Survey: Facebook Staffers Strongly Support Meta Name Change, Metaverse Goals -- Pros With Other Metaverse-Related Companies Skeptical

Here's some very interesting survey data from developers at Blind, the anonymous community app for employees, asking users in the high tech sector their opinion of Facebook's shift to Meta and Mark Zuckerberg's plan to make a Metaverse capable of holding over a billion users.  Taken between October 28 and November 1 by 11,673 verified tech professionals, including 1,120 Facebook staffers, the results are striking -- especially when you compare the broader industry perspective with Facebook’s own internal opinion.

First, to the statement, “I believe Facebook’s rebranding as Meta is a good business decision”:

An overwhelming 84% of Facebook company staffers support this move.

But do Facebookers believe they'll be successful at actually making the Metaverse?

Over 3 in 4 believe Facebook will succeed at making.

However, there was a slightly less optimism opinion that the 1 billion user target can be reached by 2030:

67% answering Yes to 1 billion by 2030 still suggests high internal confidence for such an ambitious goal.

Now compare and contrast these Facebook answers to the roughly 10,000 workers across the tech sector who took this survey:

Amazingly, opinion on the Meta name change was split exactly 50-50 as being a good business move.

 

... while at the same time, a solid majority of tech workers who took the survey think that Facebook will succeed in making a Metaverse. 

Then again, a strong majority also think that Zuckerberg and team won't hit their 1 billion user goal by 2030:

Industry skepticism over Facebook's Metaverse plans are even more interesting when you look at employees with companies also making a Metaverse, are involved in Metaverse-related technology like 3D graphics or cloud computing, or follow the industry as investors:

I believe Facebook will successfully build the metaverse:

• Roblox (91% no)

• Netflix (67% no)

• Google (67% no)

• NVIDIA (63% no)

• Intel Corporation (61% no)

• Microsoft (60% no)

• Amazon (58% no)

• Coinbase (58% no)

• Goldman Sachs (56% no)

• Deloitte (52%)

I believe the metaverse will reach 1 billion people within the next decade, as Mark Zuckerberg announced:

• Netflix (65% no)

• Google (64% no)

• Coinbase (63% no)

• NVIDIA (62% no)

• Intel Corporation (62% no)

• Microsoft (60% no)

• Goldman Sachs (59% no)

• Roblox (57% no)

• Amazon (57% no) 

Most people with Metaverse or Metaverse-adjacent companies trend fairly negative. I'm perplexed that nearly everyone with ROBLOX (91%), Facebook's closest Metaverse competitor, but 43% of survey takers at ROBLOX also think Facebook will hit the 1 billion user mark. (Maybe they assume Facebook will deeply integrate some Metaverse technology with their social network and declare victory?)

Looking back at Facebook staffers' results, I'm struck by strong support for Zuckerberg's Metaverse. To me this seems to be the employee morale boost he was certainly hoping for after many months of bad PR.

Much thanks to Team Blind for help with this survey!

Comments

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[Luther Weymann]

Meta Devotee: Reverend Jones?
Rev Mark Jones: Yes son?
Meta Devotee: All these Meta people are coming. Do we have enough Kool-Aid for all of them?
Rev Mark Jones: Oh yes son, my Facebook disciples will drink up anything I offer to them.