Silo Busting 40: Web3 vs. Metaverse with Sasha Pitkevich and Cristina Garcés

The EPAM Continuum Podcast Network

Virtual confusion has been wafting through the 21st century c-suite. Leaders are asking: *Web3? Metaverse? What’s the relationship between the two… and how will it affect our business?* They are frantically trying to sort out the nuances. Are you perhaps such a leader? If so, you’re in luck: We’ve captured a conversation between Alexandra "Sasha" Pitkevich, EPAM’s Blockchain Lead, and Cristina Garcés, CEO of Optiva Media, an EPAM company, that will put the issue into a proper context for you and your organization. In this episode of *Silo Busting,* Producer Ken Gordon put some queries to our experts and their answers, delivered in clear, human-centered language, provide an inside look into what clients know, and need to know, about Web3 and the metaverse. For Pitkevich, much of the confusion is a matter of “bad timing, coincidence, because both terms appeared in the market at the same time.” Part of it is a lack of digital and technological experience. Many people, says Garcés, haven't ever pulled on a VR headset and don't understand the metaverse as “somewhere where they're going to explore, experiment, socialize.” Pitkevitch says that it may be a literary issue, citing Neal Stephenson’s use of the term “metaverse” in *Snow Crash.* For some sci-fi fans, the concept “came not from the reality but from the books.” Plug into their conversation and you’ll learn why a virtual standalone community is not a metaverse, hear about the new vulnerabilities of the metaverse, and consider the issues around data sharing and intellectual property rights. You’ll ponder the central concept of interoperability and dare to think of the pivotal role of community managers (Pitkevitch says of metaverse use cases: “They lace in between brands, they lace in between business units, and they're powered by the community interaction”). This bold, borderless episode will get you ready for a bold, borderless future. Don’t fret; just listen. Host: Kenji Ross Engineer: Kyp Pilalas Producer: Ken Gordon