Apple's Vision Pro and Meta's Metaverse: Lessons for the Web3 Industry

Yesterday, Apple announced the launch of its Vision Pro headset, a revolutionary augmented reality (AR) device. As expected, this has sparked excitement and anticipation. Meanwhile, Meta (formerly known as Facebook) has faced challenges in realizing its vision of the metaverse, struggling to captivate the public's imagination and even discontinuing the project.

So what is different? What did Apple do right?

Personally, I think there are 3 valuable lessons that can be gleaned from Apple's success with the Vision Pro as opposed to Meta's difficulties with the metaverse. Hopefully, this can provide insights for the burgeoning Web3 industry.

Lesson 1: Focus on user experience

Apple has a long history of creating products that are easy to use and that provide a great user experience. The Vision Pro is no exception. The headset is designed to be comfortable to wear and to provide a clear and immersive AR experience. Meta, on the other hand, has been criticized for its focus on hardware over software. The company's Oculus Quest headset is powerful, but I doubt that it is as easy to use as the Vision Pro.

This reinforces the need for builders and designers to do their utmost to create practical, user-centric experiences that seamlessly integrate into people's lives, empowering individuals through utility and relevance.

Lesson 2: Build a strong ecosystem

Apple's success is attributed in part to its robust ecosystem, encompassing a large user base and a wide array of apps and services. This cohesive ecosystem maximizes user engagement and enables users to optimize their Apple products fully.

Conversely, Meta's struggles lie in building a comparable ecosystem around its metaverse platform. With a user base that is small (in terms of metaverse knowledge) and limited app and service offerings, users may find it challenging to derive the full potential of the metaverse. Like Apple, web3 developers should also focus on cultivating a strong ecosystem that supports their products, fostering a thriving community of apps, services, and collaborations.

Lesson 3: Practice Patience

Apple knows how to make you wait. The company has, in my opinion, mastered the art of making the world feel the suspense in anticipation of a new product. Whether it's a new iPhone, iPad or iWatch, stores are usually buzzing with pre-orders in the months and weeks leading to a product launch. Interestingly too, since 2015 when it released the iWatch, Apple hasn't made any major expansion into a new product category until now. All of these, I think, adds up to the success of it products.

Meta, on the other hand, was quick to announce a name change. Many market experts have opined that the company tried to rush into the metaverse market and release products that were not ready for prime time. This led to disappointment among users and investors. Most likely, had the company been more patient, they would have found a way to sync the tech with their existing social media platforms.

For example, what if you could have an immersive video call with someone on WhatsApp or an Instagram-hosted concert through the Oculus?

While I do not have all the details of Meta's pitch on the metaverse, I'm pretty sure it was not exciting enough to rile up investors like the buzz we now have with the Vision Pro.

The Web3 industry should be able to shape a landscape that empowers individuals and unlocks the true potential of decentralized technologies. As there is much to be learned from the success of Apple, so there is much to be desired in the development of Web3 technologies. Yet, the future is super bright, and like the Web3 OGs say, WAGMI!!!

We are all gonna make it!