Less, but Superior and Stronger

Every so often, I remind myself that this is more than just a platform for sharing thoughts—it’s a blog. I take these chances to reflect on the lessons I’ve gathered throughout my career as a VR developer, entrepreneur, and blogger, hoping they might offer some wisdom to those navigating similar paths. Today feels like one of those days, so let’s dive into a fresh perspective I’ve adopted in recent weeks.

If you’ve been following me, you’re likely aware of my deep-seated enthusiasm for Virtual Reality—what Meta might call Mixed Reality. This passion often drives me to juggle multiple roles: writing, attending events, undertaking contract work, and occasionally creating my own projects. Initially, I relished every opportunity, saying “yes” to each proposal. On the one hand, this approach broadened my experience and brought satisfactory outcomes across these ventures. On the other, it amplified stress levels and diluted focus, hindering impactful progress.

Several months ago, spurred by insightful reads like Antifragile, I began reconsidering this approach after reflecting on my experiences. I stumbled across a principle that’s now pivotal in my work ethos: it’s more beneficial to achieve a few significant things than to spread oneself thin across many minor tasks. Here’s why.

Navigating social media offered the first glimpse into this shift. Sharing numerous XR articles on Twitter/X became the norm—I figured sharing intriguing finds enriches the community by keeping everyone informed. However, a pattern surfaced: engagement was scarce. For me, the heart of the matter wasn’t collecting likes but rather the realization that few were actually engaging with this content. This made it clear—my efforts were in vain, yielding little impact or connections.

Observing others and researching the latest trends on X, I learned that posts lacking engagement don’t get prioritized by algorithms, essentially fading into obscurity, especially when they direct users elsewhere via links. While social media algorithms can be notoriously unfair, the issue was my time investment yielding minimal results—no new followers, no informed readers, no meaningful connections. The content, in essence, was inert.

Recognizing this, I adjusted my strategy. I began sharing only the highlights—the bits I found extraordinarily relevant. When posting, I aimed for depth, resisting the urge to lazily toss out a title and a link (guilty as charged but striving for change). While I’m not turning political for the sake of buzz, I’m working towards leveraging the platform’s potential by crafting thought-provoking content. This effort is slowly paying off, not just in reader engagement but in fostering connections.

This realization extends through all facets of my work. I once felt compelled to churn out weekly articles—a mix of announcements, event recaps, and minor tips. This approach echoed my X experience: considerable effort for little return, a drain without substantial payback—no growth in followers, reputation, or newfound connections. Now, I choose not to publish unless producing content that’s enriching for both me and my audience. This turnaround sometimes yields high-impact results, such as being cited in online magazines, boosting my reputation and SEO, quite the contrast to perfunctory posts.

Similarly, in development, accepting every gig seemed logical. But experience has shown that a single $100,000 project (even as part of a team, alas not all in my pocket) offers far greater value than ten $10,000 tasks. Larger projects foster stronger client relationships, showcase-worthy outcomes, and significant professional growth. For instance, participating heavily in VRROOM, a VR concert platform, for over a year taught me more about development and management than years of smaller gigs combined—a testament to focused effort.

Each endeavor demands time, a cost not to be overlooked. Multiple smaller projects require a disproportionately high overhead—negotiating contracts, constant client updates, and post-delivery support. In contrast, one significant project consolidates these tasks, though such opportunities aren’t myriad. While it’s not practical to seek only large projects—especially in the current VR landscape—the focus should be on choosing impactful projects when possible.

While none of this redefines the wheel, reflecting on the Pareto Principle illustrates this point: roughly 20% of efforts yield 80% of the results. While theoretical, it underscores that a focus on meaningful actions tends to amplify impact.

This philosophy aligns with Antifragile’s insights into life’s nonlinearities, whereby significant efforts often eclipse numerous trivial ones. Drop a substantial stone on someone, and it’s impactful; a thousand scattered pebbles, however, barely ruffle them—a metaphor emphasizing focus over quantity.

Quality work emerges from a decluttered schedule, leading to increased satisfaction and reputation. As someone who has long valued quality, I’ve begun associating it more with reputation. My goal is for clients to anticipate top-tier work from me, justifying investing in doing fewer projects at higher quality and cost—a shift ensuring sustained, healthier work. Offering this quality, of course, must correspond to your worth, and after a decade in this industry, I now confidently uphold this.

Yet, quality alone isn’t the golden ticket unless it’s legendary (inventing something akin to CTRL+ALT+DEL, perhaps). Take social media—you might see a tweet gather 100K likes, but its author won’t necessarily amass a substantial following unless they consistently deliver engaging content. Familiarity, borne of regularity, fosters connections and trust.

This approach influences my networking and event participation, embodying the “fewer but better” mantra. Attending CES, a premier tech event, demanded effort but yielded invaluable connections, industry insight, and platform growth. Sporadic event attendance, however, limits potential benefits.

Reflecting on past experiences, like a chat with Francesco Ronchi about networking, revealed that enduring connections require more than fleeting encounters—they thrive on recurring interactions. Relationships deepen over repeated meetings, transforming acquaintances into collaborators. Therefore, balancing quality with steady engagement is crucial for sustained success.

Finally, alongside current projects, I’m contemplating long-term ambitions. Whether brainstorming ways for substantial career advancements or strategizing to find significant opportunities, this forward-thinking approach aligns both with the immediacy of impactful tasks and long-term aspirations—it’s about grooming tomorrow’s breakthroughs today.

In summary, focus on performing fewer, yet more substantial, tasks now and in future pursuits. This strategy not only delivers greater value and rewards but also reduces stress while enhancing satisfaction—a sentiment worth pondering in crucial moments.

I hope these insights resonate with you and perhaps even guide you toward a more fulfilling professional journey. If they spark some reflection, I’d love to hear about it—feel free to share your thoughts or spread the conversation further online, putting in just a bit of effort in sharing, of course!