Guest: Sarah Friar, former CEO of Nextdoor

Sarah Friar has worked with some of the top leaders in Silicon Valley, including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, Block CEO Jack Dorsey, and most recently Nextdoor founder Nirav Tolia, who just replaced her as CEO in May. And one of the things that sets top performers apart from the rest, she argues, is their compassion and their responsiveness. When her former EA’s husband was diagnosed with cancer, Sarah texted Benioff — who she had just left behind to work at Square — for help. Within seconds, she recalls, he arranged an appointment at UCSF. “That is an amazing moment of compassion,” she says, “where he did not need to take that time.”

In this episode, Sarah and Joubin discuss public markets vs. VC, George Floyd, working with the board, singular focus, Goldman Sachs, being in “flow,” the freedom of not getting the thing you want, Walmart, Steph Curry, Graham Smith, Charlie Rose and Donald Trump, ugly babies, Elon Musk, Ladies Who Lunch, CNBC, commuting from home, white noise, “frequent Friars,” @TechEmails on Twitter, and the “zone of gratefulness.”

Chapters:

(02:04) - Why Sarah left Nextdoor
(08:18) - The stock market and success
(10:21) - Going through hell
(14:48) - Life is not an A/B test
(16:09) - Multiple tours of duty
(19:21) - Ikigai
(22:02) - Perfectionism and drive
(25:54) - Sarah’s next operating role
(28:35) - Big transitions
(30:35) - Personal burn rate
(35:34) - “Are people gonna take my call?”
(38:40) - Leaving Salesforce for Square
(41:27) - Loyalty
(45:33) - Leaving the right way
(47:44) - Square and Swiss cheese companies
(50:03) - Growth companies
(52:38) - Apolitical workplaces
(53:42) - Leaving Square
(55:38) - Loneliness
(57:18) - Daily routines
(01:05:03) - Working on weekends
(01:08:30) - Hyper-responsiveness
(01:11:47) - Resumé virtues and eulogy virtues
(01:15:33) - What “grit” means to Sarah

Links:

Connect with Sarah
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins
This episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

#193 Former CEO Nextdoor, Sarah Friar: Four Circles

Grit