I’ve got a confession. (Cue Usher’s hit single “Confessions”)

I am not exactly sure what the metaverse is. There I said it. I feel so much lighter lol :-)

Last year, “metaverse” burst onto our collective lexicon when Facebook announced it was reinventing itself as Meta. Mark Zuckerberg produced an hour-long video explaining what the metaverse was and how Facebook was going to engage in it. I didn’t watch the video then but I did see a few clips. It felt important. I felt like it must be a big deal if one of the world’s richest men was betting his ENTIRE fortune on it. I didn’t want my ignorance to cost me this opportunity.

So I started a little exploration. I spent part of my New Year’s Eve in the Decentraland metaverse. I started buying a few metaverse tokens and invested in a metaverse-themed ETF. During the hype, I even considered buying some virtual land in the metaverse. Now to be clear, my investments were pretty limited…way less than 1% of my portfolio.

But since Facebook’s fateful announcement, the world’s most prestigious investment banks and consulting companies have published a slew of reports on the metaverse opportunity. Citi Bank forecast that the metaverse economy could be worth $13 trillion by 2030. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) had a less bombastic view, forecasting that the metaverse economy would be worth $1.3 trillion by 2030. To put things in context, in 2021, the total value of the US car and automobile manufacturing market was $83B. The bottom line is this - some smart folks are saying the metaverse could be at least 12 times the US car market in 7.5 years. No one knows the future but there is some consensus that the metaverse could be BIG business.

Ok…you’ve got me interested. But what is the metaverse??

I have been digging trying to learn more. I finally watched the Zuckerberg metaverse video. I listened to a bunch of podcasts, watched more YouTube videos, read some essays, and flipped through a couple of decks. I’m still organizing my thoughts and refining my thinking. Figured it might be helpful to share some of my preliminary thoughts. Let’s go!

What is the metaverse?

High school level definition

The metaverse is a 3D version of the internet. It is a convergence of the physical and digital worlds.

According to Matthew Ball, the metaverse represents the 4th wave of computing. The first three waves were mainframe computing, personal computing and mobile computing. So if the mobile era was defined by easy ability to get online, the metaverse era would be defined by always being online, this is called ambient computing.

College-level definition

According to Roundhill, the metaverse is the successor to the current internet that will be interoperable, persistent, synchronous, open to unlimited participants with a fully functioning economy, and an experience that spans the virtual and 'real' world.

TLDR: the metaverse is an immersive, interactive environment generated by a computer.

What is NOT the metaverse?

Did you notice that none of the definitions mention virtual reality headsets? That was a big surprise to me. I had originally imagined a future where VR headsets became as common as cellphones are today. While I think sales of VR headsets are poised to going to continue rising, they are NOT required to access the metaverse. In fact, some of the closest metaverse-like experiences in gaming are accessible via cell phones.

Side note - my jaw dropped when I recently learned that Meta sold 8.7 million Oculus VR headsets in 2021. That’s more unit sales than Xbox consoles in 2021! Do you have one? I’m thinking about getting one to test it out. Sales of these VR headsets have doubled each year. Now Meta is opening up physical stores so more people can experience it firsthand.

TLDR: VR headsets provide one way to access the metaverse but they won’t be the only way to experience it.

The metaverse must be experienced.

One of my cousins in Nigeria told me how undergrads studying computer science did not have access to computers. They would write computer code by hand on paper and then submit their homework to professors to review. These students did not get the opportunity to actually run the code to see if the code did what it was supposed to do. They did not get to practice how to troubleshoot bugs in the code.

We can all agree that this is a subpar way to learn. I think about the metaverse along similar lines. It’s nice to read and write about it but ultimately one is best served by diving in and playing with the emerging technology. It’s kinda like going back in time to the 1920s and trying to explain the internet to your neighbors. Not easy lol.

Ok. Sounds nice but what problem does the metaverse solve?

I’m still ruminating on this. Right now, I think the metaverse could increase accessibility, remote collaboration, education, gaming, social relationships, industry, and more.

a) Accessibility: One of my friends in college was a fountain of dry jokes and witty takes. She was also a triple major who graduated with a 4.0 GPA. But I’ll never forget when she shared that she sometimes had to drop classes that she wanted to enroll in because the building was not wheelchair accessible. My heart sank. I did not realize that not all buildings on campus were wheelchair accessible or had elevators. This opened my eyes to the inequity of access. I hope the metaverse can extend access to people who might have different mobility abilities. But then I think about people who are visually impaired and hope access is somehow extended to them too.

b) Remote collaboration: I’m tired of Zoom. I love people and I’m energized by engaging with people. But sitting in a chair going back-to-back on never-ending Zoom calls is draining. It’s also often subpar when some coworkers are meeting in person and others are on Zoom. Last year, Bill Gates said that within 2-3 years most work meetings would be held in the metaverse. I laughed when he said it. I still think his timeline is unrealistic. But I hope he is directionally right. I hope a metaverse solution improves the Zoom experience. Perhaps a future where coworkers can use holograms or avatars in 3D to engage with each other and express more body language beyond facial expressions.

c) Education: Let’s face it. Not all teachers are created equal. Some are very engaging and can bring a seemingly dry subject to life. But others struggle to impart knowledge to students. Students have different learning preferences. Students who are strong audio-learners are advantaged in the existing education system. Now imagine if students had the opportunity to travel through time and space to experience natural phenomena and historical events. Imagine if instead of memorizing the planets you could see them close up and see the icy rings around Saturn. Or be on the front row as Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. Imagine if medical students could go on a safari through a human’s veins and arteries to learn about heart disease. These immersive experiences would be resonant and more engaging. Researchers say immersive experiences lead to 30% greater retention. This increased understanding could trigger more technological breakthroughs. I’m excited!

d) Social relationships: When my grandpa went to medical school in England in the 1930s, his letters would travel 6-10 weeks before they reached his parents in Nigeria. Today my family is spread out across Africa, Europe, and North America. Video calls and cell phones have made the world feel much smaller. But I hope the metaverse could take it to the next level. It would be amazing for my parents to have more immersive experiences with their grandchildren. My nieces are becoming more curious about our culture and heritage, it would be amazing if my parents spend even more time with them and give could give them a virtual tour of our ancestral village or the cities they grew up in. Obviously, I don’t think the metaverse would be a perfect substitute for in-person interaction but I think it could be a bridge over oceans and great distances.

e) Industry: According to McKinsey, BMW was designing its most advanced manufacturing plant when a team member suggested they build a virtual replica in the metaverse before beginning construction. So they did! BMW executives and technologists were able to physically tour the metaverse plant. Soon they realized 30% of the design choices were not ideal. They significantly revised the designs before proceeding to construction. Testing it out before construction led to substantial financial cost savings.

Sounds good….what are the downsides?

In life, you gotta take the rain with the sunshine.

a) Terror risks in 3D: Tec...