Sara Ezen, CEO of LightCycle, on creating a world bigger than our imaginations
Founder and CEO of LightCycle Sara Ezen is pioneering the web3 revolution, making the Metaverse simple and accessible. She is committed to not only changing the narrative about the Metaverse but also blazing a trail as a non-tech native. I had the pleasure of talking to Sara about her upcoming project with Robbie Williams and the future of LightCycle and the Metaverse.
MR: Can you tell our readers a little about the LightCycle Metaverse and what inspired you to create it?
SE: So I would love to take the credit for being the creator, but I'm not. I worked with some guys a couple of years ago who were very early adopters of blockchain technology. I worked in a very traditional corporate sector and I have been very entrepreneurial since about 2003. My background is actually in art - I had an art gallery, which I changed the business model for very slightly just before lockdown, knowing that we were going to have to change the business model from physical premises to curating exhibitions and events and private shows of emerging artists.
Because of the lockdown, there really wasn’t a lot I could do with a lot of people, so I started researching this new web3 space. Is it going to affect art? Where's it going to go? You know, what's the future? Is it real? What's in it? I just really immersed myself in this new technology. Coincidentally, I was asked by business contacts about it which was funny because I had kind of become a bit of an instant expert during lockdown. I was introduced to two guys who were based in the UK but originated from China and were early adopters of the tech and we've gone from there. So it wasn't my vision to create LightCycle but I've been working very happily with it since conception.
People often ask about the Metaverse and what it is, what is web3? What does that mean? I’m able to slice through all the jargon, normalise the language, and look for real long-term opportunities utilising this technology. So we called web2 the Internet. I remember, you're probably too young to remember, but I certainly remember being shown the very first search engine that I'd heard of, and it was called Ask Jeeves.
MR: I remember Ask Jeeves.
SE: Yeah. You could just type in your query and it just gave you the answer. It was like a complete revelation. So really the Metaverse is the next version of web2. That's the easiest way to see it. And it makes perfect sense when you see it that way. You know, we've had web2 for a long time and we're so used to using it now. Lockdown really accelerated the web3 space.
MR: Yeah.
SE: The Metaverse as such isn't really a thing yet, but the Metaverse is a principle so people are sceptical about it, just as they were with web2 and the necessity of building a website because they thought their business was all about customer interactions and having a website took away from that but we don't want to be late to the party this time. We want to be the first ones to the party because we realised how much revenue this can generate.
The Metaverse is always going to happen. LightCycle is a hyperrealistic Metaverse. The original Metaverse was very pixelated and had cartoon-like avatars and it was heavily associated with gaming, so I think that's been a little bit of a barrier to entry for a lot of brands, not being able to see where they fit in. LightCycle is hyperrealistic and it's built with technology called Unreal Engine5. So it will be a real-time Metaverse experience. You'll be able to hang out with your friends - we're positioning ourselves as being the kind of platform for music, art, entertainment and sports just because the hyper-realistic nature of it lends itself to that.
MR: The Metaverse has grown rapidly over the last few years with businesses looking for more creative ways to engage and monetise their communities digitally. What advice would you give to businesses who want to dip their toes into the Metaverse?
SE: I would say don't try too hard. Don't try and force it, just think of it as an organic extension of your marketing. Keep it simple and very organic rather than a retrofit. I think brands now just need to not think too much about it, just let something organically come to them.
MR: Yeah, I think in the last couple of years virtual fashion is getting more and more popular. Some people are trying to create more sustainable ways of creating fashion or creating fashion for their online characters, avatars and so forth.
SE: Yeah, absolutely. We have acquired a brand called Hape, which was an extremely successful NFT brand that went live in 2021, and sold out overnight. They've kind of emerged now as a digital fashion influencer. They did a fabulous collab with Diesel and I think digital fashion works well when you have a real-life product too. Tiffany did a fantastic collaboration with Cryptopunks. I don't know if you're aware of that project.
MR: No.
SE: So, Cryptopunks is one of the OG NFT brands that has stood the test of time and they did a project with them last year. They enabled their users the ability to purchase this Tiffany necklace over Cryptopunks, and it sold out overnight. It sold for a crazy and obscene amount. It was just crazy.
MR: Yeah, I think it makes the mundane, more fun and interesting.
Some people argue that the Metaverse is dying and has a long way to go before it can create compelling games like Elden Ring. What does the future hold for the video games industry in the race to create the Metaverse?
SE: I think that the Metaverse did die a little bit for sure, but I think that's natural when you’ve got this new technology, I think it's normal for it to come rushing out of the blocks and then kind of calm down a little bit and find an equilibrium. I mean, the thing with gaming, it's just so expensive to develop a really good game. So a lot of startups have great ideas and great products, but they just run out of development money. So I think that's the biggest barrier that I have seen.
MR: I know what you mean, my husband was waiting decades for Baldur's Gate 3 to come out.
SE: And people expect so much more from it. You know, as tech moves on, so does our appetite. So the expectations are so high, but it just costs so much money to develop these games. Only the big boys can stay relevant and stay in the game.
MR: You’ll be teaming up with Robbie Williams for a virtual show, what can we expect?
SE: Okay. So this will be on a 2.5 version where it is not a full Metaverse experience because we are fully aware that his existing audience isn't crypto-native. We wanted to do something with a big IP to show the world that it's for everybody and not just the gamers. So you'll be able to walk into the Metaverse, you'll be able to connect with other fans from around the world and there will be some interactive touch points like little games and chat rooms. You'll also be able to send your friends a drink.
So the concert was pre-recorded in real life and it's a stunning concert celebrating his 25 years as a solo artist and it's done in front of a full orchestra. It's absolutely beautiful. And he also does an AI version of Angels. So it's Angels Crossed with Beethoven's Unfinished Symphony, which is very on-brand. But the exciting part is that you'll be able to interact with each other online.
MR: So kind of what we all did during lockdown with party watching.
SE: Exactly like that. The tickets will be issued using a thing called Custodial Wallet. So the non-native crypto user will be able to just go on to the website, buy a ticket, and they'll have an NFT ticket.
MR: Do you think virtual shows will grow in popularity as more people engage with VR?
SE: I do. You know, and I know from my own experience, and I'm sure you've probably been the same when you heard about someone that you'd love to see but the timing doesn't quite work for you, this will be the perfect solution.
MR: And I guess for the performers as well because they usually have to pay for their shows out of pocket.
SE: 100% and it certainly helps artists that are getting on in their career, like Tom Jones for example, who's in his eighties, this would be a great way of elongating his career.
MR: Not just that, but I can see large venues in Vegas utilising this technology, showcasing not just the talent that they have performing at the casinos and hotels, but also highlighting what people can get if they come to their casinos, hotels or music venues. So, I think it can eventually become a great marketing tool.
SE: Absolutely. And I think the NFT ticketing is a really interesting model. It was something I heard about 18 months ago and I started researching it. I'm a bit of a perfectionist like that - once I get my mind set on something I want to know everything about it. I really think this will become mainstream because it just solves so many problems, such as ticket scalping - it's just impossible for people to buy tickets online, you just end up queuing for hours.
MR: Who else would you like to work with in future?
SE: I mean, I personally have my eye on one particular name, which is Yungblud Dom. He's just got such a following. I'd be really excited to work with a talent that's well-versed in web3 with an inbuilt audience.
MR: The Metaverse has overcome several challenges over the years with users finding fault with its lack of scalability and usability. What have been some of the challenges you’ve met and how have you overcome them?
SE: I mean, one of the biggest challenges with the Metaverse for us at the moment is the interoperability of it or lack of it. So at the moment if you want to go to another space you have to come out and go back in again which is really annoying. That's not going to work long term. What we hope for is for users to be able to move seamlessly through the Metaverse.
MR: There has been some controversy regarding safeguarding in the Metaverse. What steps have you taken to ensure your users' safety while exploring LightCycle?
SE: That, again, is a really difficult one because there are no rules because it was created as a place where you have freedom and flexibility to create so there's a lack of accountability. There's a fine line between safeguarding people, making them feel secure and giving them that freedom. I think we have to accept that there are protocols out there that have to be layered onto technology to safeguard people - it becomes a matter of choice whether you want to play in a Metaverse that has some protocols in place or whether you want to play in a truly decentralised Metaverse that has no protocols. It's very hard to police it because you've got to find that sweet spot.
MR: Yeah, I feel just like with the Internet and social media, when it first came out we saw certain issues arise from usage, you know. Social media bullying and trolls and then we learned ways to “fix” the issues within this fun space. These issues are far from fixed but we have learned ways to safeguard ourselves and these platforms have (failing) safeguarding in place. Haha, I just hope they eventually learn to put people ahead of profit and create an algorithm and safeguarding that actually works in favour of us.
SE: Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, it still astonishes me that people have to think twice about putting pictures of their children on social media in swimming costumes but equally now, we know there are not nice people out there who look for images of children. So I think, you know, we can only do as much as we can because, you know, this is still a desensitised world.
MR: Yeah.
SE: I think it will get better as we go on. The technology is still really new.
MR: No, absolutely. I feel like we need more voices within the industry because right now it's highly saturated by men who may not think of certain things that a woman might find helpful in that realm. But thankfully there has been an influx of women within immersive tech who are currently coming up with innovative new ways to use the tech. I've been keeping my eye on Sarah Ticho of HatsumiVR and Nina Salomons from AnomieXR because they've created a way to make use of VR as a tool for therapy.
SE: Yeah.
MR: I would not have thought of using that space like that.
SE: And I think that you're exactly right. People often ask me “Oh, what's it like being a woman in tech?” And honestly, I don't consider myself to be a woman in tech, I'm a woman who spots opportunities for how technology can be used. Is that working in tech? I'm not quite sure.
MR: I think so.
SE: But I think people think that working in tech means I'm a coder. I don't understand tech to that degree but I understand enough to be able to spot these opportunities. I understand how it works and I can see the benefits of it. So I'm not a woman who writes tech, but I'm a woman who looks for opportunities within tech.
MR: Are there any women who inspire you within the industry?
SE: There are a few women actually that I found very inspirational in this space, But I have to say I probably find women in general very inspiring. People like Karen Brady and Michelle Mone, have really proven themselves to be worth their salt within a very male-dominated field. Sadly, when we become mothers, we tend to lose about ten years of our career, whether we like it or not, even if we're still working those first ten years. That responsibility still often falls at the feet of women, so I find any woman who really buckles down and keeps their career going totally inspirational because I've been there myself and I had to give up my job when my child was about three.
I started my own business to keep myself busy and challenge myself, but I also did it so I could have that flexibility and be around for my son.
MR: Yeah, it really is. And I'm so grateful that I work with such amazing women, not just at The C Word, but in my everyday job with the Typeface Group. So it's wonderful to have that energy every day and that understanding. It is very different to the usual male-dominated corporate roles I have worked in previously. I don't think I would have had the same flexibility that I had last week when my daughter was sick.
SE: You're totally correct. I mean, things have moved on a little bit over the years, certainly since I had my son. But you're totally correct. I had to go back to work full-time because there was no income being generated from my husband's business. And I remember dropping my son off at my mum's because he got chicken pox at eight months of age. I had to go to work and there was no way I could ring my boss up and say, I can't go to work today because my son's got chicken pox. It just wouldn't have been okay. I mean, thankfully things have changed a little now. You just didn't talk about family, home, or anything like that.
I think about my son who's now 23, and working for a very progressive company in Shoreditch, where they focus on finding a work-life balance - they’re able to work from home two days a week. You have no idea how amazing that would have been for me, if I could have worked from home for two days a week, just to be able to put a load of washing on or not have to walk out the door looking sort of super polished every single day - I mean being able to work from home in joggers would have made such a difference in my life.
MR: I know what you mean. I work remotely full time and it enables me to be there for her like she doesn't need to go to nursery, she's with me all the time and I'm able to be engaged with her and also make time to get my work done throughout the week. Having the ability to work from home is important and flexibility should be a given and not a “perk.”
SE: Yeah, absolutely. And you're quite right.
MR: What is your go-to VR headset?
SE: Oh. I mean, I have an Oculus. I think that technology is still very much a work in progress.
MR: Oh, really?
SE: Yeah. I find it uncomfortable.
MR: I love the Oculus Quest. We recently bought the Pico and the headset is more comfortable than the Oculus.
SE: You sound like you're very into it, you're adopting this space already.
MR: Yes. My husband and I have both been really into it for many years.
SE: Wow.
MR: Do you have any exciting new projects in the works?
SE: So we're hyper-focused on Robbie, it's about proving this concept and showing the world really what we're all about. So I've got several projects that we're ready to bring onto LightCycle, but we want to get this one nailed first. We want to show the world what we can do, what a hyperrealistic Metaverse looks like, and how it can work with the 2.5 project. So we're really focused on just getting this experience truly right.
MR: Exciting. I can't wait to see what you guys do.
SE: Yeah, it's really exciting and overwhelming at the same time.
MR: Do you think the movie Ready Player One created unrealistic expectations?
SE: Um, I think it kind of created unrealistic expectations and maybe created a bit of a barrier. You know, when I speak to people about that movie, people who have seen it don't always connect with it as a real thing and think of it as total science fiction.
MR: Name three things you can’t do without?
SE: I'm a real outdoor freak. I need sunlight. So it would have to be some kind of nature, sunlight and a really good champagne.
MR: I’m like that. I'm also quite the tree hugger. I love to be out in nature.
SE: I've become a bit claustrophobic. I think as I've gotten older, I can't work anywhere without a window, I'd have to go out, just to get some fresh air into my lungs, which is quite odd considering that, you know, we're talking about the Metaverse. So, sunshine, the outdoors and champagne which is my third love.
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