They say we are all standing on the shoulders of giants. While this holds true for any area you can think of, its implications are not as axiomatic to most of them as they are to the tech industry. Unfortunately, while many of these giants are widely recognized by people all over the world, many others have made a significant impact but have remained in the background despite the magnitude of their contributions. One such giant is Tony Parisi.
A software executive, serial entrepreneur, investor, author, and metaverse pioneer, Tony Parisi has over three decades of experience in the tech industry. He is best known for his pioneering work in the field of virtual reality and 3D graphics, having led the efforts of companies like Unity in these areas. Mostly known for his work developing technologies and standards like WebGL, VRML, X3D, and gITF, Tony's recognition has been mostly limited to academic and technical circles.
Tony's journey in the tech industry is comparable to the legendary figures who helped shape the technology landscape as we know it today, such as Steve Wozniak and Linus Torvalds. Just like these tech icons, Parisi has made significant contributions to the industry and his impact will continue to be felt for many years to come. Through his work, Parisi has shown a deep understanding of the potential for technology to change the world, and he has worked tirelessly to make that potential a reality.
After having "decided to join the great resignation" by leaving Unity back in 2022, most of Tony's work has been focused on helping shape the future of the metaverse. He has done this by joining early-stage fund ME Ventures as an advisor and limited partner, as well as Neal Stephenson's brainchild LAMINA 1 as Chief Product Officer.
Tony's work with Neal Stephenson, who first came up with the idea of a metaverse back in 1992 when he wrote Snow Crash, would eventually lead Tony to come up with the seven rules of the metaverse. Similar to what Asimov's "Three Laws of Robotics" did for the robotics industry during its early stages, Tony's 7 rules have helped metaverse developers establish a framework for a concept as wide and misunderstood as the metaverse.
"In order to avoid more confusion, and with the sole intent of keeping all eyes on the prize, that is, building a Metaverse intended for the greatest good for the greatest number, it appears that some clarification and guidance are needed," wrote Tony back in October of 2021. "In the meantime, in order to avoid more confusion, and with the sole intent of keeping all eyes on the prize, that is, building a Metaverse intended for the greatest good for the greatest number, it appears that some clarification and guidance are needed."
The publishing of Tony's 7 laws was meant to be a response to Mark Zuckerberg's announcement of Facebook's rename to Meta and the company's intention to lead the way to develop "the metaverse". Meta's decision to go public with this quickly sparked misinformation and talk about the various metaverses in development, something that Tony considered to be counterproductive for the entire space.
"Well-intentioned but naive seekers are grasping for a conceptual foundation on which to base their work and place their bets. Entrenched players with specific agendas are attempting to favorably direct the conversation in an early bid for market dominance," said Tony back then. "All of this becomes amplified, removed from context, and repeated with increasing noise added to the original signal via social media."
Tony's laws for the metaverse quickly resonated with a big portion of the metaverse development community, especially among those who feared Meta's and other tech giants' race to build their own ideas of a centralized metaverse.
This fight for the future of the internet and the virtual world built around it might not be known to the public. However, with some luck, it will be a fight that Tony and other open metaverse advocates will win, ensuring the metaverse doesn't become the dystopian future many have come to expect.
