#116— Cathy Hackl: Expanding Our Actual and Virtual Reality with Spatial Computing

Cathy Hackl is a globally-recognized tech & gaming exec, futurist, & speaker focused on spatial computing, virtual worlds, augmented reality, AI, & gaming platforms strategy. She’s the co-CEO of Spatial Dynamics, a spatial computing and AI solutions company. She is also a top tech voice on LinkedIn, and a fun fact, she was the first person ever to open the NASDAQ market in the metaverse with an avatar. 

Cathy is a powerful voice on spatial computing and immersive technology, guiding businesses on integrating these into their product portfolios and business models, having worked with companies like Nike, Ralph Lauren, Walmart, & Louis Vuitton. In this conversation, we dive deep into these topics, narrowing in on key insights from her upcoming May 2024 book, SPATIAL COMPUTING: An AI-Driven Business Revolution. 

In this episode, Cathy shares with us: 

• The definition of spatial computing, and how it’s not just a new emerging technology, but rather an expansion of computing as we have known it  
• Spatial computing’s interrelation with the metaverse, and the increasingly blurring boundaries between what we knew of as the “virtual world,” and our physical reality 
• How AI is not just an addition to computing, but a convergence that is opening up new possibilities  
• What areas of their business model leaders need to be thinking of to stay ahead of the curve in light of this new field of technologically that will quickly become the norm 

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Episode Timeline:
00:00—Highlight from today's episode
1:07—Introducing Cathy + the topic of today’s episode
3:58—If you really know me, you know that...
4:21—What's your definition of strategy?
5:30—Cathy's virtual Nasdaq experience
6:40— Clarifying what spatial computing encompasses
10:37—What people often get wrong when envisioning the spatial web 
14:29—How people who grow up with digital experiences think about virtual vs. real world 
16:58—How does supply and demand work with digital goods?
19:42—The opportunity and market size for digital products and goods
21:41—The role and interrelation of AI within the metaverse and spatial computing
24:09—Overlooked business model opportunities for business leaders
26:05—How can people follow you and continue learning from you?
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Additional Resources:
Personal site: https://www.cathyhackl.com/
Book site: Spatial Computing: An AI-Driven Business Revolution
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathyhackl/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CathyHackl

Thank you to our executive producer Zach Ness, our producer Nazanin Homayoun Jam and our editor James Pearce. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, download, and subscribe. I’m your host, Kaihan Krippendorff—thank you for listening.

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