The Joseph Carlson Show They Wasted $80 Billion On This
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Mar 23, 2026 They break down Meta’s five-year metaverse flop and the $80 billion write-off. They talk about a sudden corporate pivot to AI and a quirky plan for an AI “CEO” agent. There's coverage of Uber’s big Rivian robotaxi deal and a movie success tied to a streaming win. Plus a nostalgic Costco hot dog stunt and a controversial take on introspection.
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Why Meta's Metaverse Bet Failed
- Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse bet became a multi-year, high-friction push that failed to find consumer demand.
- Meta poured roughly $80 billion into Horizon Worlds and VR while users preferred lower-friction alternatives like Roblox and mobile apps.
Big Bets Bring Big Failures And Big Wins
- Bold leadership that accepts large bets can waste capital but also enable outsized wins over time.
- Carlson compares Zuckerberg's metaverse loss to Jeff Bezos' Fire Phone, arguing risk-taking can produce AWS and Prime wins despite failures.
Force Versus Organic Adoption
- Forcing adoption raises friction and usually fails; paradigm shifts happen when products lower friction for users.
- Carlson contrasts ChatGPT's organic viral growth with Meta subsidizing headsets and VR experiences people didn't want.