The Existential Crisis of a Tech Enthusiast

Why did AI take off so quickly, while XR, despite years of promise and investment, never quite caught the same fire? And where have all the community led VR/XR Developer communities gone?In this episode, I chat with Neilda Pacquing Gagné, former XR founder turned AI ecosystem builder, she shares her experience growing Ottawa’s AI community from just 3 to over 1,500 in two years. And what becomes clear is this: strong builder communities act like fire starters for scaling new techIf new tech is the spark, developers and creators keep the fire going--helping it catch, spread, and burn long enough to turn into something real.We talk about what helped AI catch that fire, easy ways to get started, tools people could actually use, and a culture of learning together (and why XR, in many ways, struggled to build that same kind of shared momentum despite the hype.)This conversation is also a reflection on something many tech platforms still overlook: ensuring communities have ease to developing together is vital part of the roadmap strategy. We discuss:• Why XR felt more fragmented and harder to build within• Why AI feels more open and easier to experiment with• What it takes to build a healthy, active builder community• What platform leaders can learn from these differences• Why community isn’t just support (Hint: it’s what drives growth)If you’re thinking about where technology is headed, this is really a conversation about the invisible forces that decide whether something grows...or fades out.Host:Cloramawww.linkedin.com/in/cloramaSpecial Guest:Neilda Gagne, AGI Ventures: Ecosystem Architect•⁠ ⁠https://www.neilda.com/•⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/neildapacquing/•⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.agiventures.ca/00:00 Hook: Why AI Is Scaling Faster Than XR*Part 1: Neilda's Journey into Architecting an Ecosystem*04:10 Intro to Neilda11:09 From Silicon Valley to Ottawa12:54 How Tech Meetups Led to a Career Breakthrough16:12 Why Real Connection Beats "Networking"18:36 The Unexpected Start of a Community Builder19:56 Biggest Mistakes When Starting a Community23:34: Building a Thriving AI Ecosystem28:18 From 'Community' to Company'28:41 How a Community Grows From 3 to 1500 People33:01 Struggles with Building Communities in Silicon Valley33:17 Tech Ecosystem vs Builder Community35:25 The Problem With Leader-Centered Communities37:08 The 8 Values That Keep Growing AGI's Community Health42:41 How Leaving Silicon Valley can be advantageous for innovation43:26 Building In Isolation vs In Community47:28 The Hidden Link Bt Diversity and Community Values 49:42 Creating a Hacker House52:56 Turning Community Into a Sustainable Ecosystem54:03 Real Success Stories From the Community55:43 How to Select the Right Builders for Your Ecosystem*Part 2: Why XR Struggles to Maintain Momentum? What is Big Tech Platforms missing?*58:09 Structural Challenges of XR Communities01:03:39 Why XR Communities Fragment01:07:41 The Role Big Tech Plays (and Often Misses)01:08:46 Managing Conflict in High-Performance Communities01:11:25 If Communities Drive Innovation… What Must Big Tech Change?01:20:44 What keeps Builders consistent?01:21:28 Creating Spaces Where Everyone Can Contribute01:23:06 Claude vs ChatGPT?

Why did AI take off so quickly, while XR, despite years of promise and investment, never quite caught the same fire?In this episode, I sit down with Neilda Pacquing Gagné, former XR founder turned AI ecosystem builder, to explore a simple but powerful idea: it’s not just the hardware technology that makes something grow, it’s the people and communities who build for it.Neilda shares her experience growing Ottawa’s AI community from just a handful of people to over 1,500 in two years. And what becomes clear is this: strong builder communities act like fire starters.If new tech is the spark, developers and creators keep the fire going--helping it catch, spread, and burn long enough to turn into something real.We talk about what helped AI catch that fire, easy ways to get started, tools people could actually use, and a culture of learning together (and why XR, in many ways, struggled to build that same kind of shared momentum despite the hype.)This conversation is also a reflection on something many tech platforms still overlook: tech roadmaps on their own doesn’t create lasting impact people do, when they’re connected integrated into that planning in the right way.We discuss:• Why XR felt more fragmented and harder to build within• Why AI feels more open and easier to experiment with• What it takes to build a healthy, active builder community• What platform leaders can learn from these differences• Why community isn’t just support (Hint: it’s what drives growth)If you’re thinking about where technology is headed, this is really a conversation about the invisible forces that decide whether something grows...or fades out.00:00 Why AI Is Scaling Faster Than XR04:10 Meet Neilda11:09 From Silicon Valley to Ottawa: The Unexpected Start of a Community Builder12:54 How Tech Meetups Led to a Career Breakthrough15:13 Breaking Into Tech: UX, Networking, and Learning Fast16:12 Why Real Connection Beats "Networking"18:36 Discovering a Passion for Building Communities19:56 What Many Get Wrong About Tech Communities21:23 XR vs AI Communities: What’s Different?23:34: Building a Thriving AI Ecosystem28:18 From 'Community' to Company'28:41 The Real Challenge: Making Communities Sustainable30:18 Why Collaboration Beats Competition in Builder Spaces30:38 The Difference Between “Idea People” and Builders31:35 What Makes AI Tinkerers Different32:29 How a Community Grows From 3 to 1500 People33:01 What Silicon Valley Gets Wrong About Community33:17 Designing an Ecosystem (Not Just a Community)33:57 How to Know If Your Community Can Survive Without You35:25 The Problem With Leader-Centered Communities39:05 Why Fun Is a Serious Strategy42:41 Why Innovation Thrives Outside Silicon Valley43:26 Individualism vs Community: What Actually Works?47:28 The Hidden Link Bt Community and Diversity in Tech49:42 Creating a Hacker House52:56 Turning Community Into a Sustainable Ecosystem54:03 Real Success Stories From the Community55:43 How to Select the Right Builders for Your Ecosystem58:09 Structural Challenges of Creating XR Builder Communities01:03:39 Why XR Communities Fragment01:05:43 What It Takes to Build Sustainable Tech Communities01:07:41 The Role Big Tech Plays (and Often Misses)01:08:46 Managing Conflict in High-Performance Communities01:11:25 If Communities Drive Innovation… What Must Big Tech Change?01:13:34 Builder Ecosystems vs Startup Ecosystems01:17:55 Mistakes That Kill Communities01:20:44 What keeps Builders consistent?01:21:28 Creating Spaces Where Everyone Can Contribute01:23:06 Claude vs ChatGPT?

As smart glasses become more recognizable in everyday life, early signs of social backlash are already emerging and they resemble the same kind of reactions that led to sinking Google Glass.However, nearly every major tech company is preparing to launch AI-powered smart glasses at full speed ahead, combining wearable cameras, AI assistants, and potentially facial recognition. All this, despite the higher cultural stakes of social risks posed by social media, shaky political climate and a culture of ubiquitous online sharing. In Part 2 of this conversation, XR experts Clorama and Siciliana unpack the technology’s biggest “killer features” and the social challenges they may bring.Topics discussed:In this episode we explore:Who are the target users for smart glasses today?The Role AI might play to driving mainstream adoptionThe growing backlash around covert recording and surveillance concernsThe psychological and cultural implications of wearable AI companionsAnd the biggest question of all: can smart glasses overcome the social resistance they may face?As wearable technology becomes more powerful and accessible, the path to mainstream adoption may depend less on what the technology can do, and more on what society is willing to accept. Let's talk about it. Host:Clorama Dorviliaswww.linkedin.com/in/cloramaTwitter: @creativecloSpecial Guest: Siciliana TrevinoLinkedin: /siciliana Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/860002Chapters00:00 Hook01:08 Big Tech's Vision and "Superintelligence": Who is this for? 12:53 Why Smart Glass Adoption #s Can Be Misleading17:06 Evaluation Product Market Fit19:06 Who are Smart Glasses for today? 22:08 The Trust Factor in Smart Glasses23:17 AI as the Game Changer for Smart Glasses25:00 Will Smart Glasses Appeal to Struggling Middle Class Americans?26:56 AI Companionship and Emotional Connections30:45 Can Smart Glasses overcome Social Resistance to "Surveillance"33:29 SmartGlasses we're excited for as enthusiasts! 34:22 Clo's Afterthoughts

In this episode, Clorama Dorvilias (Former PM at Meta/Google, XR Entrepreneur and Dev) teams up again with Siciliana Trevino (Former PM at AlcoVR, XR Designer, and Women and XR/AR Allies) take a step back from the hype to examine the assumptions behind the smart glasses push. Discussion ranges from cultural readiness and privacy concerns to most impactful use cases and current market appetite these glasses are entering today. With 20+ years of industry experience between them, they explore:Why every major tech company is betting on glasses nowWhether consumers actually want constant capture and ambient AIAnd what real success for XR would need to look like to move beyond early adoptersIf smart glasses are truly the future, Part 1 of this conversation asks the question that matters most:Who are they actually for? What problem are they solving? And do the conditions exist in the market for these glasses to take off in ways that VR hasn't yet? 00:00 Introduction 01:36 How We Define Success for XR03:54 Why SmartGlasses are Hard to Predict05:43 Can Big Tech still move as fast in today's industry?08:35 Can SmartGlasses win the war against social/culture norms?11:01 Perception of Smartglasses today13:58 Google Glass: Too Early or a Cautionary Tale?16:16 Safety for some, surveillance for others23:22 User Demand for Smartglasses is....More Screens?? 23:41 What Smart Glass Camera's get right24:58 The Guardrails SmartGlasses needs to Scale in a healthy way26:46 The Design and Business Challenges of Smart Glasses26:46 Smart Glasses: More Entertainment than Utility?31:14 Big Tech's Shift from Innovating Killer Apps to Launching Platforms 34:29 Did XR’s Gaming-First Strategy Limit Its Broader Market Potential39:34 Outro! Stay Tuned for Part 2

In this series, former PM and industry insider Clorama Dorvilias (that's me!) explores the growing tension inside the tech industry and the widening gap as enthusiasts begin questioning their role, their return on investment, and their place in the ever-shifting promises of XR and emerging tech.From “prototype-as-product” launches to bewildering “standout features,” to disappearing partnerships and constantly deprecated SDKs… Its safe to say that a ten-year journey toward “the next biggest platform after mobile” has left consumer enthusiasts, investors, entrepreneurs, and developers all asking the same question:Who is this actually for?2026 is bringing a wave of new XR devices from both big and small players alike. And yet, despite constant user feedback, community discussions, and access to unprecedented amounts of data, many of these products still seem to puzzle enthusiasts, miss the mark or arrive on shaky footing.So with billions in resources, huge AAA partnerships and Blockbuster IPs, and access to more real world user data than any other companies in the world…What is big tech still getting wrong?Join us for this 6-episode series as we unpack the latest XR releases and examine the thinking, incentives, and strategies that may be steering the industry away from the very people who once believed in it most.

Welcome to the first episode of the series, this conversation, XR Veterans Siciliana and Clorama explore the future of VR and AR , and the business landscape surrounding these technologies with a product management lens.They discuss the hype versus reality of VR, the importance of sustainability in business, and the impact of technology on society, particularly in education.The conversation emphasizes the need for practical applications of technology and the potential for XR to create meaningful change in various sectors with or without the hype, platform shift, and market-scale predictions.#VirtualReality #ARGlasses #XR #Technology #Emergingtech #newtechnology #markethype #AIhypeChapters00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and VR Landscape02:09 Consumer Confusion and Market Dynamics03:31 Why the Immediate Rush for XR to have Mass Adoption today?04:14 Investors, Creators, and the Promise of VR07:08 The Cycles of Disappointment for XR Creators and Investors08:19 Defining Success in the VR Industry14:13 Introductions ! Clorama and her journey in XR19:26 How Siciliana and Clorama met!20:49 Siciliana's Introduction23:09 Challenges with XR Development (World of Warcraft)28:04 Is XR/Emerging Tech Industry selling a 'get rich quick' scheme??31:23 Siciliana reflects on her XR motivations as a first gen in XR: The American Dream and Financial Independence37:44 VR is a Rollercoaster ride39:57 Whose Version of 'Success in Tech/XR' Are We Chasing?43:02 What Happens When XR Takes Too Long to Become Mainstream?46:45 Accessibility Features vs. Business Growth47:14 The Future of Smart Glasses and Consumer Adoption48:31 The Hype Machine: VR's Trajectory and Market Reality48:52 Are CEO led Predictions leading us astray?50:53 When did CEO Predictions become credible?51:51 Is XR a Business Solution in search of a Consumer Problem?01:00:33 Exploring Building for Meaning vs for Money in XR01:06:35 How Do We Decipher XR innovation as a Need-to-Have vs Just Hype01:08:42 When did Innovation Stop Speaking to User Needs?01:14:02 Is Friction the Barrier or is it Actually Low Value?01:15:19 Does AI Threaten the need for XR?01:17:25 What Does True Success look like for XR?