Happy New Year of the Metaverse!

In 2022 everything is new! While the good things that happened in 2021 have been welcome to the new year, none of the bad things have. Isn't that a superpower?

One of the good things that I have transitioned over is virtual spaces. While I used to be able to have 3 in-person meetings a day max., I am now able to have 8 or more, without the anguish of traffic jams, bad weather or other imponderables. This allows me to catch up with people easily, to reconnect with friends around the world, to have meaningful discussions with people who are physically somewhere else. It's not just about productivity, it is about being able to have a natural discussion with people who are somewhere else. I like it.

An even more exciting extension of this is the Metaverse. In the metaverse I can interact with friends and make new acquaintances, but also play games, visit art museums, and visit virtual cities as they are being built. It so exciting because it's new and it is being built in front of our very eyes. I feel privileged to be able to follow it up close, for instance playing the Sandbox using my alpha pass. There will be critics and detractors of this and other new developments, but the space will keep growing because everyone wants it to. It is full of positivity, it is fun and serves a useful purpose. It's not a coincidence that many of the largest companies are embracing it. It is no longer just the future, it is becoming the present: The Sandbox, which started building its metaverse 3 years earlier than for instance Facebook, generated gross merchandise volume of US$ 70 M in the first WEEK of December alone, and raised US$ 93 M in October in a round led by Softbank. We at 4i are supporting some of our clients' journeys in the metaverse. Contact us here.