Earlier this year, I received an invitation from Meta to visit their headquarters as part of the Meta Start Program. The trip was fully funded by Meta and included the opportunity to attend Meta Connect 2025 and take part in a series of presentations and workshops designed to help improve the Start program for developers.
When that invitation arrived, I remember reading it a few times to let it sink in and convince myself it wasn’t a phishing email. Being recognised by Meta for my work with FoVR Interactive felt like a major milestone. It made me realise how far my journey in XR has come and gave me a sense of recognition in the work I have achieved so far.
Before leaving, I made myself a small bucket list of things I wanted to achieve:
- Meet YouTubers who had inspired and guided me along the way
- Connect with other developers who share the same drive to experiment and create
- Understand how to improve my digital presence
- Understand the direction of XR
- Try new XR technologies
- Get a photo in front of the Meta 1 Hacker Way sign
Arriving at Meta
The journey on the coach gave me time to connect with a few people around me who were there for the first time as well and had been working on amazing projects. As we drove past the Meta campus, the sheer scale of the building stood out, stretching over what felt like one or two football fields long. Stepping off the coach from the hotel onto the Meta campus for the first time felt surreal. The whole building was open plan, with meeting spaces off to the sides and some single person pods spaced around for where developers needed a quiet space for meetings. Cafes, breakout rooms and snack areas spread throughout. There were people chatting over coffee, others fully engaged with their machines, giving the place an atmosphere of creativity and innovation. As our group was led through the building, the energy was contagious and you could feel the excitement in the group.
This environment was a refreshing change for someone who spends most of their time working from a home office. Seeing so many people dedicated to XR and emerging technologies reminded me that even when development feels like a solo effort, you’re still part of a much larger community.
Connecting with Developers and Creators
Throughout the week, I was surrounded by like minded developers, people who were building games, productivity tools, and experimental experiences across the XR ecosystem. Some had whole companies running teams, others were solo developers like myself. Conversations flowed easily because everyone was there for the same reason: to learn, share, and push boundaries. I learned that everyone was there to help each other grow and got some great advice on how to improve my digital presence and applications.
During the event I had a chance to meet a co-founder of Unity’s ProBuilder, a key programmer from the original LucasArts team and a developer I was following online who built Sail VR from his house before growing it into a full studio.
- Connect with other developers who share the same drive to experiment and create
I also had the chance to meet several YouTubers and creators whose tutorials had helped me throughout my own development journey. Valem who helped me understand the basics of setting up VR in Unity, Dilmer helped me understand APIs and integrations using C# and XR Dev Rob giving me unity multiplayer knowledge and who is now an engineer at Meta.
Talking with them was both humbling and motivating. It highlighted how much the XR community thrives on people who share knowledge freely and encourage others to grow. What often starts as a YouTube video or a Discord message can spark years of creative momentum, so if you have something you are passionate about go ahead and start showing it off!
- Meet YouTubers who had inspired and guided me along the way
There is something special about being in a room full of people who all believe in the same future, a future where technology blends seamlessly with imagination. That sense of connection is hard to describe, but it left a lasting impact.
Workshops and Insights
One of the highlights of the trip was taking part in Meta Start Program presentations and workshops. These presentations gave developers a glimpse of upcoming features to make development easier, advice on marketing and building a community around your project. The workshops gave us a chance to share what was working well, what could be improved, and where the program might evolve next. It was great to see Meta’s team genuinely interested in listening to the community. The discussions were open, practical, and focused on making it easier for indie developers to succeed.
- Understand how to improve my digital presence
I also attended several technical sessions that dove into upcoming features for the Meta SDK, new tools, and future plans for mixed reality. Some of these topics align closely with what I’ve been exploring in my own projects like my Rubik’s Cube Solver and Forge of Elements, so hearing directly from the engineers behind the tech was both exciting and validating.
One talk in particular focused on the future of contextual AI-driven interactions in XR, which really caught my attention. Seeing how Meta is thinking about natural interactions and adaptive experiences with AI sparked new ideas for how I might expand my own prototypes in the future.
Experiencing Meta Connect 2025
Attending Meta Connect in person was another unforgettable part of the trip. The event was massive and brought together developers, creators, and industry leaders from across the world. There was a strong sense of momentum that XR is not just a concept anymore, but an evolving ecosystem with real creativity and opportunity behind it. The Opening Keynote showed off the new range of Smart Glasses and I was particularly blown away by the technology in Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses even with the hiccups in the presentation. The Developer Keynote gave us a presentation of how Smart Glasses, VR and AI are all part of an ecosystem to drive forward a new computing technology.
- Understand the direction of XR
I got to have hands-on demos with the Meta Ray-Ban Displays and was genuinely impressed. The neural band was an impressive piece of tech, easy to use and quick to learn. I did not find it too fiddly to pick up the gestures and was navigating menus and apps within a few minutes. I liked how subtle the gestures felt, letting you stay engaged in conversation rather than tapping the frame with your hand. The band also provides vibration for haptic feedback, so you can tell when you are interacting with certain gestures, such as the one for controlling volume by pinching and twisting in the air. I did not get a chance to try writing though. I hope that in the future the neural link becomes its own device with Bluetooth at the moment it is only paired with the glasses.
- Try new XR technologies
I also was able to attend discussions about accessibility design and even managed to catch a secret preview of James Cameron’s Avatar. Every part of the event felt purposeful and I found myself jotting down notes and ideas constantly in my notebook, thinking about how to apply what I was seeing to my future projects. During a quiet moment, I managed to sneak out front and get a photo at the Meta 1 Hacker Way sign.
- Get a photo in front of the Meta 1 Hacker Way sign
For me, Meta Connect reinforced something I had a hunch about, XR is moving fast, but it is also becoming more accessible. The tools are improving, but it is the creativity and collaboration between people that will define what comes next.
Reflections on the Journey
Looking back, what stands out most is not just the XR technology, it is the people and community behind it all. Every conversation I had, whether it was a quick chat over lunch or a deep discussion in a workshop, reminded me that innovation happens when people share experiences and ideas openly. The amount of support and encouragement I received as well was overwhelming.
I came home from the trip feeling inspired and empowered, with a stronger sense of direction for both FoVR Interactive and my own personal journey in XR. I completed my bucket list, have pages of notes to help improve my projects and made an amazing group of like minded friends. It reignited that early excitement I felt when I first started experimenting with VR and reminded me that there is still so much potential waiting to be explored.
This trip was not only about the event, it was a personal journey that made me realise how far I have come and that I can go further.
Gratitude and Looking Ahead
I am deeply thankful to Meta for the opportunity to attend and for their continued support through the Start Program. It is a rare privilege to talk to people who have taken ideas from prototype to global platform, and I got to play a part in that process.
More importantly, I am grateful for the friendships and connections formed during the trip. Meeting other developers who share the same passion has been a reminder that we are all building toward something bigger, a future where immersive technology inspires, connects, and empowers people in new ways.
The journey does not end here. If anything, it is just the beginning of a new chapter for me, one fuelled by renewed passion, creative ideas, and the confidence that XR still has enormous potential and growth ahead.