Why am I so excited about Virtual Reality? This wave of Virtual Reality is a Product Manager’s dream. There are new technologies and new markets, without product market fit. This provides for plenty of opportunity to solve new user experiences, new hardware and software constraints, and disrupt old paradigms. Plus, there is a great community supporting everyone involved. We all want to see this industry grow and thrive.
I believe there is good that will come out of VR. Even though I have seen Lawnmower Man.
I forgot how fun it is to make stuff with 3D modeling and animation as I did in college. Obviously I have mad skillz.
The hardware is consumer ready. In 2016 alone, the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, Playstation VR, and Google Daydream will have launched!
Not to mention the industry is on a crazy trajectory in gaining venture capital funding.
This new wave of technology takes me back to the early internet days.
Virtual reality was once the dream of science fiction. But the internet was also once a dream, and so were computers and smartphones. The future is coming.
Mark Zuckerberg, March 25, 2014
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality is ready to disrupt all sectors. Whether it is social, advertising, sports, education, politics, games, art, music, you name it. There are even reports of VR healing powers.
So where to now? Well, I’m upgrading my skills.
I’ve read Snow Crash & Ready Player One. I’m reading about VR design patterns, demoing different VR experiences, and working my way through Unity tutorials, etc.
I’ve started the Eastside Virtual Reality Meetup, a Youtube channel & Twitter @esidevr to absorb myself in the community. I will be joining my first Virtual Reality Hackathon in a couple of weeks.
Only time will tell, but I’m super excited to experience this next wave of technology.
Cheers,
Kirk Kohler
@kirkkohler | @thevrpm
Please leave a comment & share. Why are you excited about Virtual or Augmented Reality? What was your first VR experience? Where you impressed or disappointed? Did you laugh, get scared, or cry? Do you believe the whole concept is a fade or the next revolution?
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