Launching the Metaverse & Fighting Zuck

For me, that moment was when Mark Zuckerberg punched me in the face.

Technically he punched my giant robot avatar in Robo Rumble.

But emotionally and spiritually, it counted.

This was OC6, the first real look at what we were building inside Facebook Horizon, which later became Horizon Worlds. I was one of the people responsible for the press demos and walkthroughs. My job was shaping the story, running the live demos, and making sure the experience delivered what it needed to:

• Generate positive press
• Get creators excited
• Drive closed beta signups

It was a massive team effort. Product, design, engineering, comms, marketing, leadership. My role sat in that sweet chaotic center where narrative, product, and execution all collide.

The Setup: OC6 and the Moment I Got Volun-told

In the weeks before OC6, we were tightening the script, running rehearsals, figuring out the right order to show things, and making sure the story landed with clarity.

Comms put me through real media training so I did not word-vomit on the press. We practiced how to answer tough questions, how to redirect, and how to keep everything grounded in what they would actually see in the headset.

Then one day I heard Zuck wanted the full demo himself.

I asked our PM, Christian, "Who is leading that one?"

He looked at me with his classic serious face.

"You are."

Cue Eminem Lose Yourself.

This was my moment.

THE DEMO

Fast forward to demo day.

I am standing in the Horizon lobby, legless avatar, real heart pounding.

Then Zuck logs in. His avatar appears. We say a quick hello and get moving.

The entire tour followed the same flow we built for press:

Robo Rumble: the punch

Two giant robots. Full VR hand control. One is me. One is Zuck.

Vu, who built the experience, helps him get oriented. As soon as he is ready, we start swinging.

Did I let him win?

I am not going to touch those conspiracies.

Dogfight CTF: the chaos

Next we jump into a dogfight style capture the flag game.

Me and Zuck on one side. Travis and Kent, the game designers, on the other.

We are flying, shooting the enemy down, and the flag through hoops. I am also talking through what this mode shows about social VR and games inside Horizon. It was fast, chaotic, and honestly a blast.

Creation Tools: the magic moment

Then we pull him into the creation tools.

This is where it all clicked.

Alexa joins, enters creation mode, and instantly becomes huge, towering above us. It is the perfect "oh wow" moment. She starts showing how creators can move objects, shape worlds, and build experiences in real time.

Zuck looks around and goes,

"Wow. This is great. Good job."

I will never forget that.

What Happened After

That sequence became the backbone of every OC6 press demo.

Lobby, Robo Rumble, Dogfight, Creation Tools, Vision.

I ran that flow again and again with press and creators.

The narrative held. The product held. The world building work from Vu, Alexa, Travis, Kent and the whole team carried everything.

OC6 hit the goals we needed:

• •Positive press sentiment
• •Creator excitement
• •Closed beta signups
• •A sense of real momentum

It shaped how leadership thought about Horizon and where to invest next.

Why This Story Matters

Sure, it is a fun "I fought Zuck in VR" story.

But underneath it, this was about:

• •Being trusted to help shape a high stakes narrative
• •Working tightly across XFN partners
• •Turning complex tech into a simple, inspiring story
• •Staying calm when your CEO is swinging a giant robot fist at you

OC6 will always be the moment where my love for product, storytelling, and a little bit of chaos came together.