Before you jump in for fear of missing out, it’s important to pause and look back, says Joe Hyrkin, CEO of Issuu. There are lessons to be relearned from the industry’s first attempt at virtual reality (VR) in the early 2000s. The question is: are we ready to listen this time?

Interest in income opportunities in the metaverse is increasing; it is expected to be worth $800 billion by 2024. Its seduction is hard to avoid: many publishers now face added pressure to get involved.

Let’s start by talking about where it all started. News flash… the metaverse is not new. It was originally minted in 1982 in Neil Stevenson’s novel, snow crash. Twenty years later, Second Lifewhich is often credited as the first to catch on, was released in…