Thank You The Ghost Howls

The AR stuff can wait; this is a glimpse into both my journey so far and where I am headed.

My future is an AR startup, for which I am building an audience using Maith and other newsletters. The next two newsletters are about food and Japan. 

My past is too convoluted to fully explain here. 

What I do want to do is express my gratitude to a great number of family and friends who supported me, though they had no idea of what AR is. I would like to especially thank someone who is a kind of a big deal in the AR/VR world. 

(Yes, there are lines in this post. That is because I am testing and being fancy by keeping my mistake.)

Before I committed to AR, I thought VR was the way to go. I thought VR was the way to go because I had much experience with 3D gamemaking. Keeping this story short, I decided to re-enter the world of VR after a period in which I was recovering from a personal and professional tragedy. 

In 2015 a new sun was was discovered, and the sun’s name was Oculus. As Oculus grew brighter, it became clear that it was time to utilize the skills I had learned in 3D gamemaking. 

I had an idea, a simple product, that would be perfect for VR. 

However, I had been out of the industry for almost ten years. I had no money, and more than a few grey hairs. I was a man without a country. Because of the Singaporean startup I had worked for, I had a few connections that I hoped were still around. 

What I needed was a sounding board, a professional in the VR world who would tell me if my idea was valid or not. I dug deep into the internet, hoping to find someone. Finally, in a remote part of GitHub, I found the research of someone who was obviously very gifted. And, this person’s tech descriptions were full of personality. I couldn’t fully understand all of his research, but there were always bits of humor that made me smile. 

I asked that writer if he would look over my plans and give me his opinion. 

And he did. 

The man’s name is Tony, Antony Vitillo. He does consulting and all kinds of VR things. He was a big part of the team that did the huge Jean-Michel Jarre VR concert, and more. His blog, called The Ghost Howls, is highly regarded by all in the AR/VR/potatoverse world.  

I would not have been surprised if Tony had ignored me. His rejection would not have stopped me. But Tony inspired me, encouraged me. He gave me hope. Tony is a human first and a technologist second. His blog is topnotch on the latest technology, but it is also fun to read. 

And so: thank you Tony from the bottom of my heart. 

Like the Ghost Howls, I hope that Maith can inspire, amuse and inform others. 

onwARd, 

Steve 

PS Potatoverse is Tony’s nickname for the “metaverse”