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This was the most unique and fun episode I’ve done in a while, and it starts in a very unexpected place…

With the art of clowning.

Strange I know, but stick with us, because we quickly connect that world to technology, robotics, and why it holds surprisingly powerful lessons for this moment in time; especially if we want to design intelligent, embodied systems that humans actually want to engage with.

Our guest today is Pasquale D’Silva, CEO of The Illusion of Life, a company building characters and personalities into robots to make them interesting, fun, warm, and worthy of trust.

This all starts with their partnership with Boston Dynamics, where they’ve taken the Spot robot dog and turned it into a character with a real personality, called Spark.

In this chat, we talk about the relationship between humans and machines, and explore all kinds of crevasses, including trust, presence, emotional intelligence, and why artists—not just engineers—may be the key to building joyful, human-centered robots.

If you’re curious about the future of human–machine interaction, you’re gonna love this one. It will stretch your imagination in all the best ways.

So with that, enjoy this episode with Pasquale D’Silva.

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What if machines could learn the world the way humans do?

Not by crunching data and predicting tokens, but by understanding the world and how it works?

Imagine a robot that doesn’t just see a chair, but understands it— its purpose, its relationship to the table, the way you might pull it closer before sitting down.

That’s the world Matt Miesnieks is building.

Matt is the CEO of Primate.AI, a new kind of physical AI company rethinking how machines perceive and interact with reality. His team is exploring what happens when perception stops being a math problem and starts becoming an act of intuition.

Before founding Primate, Matt helped shape the modern era of spatial computing. He co-founded 6D.AI, the company that pioneered the AR Cloud—a real-time 3D map of the world that made digital content persistent in physical space. 6D.AI was later acquired by Niantic, creators of Pokémon Go, where its technology now powers their next generation of AR experiences.

Now, with Primate.AI, Matt’s taking his biggest swing yet: building machines that perceive reality the way we do—not through pixels, but through concepts, memory, and innate understanding.

If 6D.AI gave AR its eyes, Primate.AI is giving machines a mind.

In this conversation, we explore the future of embodied intelligence, what comes after language models, and why understanding the world like a human may be the only real path to AGI.

The company is called RP1, and we’re sitting down with co-founders Sean Mann and Dean Abramson.

On its face, RP1 is the world’s first true metaverse browser, trying to do for spatial computing what browsers like Mosaic and Internet Explorer did for the web.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Beneath the surface, RP1 is so much more... They’re building all the infrastructure and protocols required for a truly spatial internet—one where immersive, persistent digital worlds stream on demand, where physical and virtual environments seamlessly merge, and where millions of users can interact in one, shared world, not a bunch of silo’d virtual experiences.

In this episode, we dive into what RP1 actually is, how it scales to millions of users, and why they believe app stores must die.

We also unpack their vision for the core backbone of this future, a Spatial Fabric—a kind of real-time, distributed protocol for the metaverse that manages everything from identity and maps to avatars and live services.

This one’s technical, philosophical, and wildly ambitious. Let’s get into it.

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This interview is with Alvin Graylin — one of the boldest voices out there today on AI, reimagining civilization in the age of intelligence.

Alvin is the best-selling author of the book, Our Next Reality, which is a super thought provoking exploration of how immersive tech and artificial intelligence are going to reshape every layer of society.

Prior, Alvin spent over a decade on the front lines of the XR industry—building and leading HTC’s VR business in China, and serving as Chairman of the Virtual World Society.

Today, Alvin's on a new mission: to help humanity navigate the AI transition—researching, writing, and evangelizing ways to ensure AI serves a greater good and unlocks an age of abundance.

And While Alvin is an optimist, he’s also a realist—and he’s clear that this transition won’t be smooth unless we get a few critical things right.

We talk about…

* The real risks of AGI—not just killer robots, but unaligned incentives, unchecked power, and job displacement.

* His call for an “AI Bill of Rights,” and why the U.S. and China must shift from competition to cooperation—perhaps through what he calls a CERN for AI. (worth checking out the link to AI Bill of Rights here)

* And finally, we explore XR—not as a form of escape, but as a tool for empathy, education, and rewiring human behavior at scale.

This conversation is expansive, urgent, and radical. Let’s get into it. Enjoy.

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Today’s guest is a legend within spatial computing. We're speaking with Philip Rosedale, one of our spaces most renowned pioneers and the visionary founder of Second Life.

Long before the 'metaverse' and 'web3' became buzz words, Second Life was the first, commercially successful, virtual world, with a self-sustaining, digital society where millions could create, trade, and become whoever they wanted to be.

Philip does a lot of podcasts, so I tried to make this one unique.

Call me biased, but mission accomplished. This is easily my favorite conversation of the year.

We explore the enduring magic of Second Life, what it taught him about economics, identity, and why adults—not just kids—still crave virtual connection.

We dive into the deep stuff—how avatars act as mirrors of the self, why virtual identity can actually reshape real-world behavior, and how platforms like Second Life may hold the key to understanding consciousness itself. We talk about the illusion of self, the Proteus Effect, and what it means to co-create identity in a shared digital world.

And we ask: what happens when AI agents start growing up in these spaces? Could virtual worlds become safe playgrounds for emerging machine minds—and what might they teach us in return?

We then get philosophical, in all the best ways. We explore:

* Avatars as mirrors of the self

* How virtual identity can reshape real-world behavior

* What happens when AI agents start growing up in these spaces? Could virtual worlds become safe playgrounds for emerging machine minds—and what might they teach us in return?

So, definitely strap in for this one and enjoy, its wonderfully wide-ranging, it's mind bending, and it's most importantly, full of soul...

With that, I bring you Philip Rosedale.

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It’s time for some straight talk.

No hype, no press release optimism, no corporate spin. Just two guys with some scar tissue—and a lot of history—talking about what’s really happening in the world of spatial computing/XR.

In this episode, I sit down with Kharis O’Connell—former design leader at AR headset startup: Meta (the original Meta), Google, and Amazon.

Kharis has been in the XR arena since before the game began. From early experiments with Nokia's Point & Find in 2007 to helping define zero-learning-curve design principles at (OG) Meta, he’s seen the promise, the collapse, and the recycled hype cycles firsthand.

But this isn’t just a walk down memory lane.

It’s a reckoning.

Kharis recently left the XR industry. He’s no longer building AR glasses or pitching immersive futures to execs in Silicon Valley boardrooms. And that’s what makes this conversation special. He’s honest. Candid. Unfiltered. It’s the kind of clarity you only get once you’re no longer trying to raise funding or ship a prototype.

Reasons to listen:

* If you’re in the spatial computing space and having doubts

* If you’ve ever wondered why AR hasn’t had its iPhone moment

* If you’re building in this space and unsure whether to keep going

We cover:

* The philosophical vision behind the original Meta and why it failed

* Why “zero learning curve” design is mostly a myth

* What really happened at Google’s stealth AR program (and why it shut down)

* The failure of imagination across today’s use cases (yes, cooking demos again)

* Whether Apple Vision Pro was our “iPhone moment” (spoiler: it wasn’t)

* How the obsession with technology becomes an echo chamber—and how Kharis broke out

* The one big question every builder should ask themselves: Who is this for—and at what cost?

This episode won’t give you all the neat answers. But it will definitely give you better questions.

And if you’re like me—still carrying a flicker of belief that this tech can nourish the soul, not just the shareholder—then maybe that’s enough to keep going.

These tools are two sides of the same coin. Problem is... most people don't realize how and why. Nor do they realize what it means for their business, their careers, their children, their relationships, the list goes on.

This newsletter/pod will change that.

You see... Spatial computing has been misunderstood.

It's far more than just AR/VR headsets and the 'metaverse'.

Spatial computing is about any machine/device that can see, interact, and localize itself in the real world: this includes AR glasses, robots, drones, and self driving cars.

It also includes data, of an incredibly important kind... spatial data, i.e. data with an X-Y-Z coordinate, or what I like to call... 'world data' representing people, places, and things.

For decades, much of this data has lied dormant. Despite being immensely valuable, it's been woefully hard to access and to use. This ranges from 3D data (CAD, point clouds), to sensor data (IoT), to visual data of all types (photos, videos, scans)

But now, the terrain is shifting, and this data has an all new raison d'être...

AI is now supercharging spatial computing, and spatial is returning the favor — giving AI a body (robots), a perspective (3D computer vision), and a way to hear, navigate, and interact with the world (AR glasses).

Of most importance, it will give AI real world agency, and ultimately, the feedback loop needed to unlock the holy grail: AGI (artificial general intelligence).

At which point, the machines will dream, while helping humanity realize many of its dreams along the way.

As such, Dream Machines isn’t just a nod to the power of spatial + AI. It’s your window into all the ways the boundary between imagination and reality is about to collapse.

My guest is Dr. Walter Greenleaf, a legend in the world of virtual reality and healthcare. For nearly 40 years, Walter’s been building and studying how immersive tech can treat PTSD, chronic pain, anxiety, addiction, and even rewire how we think and feel.

Walter's primary role today is within Stanford Universty, where a Direector within Stanford Medical Mixed Reality center, and the resident AR/VR expert within ther Virtual Human Interaction Lab. His work sits at the cutting edge of neuroscience, immersive design, and digital wellness—and he’s advised countless startups and health systems on how to bring these technologies into the real world at scale.

In this conversation, we go deep on...

- the rise of emotionally intelligent technology

- the science of neuroplasticity, how VR can train us to be more mindful parents or more compassionate teammates

- how it might soon work alongside psychedelics, AI, and even becomes a tool to explore our future selves.

* Spotify Podcast Link

I recently sat down with Ashley Crowder, CEO of VNTANA, on her podcast Connected in 3D. We discussed all things at the intersection of spatial computing, digital twins, and AI, and where this convergence is heading within the enterprise space.

We covered…

* Why spatial computing is more than just headsets—it’s any system that sees and simulates the world

* The real reason most companies are stuck in pilot purgatory

* What a “spatial data plane” is and why companies need one

* How AI + 3D data unlocks powerful new use cases—from training robots to designing factories

* And why I believe generative UI will be the breakthrough that makes this all mainstream

If you’re interested in using digital twins, immersive tech, or AI to make better decisions—not just more noise—this one’s worth a listen.

And if you enjoy, please do give us some stars on your favorite podcast player, and please consider sharing with a friend or two! Really helps us spread the good word :)

Probably more than you care to admit.

Now imagine, all that distraction and friction disappearing. No more scrolling, typing, tapping. No more barriers between you and the information you need. No more heads down moments, getting lost in an array button, menus, and icons, breaking the flow of conversation and connection.

Instead, AI gets unleashed from tiny text boxes. It greets you as a companion in the real world, enhances your day without distracting from it, and moves us from a world of fixed, flat UI’s to generative, spatial UI’s, adapting based upon what we’re doing, who we’re with, and where we are; perhaps even how we’re feeling…

That’s the world a new startup called LIBBA is building; a world in which AR glasses and AI fuse to transform human-computer interaction, and our relationship with technology.

In this episode, we’ll jump 5-10 years into the future to explore the human experience once LIBBA accomplishes this mission.

How do we get there? Where are we now in the technology adoption cycle? And in classic Medium Energy fashion, we explore the philosophical questions behind this degree of merging the digital with the physical, and ask: how do we ensure that this future makes us more human—not less?

To help answers these questions, I bring you Nir Daube, CEO of LIBBA.

As most of you know, part of the Medium Energy mission is to explore what it means to be human in the age of exponential technology.

If that question interests you, this conversation absolutely delivers.

We’re peeling back the layers of the human psyche and exploring the future of emotional and psychological well-being. At the heart of the conversation is the power of curiosity.

We’ve all felt curiosity. But let’s be honest—how many of us truly know how to harness it as a tool to improve our lives?

To help us do exactly that, we're speaking with Todd Kashdan, a renowned psychologist and one of the world’s top authorities on not just curiosity, but also on the psychology of well-being, psychological strength, mental agility, and social relationships.

Todd is also one of my favorite authors, with numerous books that have reached millions of people. What sets his work apart is that he doesn’t just study human behavior; he dissects it, challenges it, and rebuilds it from the ground up. In doing so, he’s developed some rather contrarian takes, all of which I think are spot on. And I’m not the only one… his research is starting to blow up. He's been featured in major outlets like Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, Fast Company, Forbes, and the Hidden Brain podcast. And if that’s not impressive enough, Todd ranks in the top 1% of cited scientists worldwide, with over 225 published articles and more than 48,000 citations.

So buckle up—this is a special episode with a special thinker. And spoiler alert—I’m already looking forward to doing a Part II, as we uncovered so many more ideas to unpack

With that…. enjoy this first conversation with Todd Kashdan.

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Welcome to our quarterly market update for Q3 2024, with Hatem Dhiab, Managing Partner at renowned investing firm, Gerber Kawasaki.

In this series, we share our observations & leanings from the most recent quarterly earnings calls. The goal of this series is to help you stay calibrated to the latest market & investing trends.

This conversation kicks off with an exploration of modern investing strategies and psychology (hint: I think traditional market theory is erroding, and the traditional strategies are breaking down)

We then focus on where value might accrue next in the AI stack, and cap off with a debate around Bitcoin’s resurgence and role in the financial system.

As always, this is not investing advice. DYOR! (Do Your Own Research).

We’re diving into some more… soulful topics, while also getting rather personal and vulnerable.

Part of our core thesis at Medium Energy is that exponential technologies like Spatial Computing and AI… these are democratizing tools. They’re going to help more people climb the proverbial ladder that is Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’, all the way to that top rung, i.e. the mystical notion of self-actualization, or the idea of becoming who we're meant to be, finding our purpose, and fulfilling potential...

Now I know sometimes the pursuit of these things can get a bit woo woo. But in this episode, we keep it practical and tactical.

To do so, we're talking to Tommy Sobel, an impressive entrepreneur with a business and a coaching practice focused on digital wellness, digital habits, and most recently personal & career development.

Tommy’s created a great formula for uncovering what many people call their 'zone of genius’, and upon hearing about it, we went a bit off script. I couldn’t help but ask Tommy do a live coaching session with me right there on the spot, just like he does for his clients. So you're welcome, you're effectively getting a free session here of immense value yourself ;-)

So perk up and get ready to take some notes. This one is full of all kinds of golden nuggets that I'm going to certainly put into practice, and that I think you will find useful as well.

So without further adieu, I bring you Tommy Sobel.

We're exploring the complete merging of man and machine via spatial computing and BCIs (brain computer interfaces); a combo that will give us the ability to control machines with our minds.

And yes, this stuff is way more real and way more imminent than you think.

To explore the topic, we're diving into a company at the cutting edge of this frontier.

The company is called uCat (strange I know, but you’ll see why), and this conversation is with their Founder/CEO, Sam Hosovsky.

Sam has an incredible vision, and believe it or not, its very human centric and altruistic. Upon listening, I think you’ll see that this future doesn’t have to be as dystopian/Black Mirror’ish as some think…

To explore how and why, we start by exploring all the new innovations that need to exist, including:

* New types of AI to interpret neural signals

* New types of software to translate those neural signals

* New forms of avatar technology to map neural signals to a virtual body, such that we can have complete agency in virtual space.

We also discuss who this will be for, how they will benefit, and of course (in classic Medium Energy fashion) we get philosophical, exploring what this means for the human experience and what daily life might look like when it is real.

So buckle up. This one is mind expanding in the most literal way.

Without further adieu, I bring you Sam, aka ‘Saborg’, Hosovsky.

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If you're interested in how to build a more immersive and experiential internet (aka the spatial web), than this is your episode

We're interviewing an old friend and old colleague, Felix Herbst

Felix the CEO and co-founder of Needle, which has the most impressive suite of tools I've seen to date for building web-native, spatial applications.

For years now, the web has been highly sought after by the 3D and XR developers. But its been difficult to build web apps that are as compelling as their client side counterparts, which are built with powerful game engines like Unity and Unreal. These game engines have historically produced much better levels of animation, rendering, simulation, and interaction.

But with Needle, that's starting to change...

Felix and I know each other from the OG Meta days (the AR startup, not Facebook 2.0). When he left, I told myself, that’s a guy I need to stay in touch with. He’s going to go on and do something special.

I failed to stay in touch, but lo and behold, I recently bumped into Felix at aconference. And to no surprise, he’s on to something big… attacking one of the most important problem spaces within our domain; making it easy to build compelling 3D & spatial websites.

The long term vision? The Squarespace or Wix for 3D.

In my opinion, until something like this exists, this notion of the metaverse will remain hypothetical.

With all that said… whether you’re a business leader looking to build a more engaging website, or a 3D developer looking for better ways to build for the web, I think you're gonna really enjoy this one

So strap in, get ready to take some notes, and enjoy this episode with Felix Herbst.

The goal of this series is to address Bitcoin's marketing problem as one of the most misunderstood yet important technologies in common parlance today

If you've not listened to Part I, I'm going to refrain from shouting at you emphatically, and just say with complete patience and kindness... Press pause and go give Part I a listen. It was truly an awesome convo. We discuss the first 5 phases out of 7 and cover off on the 'what & why' of bitcoin

Here in Part II, we focus more on the 'how' and hit some of the more technical aspects that Bitcoin special & unique.

We also discuss:

- Marty's views on the Future of Media & Podcasting

- How he's going to run his media company on a Bitcoin standard

- His experience and foresight in running the largest bitcoin only investment firm, and the type of bets they are making.

So strap in, put on your slightly more technical hat, and enjoy this episode with Marty Bent

It’s alarming to me how many people still roll their eyes at the topic. Yet, more often than not, these same people haven’t made any effort to understand why Bitcoin exists, what problems it solves, and why its useful.

This is especially alarming considering the current fiscal and economic environment we're in (as I discussed in this essay here: Why Bitcoin (Really) Matters)

So, to tackle said marketing problem, there's few people in the world more qualified than our guest, Marty Bent. He's one the most renowned thinkers, investors, and creators in the Bitcoin space, and he has quite the pedigree...

Throughout this conversation, we package up all this knowledge into what we believe are the necessary steps, or ‘phases of knowledge’, required to fully appreciate Bitcoin's purpose and potential.

Perhaps I’ll call these phases the path, or at least a path, to ‘Bitcoin Enlightenment’.

We broke this convo into a two-parter. Here in Part I, we cover steps 1-5 (out of 7) towards enlightenment. This includes:

1/ Understanding the Problem (aka the water we swim in, which I cover in depth in this essay here)

2/ Recognizing that we're being deceived

3/ Grasping what sound money is and isn’t

4/ Seeing the financial incentive & game theory at play, and

5/ Understanding the role of energy in both bitcoin and the wider energy grid

So if you're new bitcoin, prepare to expand your mind and start thinking a bit different. And if you're a bitcoin veteran, sit back and enjoy the unique musings of no other than Marty Bent.

If you want a quick and robust download on the latest/greatest in immersive tech + spatial computing, this is as good as it gets...

Matthew is one of (if not the) world’s most esteemed experts on the metaverse and spatial computing (AR, VR, immersive 3D).

In today’s show, we discuss the revised and updated version of Matthew’s book, coming out in mid-July. The new title is ‘The Metaverse: Building the Spatial Internet’.

This isn’t your typical ‘revised edition’. About 70% of the content is entirely new.

I mean… what testament to how fast this space is moving! For this level of update to be so necessary, and so worthwhile, all within just two years, is kind of crazy.

But it makes sense. So much has happened since, from the acceleration of AI, NVIDIA’s meteoric rise, the Apple Vision Pro, the competitive tension with Meta, the crypto bubble bursting and bouncing, the list goes on.

And in this conversation, we cover all of it, including:

* Matthew's more philosophical views on the space.

* The updates to the new book and how this market is evolving

* The ‘adjacent possible’ at the intersections of AI and Blockchain

* Digital twins + simulation + AI

* The future of identity

* The most important question society should be asking itself at this moment in time

We also ask Matthew, if he was starting a company today, where/how would he be focusing?

And at the end, we play a fun game to put Matthew's skills as a strategist to the test…

So if the broader evolution of the internet interests you, and if your curious how to take advantage, then strap in and perk up; this is a special one with one of the most renowned, most thoughtful, and most nuanced thinkers in the entire industry.

With that I bring you, Matthew Ball.

If you missed Part I, highly suggest you back and take a listen. Lots of important context around the state of enterprise adoption today, along with where & how companies are having success with AR, VR, and 3D more broadly.

Here in Part II, we cover:

* The convergence of Spatial Computing and AI

* How & why they're really a marriage made in heaven

* Where there's some real utility now, where this combo is heading.

We also hit on the impact of the Apple Vision Pro, and of course, in classic Medium Energy fashion, we end on a philosophical note, exploring why this future will be a good thing for humanity

Per usual, let know what you think of this one, and if you have 30 seconds to spare, would greatly appreciate a share with one friend, and if feeling generous, perhaps review on your favorite podcast player!

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Good day friends! We have another great show for you all today… especially if you're interested in all things spatial computing in the enterprise, along with its intersections with AI.

This interview is with Sven Brunner, the Founder & CEO of Sphere.

Sphere is one of the leading spatial computing apps in the enterprise space today. I liken them to a spatial Swiss army knife, satisfying a variety of use cases centered around immersive collaboration, and really any moment of knowledge transfer that would benefit from immersive, 3D visualization or ‘just in time’ information.

This recording went longer than expected, so we're breaking this episode into a two part mini-series.

Here in Part I we focus on the current state of enterprise adoption and hitting on a range of topics, including:

* What the future of work & collaboration is going to look like

* The challenges holding the back main stream adoption today

* Where & how customers are finding success and utility

* What conditions need exist for meaningful scale

In Part II, we’ll do a deep dive on the convergence of AI and Spatial.

Let me know what you think of this one. And if you enjoy, please consider sharing with a friend or three! (Oh, and toss a rating if you get a moment :-)

Alright, enough from me. Put on your business cap and enjoy this episode with Sven Brunner.

Typically, we cover the more philosophical and practical sides of AI, Spatial Computing and Crypto.

Today, we’re exploring how to make money and grow wealth from these innovations.

Towards that end, this new segment will explore the most important things happening in financial markets and in the economy, with the goal of helping you better invest and plan for the future.

The plan is to do this right on the tails of earnings season... after all the most important companies show their financial cards.

To kick off this new series, we're leaning on a good friend and my go-to person for navigating the complexity of today’s market... and that's Hatem Dhiab.

Hatem is a Managing Partner at Gerber Kawasaki: one of the more renowned wealth management firms here in LA area.

Gerber Kawasaki well known for being more on the cutting edge of investing, particularly for being early bulls on Tesla and NVIDIA, placing heavy bets before the consensus rush. They've also trail blazed in giving clients early access to crypto.

So put on your money making cap, and enjoy this wide ranging chat on all things investing & current market conditions.

This is another live panel recording from SXSW. It’s also one of my favorite panels to date…

It was titled ‘Redefining Reality’, so as you probably guessed, it’s about all things spatial computing i.e. the full spectrum of immersive, interactive real-time 3D experiences… from 3D on the web, to headsets like the Vision Pro, to simulations on phones/tablets/laptops.

If you’re in search of talk tracks to pitch friends, family, or colleagues on why spatial computing matters, and why its worth investing in, you're going to enjoy this one.

The panel includes a variety of leaders and really great thinkers in the space, representing hardware/software for creating VFX at live events (Disguise, CXO Alex Wills), to Snap and their AR lens creator platform (Snap Global Director of Creative Studio, Resh Sidhu), to one of the top agencies in the world building spatial applications (Arcade XR CEO, John Meggitt)

This array of experience and perspectives allowed us to cover a variety compelling topics, including:

* The real 'so what' behind spatial computing, and the more fundamental & philsophical impact it will have.

* The idea of this not being just spatial computing, but rather 'experiential computing', and why that could change, well… everything.

* We also get practical and a bit technical, exploring the best practices brands need to consider to properly build & take advantage of spatial computing as it matures and transforms... and how to do so beyond just headsets.

I think you'll really enjoy this one, especially if you're trying to incorporate spatial into your company and/or work life. So let me know what you think, and if you do indeed enjoy, please consider sharing with a friend and leaving a review on Apple/Spotify!

Artist & The Machine is an awesome new event series put on by my friend Dani Van De Sande. She's pulling together an amazing community of builders, brands, and investors to connect in-real life to share ideas, co-create, and meld minds; all with a similar focus as Medium Energy: to champion the elements of tech that make us more human, not less.

This panel featured a very diverse and awesome line up of entrepreneurs within spatial computing.

We had Neha Singh, the founder & CEO of ObsessAR. Obsess is building the future of e-commerce via immersive, virtual retail environments. They’re effectively giving brands a digital 'come inside' button, helping customers better interact with and understand products.

We also had Reza Ali, CEO and Founder of Valence 3D: a 3D modeling app for iPhone, iPad, and eventually VisionPro. Check it out… it’s a really slick 3D creation tool for non-3D experts.

And lastly, Don Allen Stevenson, a prominent influence & creator in this space, educating people on all the ways to use AI and spatial. He also has one of the best nick names I've heard in the content creation realm — “the Bob Ross of the metaverse’...

If you don't know who Bob Ross is, your probably a Gen Z’er… *sigh- Just look him up on YouTube. A true gem of the 80's and 90's public TV era..

During the panel, we hit on all kinds of juicy topics at the heart of Spatial Computing and AI, including:

* How to address people’s fear & skeptcisim about this brave new world

* The impact we’re all seeing from this tech on both business & creativity

* And of course, we wax poetic and get philosophical about the long term implications of this interface for society writ large...

Alright enough preamble, let's dive into the show, and if you enjoy, please do subsribe, give us a rating on Apple/Spotify, and perhaps share with a friend or two!

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Welcome to Part II of our conversation with Vince Kadlubek, co-founder of Meow Wolf, aka the next-gen Disney, or what I like to call the ‘real-world metaverse’.

If you haven't listened to Part I, trust me… Press pause and check out that episode via this link (or the Apple/Spotify links above).

It’s garnered the best + most feedback of any piece of Medium Energy content to date. It also sets important context and provides ideas that underpin this conversation, such as…

* The future of storytelling

* How to tap into/harness imagination

* Balancing spontaneity with control

* Pricesless lesson in entrepreneurship

* How to bring a dream & vision to life out of thin air (e.g. ‘believing the unbelievable’)

Here in Part II, we dive into the future of Meow Wolf and how they’re integrating spatial computing, AI, and crypto.

We also discuss the challenges of leading a company, dealing with failure, and adapting to your own weaknesses.

In the end, we bring things home by getting deep. We discuss…

* Vince’s experience with love and death

* How to incorporate these parts of the human experience into our daily work and lives.

* What questions we need to be asking ourselves as we face this moment of exponential change

I came away from this conversation feeling really optimistic about where technology is taking us… Confident you’ll feel the same… So, let's get started.

Here’s Part II of our talk with Vince Kadlubek.

Vince is one of the most compelling thinkers I know. He's also the co-founder of Meow Wolf: one of the world's most original and exciting ventures within arts and entertainment.

For those unfamiliar, Meow Wolf is akin to a next-generation Disney, but with a unique twist… catapulting visitors into a vortex of childlike wonder & awe.

More concretely, they transform huge physical spaces into a kaleidoscope of immersive experiences that blur the lines between art gallery, amusement park, and interactive museum.

Here are some examples…

With locations flourishing in Santa Fe, Denver, and Las Vegas—and with more on the horizon—the realms they build look & feel like a real-world ‘metaverse’, transporting visitors into narratives brimming with digital art, sculpture, and an evolving array of technologies like AI, augmented reality, and spatial audio. We also discuss the potential to use cryptocurrency and NFTs… which in my opinion, is where things start to get really interesting…

This convo was too rich and expansive for just one episode, so we’re dividing it into two parts.

In this first installment, we cover:

* The ethos driving Meow Wolf, tracing its origins and exploring a concept that resonates deeply with me: the ability to believe in the unbelievable.

* The evolution of storytelling and its impact on our species, considering how such experiences not only offer healing and growth but can also usher in new avenues for finding purpose and meaning in our lives.

* This idea of ‘religion without religion’, as we navigate a world where traditional religious structures have left a void (of community & places with inspiration + hope)

These themes are not just intellectually stimulating; they touch on something elemental to the human experience… something we’ll explore further into in Part II (which we’ll be releasing as a fast follow later this weekend).

For now, let’s dive into Part I!

I find these topics endlessly fascinating, and upon hearing Vince’s perspective, I think you will too. So without further adieu, I bring you, Vince Kadlubek…

Draup  is one of the leading platforms and marketplaces out there for digital  fashion and accessories. Think of them as a blend between E-Bay and  Etsy, but for digital luxury goods. You can also liken them to a  ‘digital fashion house’ of sorts, designing their own items while  cultivating discussion & community around the latest trends.

This  might seem like a rather esoteric topic, but think again… The level of  adoption and revenue from digital fashion and self expression in virtual  worlds is eye popping.

It’s one of the largest, if not the  largest way to make money today in 'the metaverse'. Look no further  than Fortnite, who’s made billions of $$ from digital cosmetic items  (aka ‘skins).

Even if you’re not into fashion, stay tuned…  This conversation expands into a variety of compelling &  fundamental topics. To name a few:

* NFTs:  We dive more broadly into the topic of NFTs, discussing how to extract  real value and utility, and how shes navigated these various bull &  bear cycles

* Identity & Self Expression: We get philosophical and discuss the the future of identity and cultural expression, in this next generation of the internet

* GenAI: Of  course, we’d be remiss to not hit on how AI is going to play a role in  both building her business and digital fashion writ large

* Entrepreneurship: And  for the aspiring entrepreneurs out there, we also cover some of Dani's  personal experiences in building her first business. Her story holds  valuable lessons in having a bias for action, how to just get started,  and how to learn by doing.

I had a blast in this convo with Dani. Confident y'all will enjoy it as well! So without  further adieu, I bring you... Dani Loftus.

Oh! And and if you do indeed enjoy this episode… would beyond appreciate a quick rating of this podcast. Really helps us spread the message and grow :-)

Today's episode is with Nils Pihl, the CEO of Auki Labs.

Auki Labs is one of the most fascinating startups I've come across in a while, largely because they represent the complete trifecta we focus on here at Medium Energy: spatial computing, AI, and blockchain

They’re also fascinating due to their approach to building out one of the more important, yet under discussed frontiers in technology: the ‘AR Cloud’, or Augmented Reality Cloud.

You can think of the AR Cloud as shared 3D scans (or digital reconstructions) of the physical world.

These scans act as 3D maps (or digital twins) of physical environments, acting in turn as a digital fabric upon which augmented reality devices can synchronize and overlay digital content on the real world. This will allow multiple people to see/interact with the same content all in the same location, all while giving devices an understanding of the real world.

In short, the AR Cloud is the foundation for allowing the internet to fully fuse with the real world, producing what is now being called ‘the spatial web’.

The AR Cloud won’t only be critical for AR glasses. It can also power other computer vision based systems like self driving cars, robots, drones, etc.

As for the blockchain & crypto element… No this is not about just visualizing NFTs in a virtual world. It’s being used for something much more compelling and consequential.

Excited for you to listen to this one. It’ll really get the wheels spinning, while also providing valuable insights into:

* The technology powering spatial computing

* Some of it's more philosophical implications

* How we can earn an income with Spatial + Crypto

* How spatial computing can help us thrive in a world of AI and complete automation

Alright, without further adieu, I bring you: Nils Pihl.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider sharing with a friend or three! Oh, and would greatly appreciate a review + some stars. Really helps us grow & spread the good word.

You can check out their show/channel via this link here. (I have a few other interviews with them coming down the pipe, so stay tuned!)

We cover a range of topics under the spatial computing umbrella, including:

* Why the metaverse needs a reckoning, and how it should be defined (per my essay: How to Defend the Metaverse)

* The key unlocks for spatial computing to go mainstream

* How enterprises need to prepare for a ‘spatial first’ future

* How to communicate the value of spatial computing internally at your business

* The primary intersections between AI & spatial computing

* How/why humanoid robotics = spatial computing

* The long term implications of humanoids (per my essay: The Humanoid Race)

If interested in diving deeper into these topics & ideas, check out the essays below!

How to Defend the Metaverse

Finding Solace in the Age of AI

The Humanoid Race

This was a fun one. Think of Nevermet as the Hinge, Bumble, or Tinder of the metaverse, yet… quite different, and certainly more engaging. As you’ll hear in this interview, they’re enabling so much more than the mindless swiping and hollow chit chat plaguing dating apps today.

If you're still on the fence about all things metaverse, you'll probably wince at the idea of finding love in virtual worlds. But hear Cam out. He’s a great thinker with ideas that I think will expand your mind and leave you thinking differently about identity, connection, relationships, and why there might be some real upside to this approach.

I hope you enjoy this jaunt into the future of romance, and if you like the episode, please leave us a review with the number of stars you deem worthy.

It goes a long way to helping us grow!

Tripp is one of my favorite AR/VR applications. It’s also one of the most important use cases for spatial computing: leveraging the power of immersive experiences for mental health and emotional well-being.

You can think of Tripp as the Calm or the Headspace of the 'metaverse'.

Nanea has had an impressive business career, operating as a C-Suite executive across numerous media & gaming companies, including Electronic Arts as the SVP & COO of Global Online. But what I find most compelling is her personal journey. She's overcome a lot of adversity, from childhood and well into her adult life.

The kind of adversity that would force most people into a pit of despair... But Nanea was the epitome of anti-fragile. She found ways to grow, evolve, and emerge as the ideal leader for a mission like Tripp’s.

As someone who’s had their own bout with mental health, I’m quite passionate about their mission. I wrote about it at length in this essay, ‘The Ultimate Promise of the Metaverse’.

It argues that to battle the inherent afflictions of exponential tech, we’re going to need more powerful ways to reset our nervous system and ‘escape’ the noise.

Ways to tap into something bigger, grander, and more vast.

Ways to tap into flow, ‘stir the soul’, and reset our perspective, similar to the power of ancient monasteries or religions of old.

Excited for you to listen to this one. Enjoy!

Tony is one the earliest pioneers in all thing immersive tech and he has the stories, wisdom, and scar tissue to prove it.

Tony is also an author and a very talented musician, which is where we start the conversation, exploring how Tony is combining his technical prowess with his passion for music to create the first every play to be produced and funded by NFTs.

I'm excited for you to listen one, its got a bit of everything... from tech, to philosophy, to the trial & tribulations of the start life... and much more. Enjoy!

It explains the philosophy of 'Medium Energy', and how its core ideas/themes will be critical to human flourishing during the age of exponential tech and exponential change.

I wrote this after the initial explosion of ChatGPT, and the ensuing AI hysteria. It's even more poignant now, as AI continues to advance and creep into more area of human proficiency, e.g. creativity, reasoning, etc.

In the end, we wax poetic about where spatial computing is going, and what it means for society/being human.

Part I covers the past, present, and future of human computer interaction.

We explore these topics through the lens of my experience working for an augmented reality startup called Meta (The OG Meta...Facebook took our name after the company shut down in 2019).

Meta was trying to build something comparable to the AVP. We were close, yet so far...

Hope you enjoy, and if so... please do leave a rating/review!