Joining oVice as VP of Engineering

After we all went into lockdown with COVID-19, I've got nothing much to do after work so I started helping out other companies as a technical advisor. oVice was one of them.

The product was extremely interesting. The company positions itself as a service provider for virtual real estate. Meaning you can sign up for spaces with oVice, customize it to your liking and then network and connect with people there, or do whatever you want to do like how you would with a piece of land in the real world.

While I love the idea of being able to work remotely and not having to commute to the office — the traffic around San Francisco is just pure horror and on top of that, you might get your car's window smashed. Why in the world would someone want to go pay for parking in the city for 8 hours and head home with a $500 bill? Just doesn't make sense —, one of the major pain points has been the loss of human interactions when people are present in a physical space.

There are numerous times we've overheard some other interesting conversations happening nearby, jumping in, and then lead to ideas and cross-team collaboration efforts you wouldn't have come up with if you've just been sitting by your own in a little box.

Being all by yourself in an isolated space 24/7 can be pretty lonely as well. Humans are social animals so being able to chit-chat and talk with people can be good for one's mental health. Zoom and Google Meet are not helping in that sense, and they are not designed to be used that way so you really can't blame them for it.

oVice tries to solve that problem digitally. The avatar that represents you can move around freely within each space, and there's a concept of direction and distance built into the app. Meaning, there's only so far your voice can travel. So if you're too far away from one another, you'll no longer be able to hear what other people are saying, which is pretty close to what you'll expect in the real world.

This means that you can virtually sneak up to a group of people and start eavesdropping on them, like how you'll do it in the real world!! I mean, that's how you network with other folks, right? :P

As time passes, it can get harder to keep in touch with folks that were once part of our lives, due to physical reasons or maybe other responsibilities. While most existing customers use oVice for work or school, it can be also used for all kinds of other gatherings, like one-time events and class reunions, etc.

Reducing the need or requirement to be at a physical location could help people lead a lifestyle they want as well. Perhaps you don't like to live in crowded places like New York City or San Francisco (or Tokyo) but still want to be able to work for a company located there. oVice can help achieve that, and can still make you feel like you're close to the people you work with regardless of the physical distance apart.

On the other hand, if you're a company looking to access talent globally, oVice can help you make sure employees in remote locations feels like they're part of the team regardless of where they live. Having that sense of belonging can be a crucial part of both the company's and the hire's success.

When I see technology having the potential to help bridge the gaps, and provide alternatives to the traditional ways of doing things, that's when I get most excited.

NOTE: We can't solve time zones just in case if you're wondering so you'll need to figure that part out yourself