Making a Metaverse That Matters

CHAPTER 3How Facebook Became Meta (But Lost the Metaverse on the Way)

If the mystery of Second Life is how a company widely acclaimed as the Metaverse could fail to become that on a mass market scale, then the mystery of Meta offers us a mirror image conundrum:

How could a company with such a massive user base and near-infinite resources of money, talent, and experience also fail so thoroughly at making the Metaverse? (So far.)

And to enhance that mystery, here's another layer to consider: Meta's initial metaverse efforts were largely led and advised by veterans of Second Life.

Indeed, by the time you read these words, Meta may have officially pivoted away from its metaverse strategy. Although Mark Zuckerberg in late 2021 announced its creation of the Metaverse as so important to the company that he actually changed the company's name to reflect that, the Internet giant already appeared to be backing away from that goal within a year.

By December 2022, after months of punishing stock declines, his trusted lieutenant and head of Reality Labs Andrew Bosworth posted an announcement with the somewhat defensive title “Why We Still Believe in the Future.”

Notably absent from those 1,800 words: a single mention of “the Metaverse.” Not one.

With corporate announcements of that caliber usually reviewed by dozens of eyes, it's difficult to believe the omission was unintentional.

For the record, I attempted over several months through various channels to speak with Mark Zuckerberg. After ...