Whether it is best referred to as the ‘Metaverse’ or ‘Web3’, the next transformation of the Internet will offer “a world of limitless possibilities,” Shurick Agapitov, CEO of Xsolla, a $3 billion global video game payment company tells Digital Journal.
The Metaverse concerns the virtual, immersive experience that have the potential to revolutionize how people live, work, connect and see the world.
Agapitov’s new book, Once Upon Tomorrow: Harnessing the New Opportunities The Metaverse Creates, highlights how the Metaverse will impact consumer-facing industries, entrepreneurs, the education sector, government relations and nonprofit efforts — charting a course to help readers understand the vast potential of the Metaverse so they can get ahead of the pack.
Agapitov grew up in Perm, Russia. He studied mathematics and computer science at the University of Perm. Moving to the U.S. in 2009, he did post-graduate work at Harvard Business School, Wharton and UCLA Anderson School of Management.
What’s so important about this Metaverse?
According to Agapitov: “It’s not just about 3D graphics or online speed. It is a transformational technology that will change how businesses operate, how consumers work and play, and how humans tell stories.”
Agapitov envisions a future where every consumer-facing industry, from fashion to healthcare to entertainment, is transformed. This presents opportunities for entrepreneurs. Here Agapitov shares the tools that will give aspiring business professionals a chance.
Agapitov foresees the Metaverse as being just a few years away from widescale adoption. The digital revolution of the Metaverse will be more powerful than the internet or mobile phones and will not be dominated by big Silicon Valley companies.
Instead, early adopters—anyone with a brand to sell or a story to tell—can use the Metaverse to build a hugely successful business.
In his book, Agapitov delineates how within the Metaverse, we will immerse ourselves in a growing global community that will change forever how we work, play, shop and explore, and engage brands, and how we interact and literally live our lives.
It is already notable how large companies such as Nike, Adidas and Gucci are already creating their digital footprints across the Metaverse, but as technology costs shrink, anyone can get into the game and create his or her own mega brand.
