle against some of its existing competitors [00:28:51] - Thoughts on platform leakage and user retention[00:30:57] - Successful strategies for deploying Nextdoor in a new country[00:35:32] - Having a feed and trying to avoid creating echo chambers[00:37:04] - Some of the biggest mistakes they’ve made while trying to grow[00:38:49] - Options for a business model and thoughts on advertising [00:43:25] - The importance of scale, advertising, and their relationship dynamic[00:45:55] - Ways she’s learned to effectively steer the businesses strategy[00:49:48] - Why she doesn’t like titles [00:51:07] - Key levers that will allow Nextdoor to succeed in the future[00:53:35] - How advertisers evaluate platforms like Nextdoor compared to Google or Facebook[00:57:19] - What a successful board member looks like and how she’s learned to be one[00:59:34] - Leading with transparency and empathy[01:02:00] - An overview of what Ladies Who Launch is and what they do[01:03:57] - Way to educate our children about finance and encourage financial literacy[01:07:51] - Making your platforms welcoming and guiding users away from conflict[01:10:30] - The kindest thing anyone has ever done for her 

Former CEO of Nextdoor, Sarah Friar, discusses public markets vs. VC, compassion in leadership, being in 'flow,' transitions, personal burn rate, and the essence of gratitude. Topics include life decisions, perfectionism, transitions, and daily routines for success.

Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI and former CFO of Salesforce and Square, shares her insights on the evolving landscape of AI. She discusses AI as a transformative platform, likening it to the breakthrough of cloud computing. Sarah addresses OpenAI's impressive $150 billion valuation, pricing strategies, and the importance of capital allocation in AI innovation. She also explores the economic implications of AI productivity and the ongoing global competition in the tech sector, emphasizing a thoughtful approach to advancing artificial general intelligence.

Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI and a seasoned leader from Nextdoor and Square, discusses the transformative impact of AI on the finance sector. She highlights how AI models boost efficiency and enable more complex tasks, redefining the role of finance from traditional practices to a strategic focus. The conversation also dives into empowering women entrepreneurs through community support, offers career advice for engineers on embracing risks, and reflects on the leadership lessons learned from her rowing days.

Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI and former CEO of Nextdoor, shares her remarkable journey from engineering in Northern Ireland to significant leadership roles in tech and finance. She discusses vital lessons on navigating career transitions, emphasizing the importance of networking and community. Sarah highlights the unique challenges women face in tech and underscores owning one's power in leadership. Furthermore, she offers insights on team dynamics at OpenAI, including the balance of communication and collaboration in a fast-paced environment.

In this engaging discussion, Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI and fintech expert, shares insights on AI's transformative impact on banking and finance. She highlights successful AI applications that boost productivity and customer service while stressing the importance of sustainable monetization models. The conversation also dives into OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft, which accelerates AI product development. Additionally, Friar addresses talent retention strategies in tech and explores the journey towards Artificial General Intelligence, especially in light of upcoming elections.

Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI, shares insights on the company's financial strategies and highlights the need for balancing costs with AI innovation. Daniela Amodei, President of Anthropic, discusses their focus on enterprise customers and the imperatives of AI safety. Bloomberg reporters dive into Russia's acquisition of NVIDIA chips through India and Apple’s new advancements like the AI-powered M4 iMac. Analysts tackle Volkswagen's cost-reduction strategies amid challenges for European automakers and explore the implications for the app market with Bending Spoons' acquisition activities.

Find out how Stanford GSB became the best business school. Mary Barra from GM reveals their EV plans. Nextdoor CEO talks about their social business strategy. Discusses the correlation between water use and greenhouse gas emissions. Highlights the importance of international students in business schools and immigration reform. Explores General Motors' outlook and EV sales goals. Nextdoor adapts to the current climate and supports local businesses. Reflects on Stanford experiences and the current market.

In this audio version of the second episode of our live video series Pivot Schooled, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the future of innovation in the US and worldwide. They interview Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar and Balderton Capital general partner Rana Yared, answer questions from the audience, and make predictions. Plus: A prediction from Silicon Valley actor Suzanne Cryer, and why TikTok isn't selling to anybody.Get your tickets for the next Pivot Schooled, "The Big Four," at PivotSchooled.com.Get your Pivot Schooled hats, mugs, shirts and more at PivotSchooled.com/Shop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices