BadVR is comprised of a group of dedicated, passionate people, working to solve the problem of how to view, analyze, and share data insights at scale. As modern datasets continue to increase exponentially in size and complexity, it’s become increasingly difficult for technical and non-technical users alike to engage with these huge datasets. That’s where BadVR comes in — with the addition of immersive (VR, AR) technology, the process of working with data becomes much easier and more accessible to everyone! But, where did the idea of bringing together data visualization and immersive technology come from?
Our CEO and co-founder, Suzanne Borders, was interviewed back in 2018 for an article of her own. She shared her journey and got us all up to speed about her experience founding BadVR. But her co-founder and CTO Jad Meouchy hasn’t spoken about his experience — until today. We sat down with Jad and asked him about everything from data to entrepreneurship — getting the inside scoop on the technical side of BadVR!
A little background: Jad has been building software and companies for 15 years, with three exits. His expertise in software architecture and data analysis provides a solid platform for bridging data into immersive tech. Jad is originally from Northern Virginia and strives to maintain a bi-coastal balance.
Let’s start with the basics. Tell me a little about what inspired you to start BadVR?
Spatial computing is the future and I am dedicated to realizing its full potential. There’s a tremendous opportunity right now to build that magical world that we all imagined as children, inspired by science fiction movies. Hollywood special effects are becoming real, and this inspires me every day to make once-fantastical concepts into everyday reality.
We are constantly surrounded by information everywhere we go, but it’s either invisible or elusive. Imagine if you had an extrasensory ability to see all that data. How could it improve your life? What kind of strategic advantage would it bring? How would you share it?
The way information is presented changes the way it is understood. Thus, the BadVR vision is not to make a 2x or 3x improvement in how people work with data, but 1000x. That’s the magnitude of impact that inspires us to tackle a challenge as big as BadVR.
Can you explain your role as CTO at BadVR? What does it entail?
On a high level, I transform my team’s vision into reality. I take abstract visions and convert them into a tangible reality, driven by the architecture and the code that our engineering team creates. More than anything, my role is to support and empower others to dream big and then to then find unique and innovative ways to make those dreams into tangible, marketable products.
What issue — or issues — are you solving with BadVR’s technology?
I seek to disrupt the clinical sterility of modern data tools. Using traditional analytics software is like trying to cut steak with a spoon. No matter how beautiful or rich your data may be, blunt instruments mangle it into a mess. If someone asks you to describe the smell of walking through a field of fresh flowers, would you really show a bar graph of median odor values? Is that the best, most effective, way to convey that information? No.
People have become accustomed to reductive displays of raw information, always serializing data into tables of numbers and math equations. But they don’t understand that the color of the story is tinted by the storyteller. When information passes through people and their opinions, it picks up biases along the way based upon ‘facts’ that may not actually be factual. Like a game of telephone, every level of analysis that happens between you and your raw dataset invites confusion and inaccuracies. This is why our technology is relevant — we allow EVERYONE to see and work with the raw data that holds the absolute truth.
What motivates you to tackle these problems?
“Data” is a difficult, high-stakes problem that has the potential to change everyone’s lives. I believe these grand challenges are what spark world-changing innovation and inspire teams to deliver their best work. Big problems with big impacts are immensely attractive.
These big problems cannot be solved just with desire; passion and creativity are absolute necessities. The intricate challenges of modern data can only be tackled through comprehensive efforts involving a variety of talented and motivated individuals. Which are exactly the kinds of people that I want to be around. It’s fun to work with people who break the mold.
Let’s switch focus away from BadVR. You’ve been coding for over 25 years — can you share some tips for writing great code?
Coding is both a science and an art. There are techniques that you learn from instinct, from inspiration, and from experience. It’s an organized arrangement of people and components that are labelled appropriately and well documented. Good code is short, simple, and easy to understand, like a great story. The most powerful, most effective stories (and apps) are the ones that resonate with the broadest audience. Some people think that code has to be really complicated to be good and I would say the exact opposite is true.
Speaking to science, code is not about the syntax as much as it is about solving small problems with succinct statements. Languages come and go, but good techniques remain constant. Code is an organization of ideas that are clearly expressed, and consistent with the other expressions regardless of which format may be “correct.” It’s not about each person leaving their mark — it’s about the group coming to a consensus and a shared understanding of how to solve a specific problem. Coding is a collaborative process, so it’s really important that everybody agree on rules and follow them.
Tell me a little about how you discovered coding and how that discovery led you to your position today?
I was always tinkering with mechanical things as a kid, because that’s what was accessible at the time. It was easy to take apart a broken alarm clock because I could get a broken alarm clock. Opening it up was like a fun puzzle, a story of how all the pieces came together to make a useful little machine. And you could always see the marks that the builder left behind.
However, these little electronic worlds I could explore weren’t always exciting, and I desired more intricate, complicated, and sophisticated machinery. I wanted to take apart the quintessential Swiss watch and see if I could learn something about the person who designed and assembled it. Of course, the last thing anyone would do was donate an expensive watch to a child for their own amusement in smashing it to pieces.
Software was an interesting twist. Even the most expensive, exclusive, and elaborate programs were accessible and deconstructable. This was a concept called “reverse engineering” and it was a fascination of exposure to new ideas and puzzle pieces. I could observe techniques from the finest engineers in the world without ever leaving home. I reverse engineered games, programs, even operating systems. And I learned more from that than any formal education!
What pivotal life experience made you who you are today? How did it change your perspective of the world?
One day, at the beginning of my career, a friend of mine bought a fancy new sports car for a small fortune. He found this obscure car racing event in the middle of the Everglades and drove down 12 hours on the hope that it would be a fun adventure. When we arrived at the privately rented military airstrip, there were maybe 50 people total. Of course, our vehicle was the cheapest and slowest of any in sight, as everyone else had flown in on their private jets while their entire garages of exotic cars were transported by covered trailers owned by another participant.
We raced everything and lost to everything, but the experience opened up our world. This was a whole other level of the game, and it changed my perspective about what was possible and accessible in this life. Prior to that moment, I’d only seen those automotive machines in movies and magazines, and wasn’t even sure they really existed. But being there in person and up close, talking to the mechanics who literally broke world speed records that day, it put a big smile on my face and a wind in my sail.
Everybody at the event was so friendly and welcoming. One of the guys said, “Hey, I just got this car, you want to check it out?” So I hopped into this wacky, door opening up, monster and clicked in the regular seatbelt just like the driver. The flag person gave us the thumbs up and the machine roared to life with the most acceleration I’ve ever felt in my life. We broke 205mph according to a GPS tracking device stuck to the windshield, which is stupidly fast. I turned to the driver and said, “Um, what just happened here? I thought you just got this car?” And he said, “Yeah, I just got the car from the performance shop where they added 600 horsepower. We probably should have worn helmets.”
Then he asked me what my passion was, besides fast cars, and I told him it was building software. He said he had an idea for an app and that’s how I met my first investor. When you see a vehicle (no pun intended) for getting to the next level, regardless of where, you learn to hop in. That was the opportunistic moment when I became an entrepreneur.
Can you share some words of advice for those just starting out in their careers?
1. Be receptive to new ideas. Always be ready to pounce on an opportunity that comes along, because they don’t come along too often. Don’t be afraid to leave an existing opportunity for a better one.
2. Build repeatable processes. When you are tackling a problem, spend a little bit of time figuring out if someone else has already solved it better. After you find a solution, write up documentation so you can save yourself and other people time in the future.
3. Surround yourself with positive influences. Conversely, rid yourself of toxic individuals. If you want to be financially successful through hard work and determination, hang out with people who’ve already done that and who embody what you strive to achieve.
4. Carefully read and politely ignore other people’s advice unless it confirms your pre-existing world view.
Let’s wrap this up with a question about the future — where is the immersive technology industry heading over the next 5 to 10 years?
Within the next 5 years, we will see the convergence of AR and VR into a single pair of 5G-powered glasses. You’ll be able to switch back and forth between realities at the press of a button. They’ll cost $200, or $999 for the Apple iGlass Pro XS Lite Max. Luxury brands will sell stylish frames at a premium and the lenses will automatically apply Insta-beauty filters to every face you see, and glitch out on pets.
Everything else within your view (while wearing these glasses) will become both a user interface and a digital advertisement space. Glance at the refrigerator and a little menu will holographically pop out showing that you need milk. A popup coupon ad will nag you to reorder, and you’ll tap twice to have a drone drop it into your roof delivery box within 1hr. When the drone gets nearby, the holo-glasses will buzz and show you a picture of the milk carton lying on its side, dented, confirming the delivery.
This is the future I see. And I’m excited to help build it with BadVR!
Interested in keeping up with Jad and his company, BadVR? For all the latest updates on immersive data visualization and analytics, stay connected by following the links below:
- Jad’s Twitter
Wanna taste of the future of data? Reach out today to schedule a demo or contact us at info@badvr.com!
