Everywhere you go; it is metaverse and more metaverse. It is a trendy buzzword that has emerged over the last couple of years, and this is when the former head of strategy at Amazon Studios, Mathew Ball, started writing metaverse-themed essays. They were lucid, long, and influential. Here are some captions:

“Even if the metaverse falls short of the fantastic visions captured by science fiction, it is likely to produce trillions in value as a new computing platform or content medium,” Wrote Ball at the Start of 2020.

“This behavior of unconstructed socializing and creation – rather than playing a game – had gone from fringe and incidental to central to the experience,” Wrote Ball in another publication.

Now, Ball has updated and expanded his collection of essays into a complete book, “The Metaverse: And How it will Change Everything.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Ball opens up on his research habits, his principles, and why metaverse might be the exact opposite of what you think. 

Let’s commence with your habits. You are known for having this bigger picture on techs. So, what types of habits do you maintain to get such a perspective without getting overwhelmed even by the current noises?

Matthew Ball: I have no answer for that question. My days are unstructured, and all that I can say is that I read so much on Twitter and papers. I do not subscribe to newsletters. 

This is the most important thing: I spend most of my time participating in portfolio companies’ Telegrams or Slack or Signal Messengers. The wisest in these spaces are early-stage investors. When I read their rants and ask them to explain what they think are misunderstood thoughts tough to replicate. There are several hours of my day that I hold with founders and business partners that help delve deeper into the ideas. 

I also play a lot of video games. 

You said your life is unstructured. What do you do to think clearly? 

Matthew Ball: Yeah. Not directly, but I considered it as an inevitable byproduct. Every day, I run 5-10 kilometers and catch the latest on the television. I also hike 60 to 90 minutes every day with my dog in the woods. During this time, I actively and passively write in my head and reflect on my work. 

You write long and thoughtful essays and throw them for all to read. It is like a throwback to Twitter. What attracted you to this media?

Matthew Ball:  I never wrote for a specific audience. So, I prefer thinking I don’t. I wrote because I wanted to say something, found the process illuminating, and was fortunate to get an audience. I felt a strong compulsion to write and release a piece. So, I just wrote and released the pieces to get the feedback. 

What is metaverse? 

Matthew Ball: I prefer describing and not defining. The reason is that to define the internet is simply saying it is TCP/IP. Nevertheless, you can get definitions online. Metaverse is a network of networks that provide for seamless, coherent, and comprehensive transmission of data via different networks, supporting emails, and images.