Assertion certainty 5/5 debate potential 1/5

Sandbox VR's first venue was a 16th-floor unit with broken pipes

Steve Zhao · The Challenge of Replicating Reality with Steve Zhao from SandboxVR · Feb 22, 2023 · at 22:15

Steve Zhao, founder and CEO of Sandbox VR, explains how cash constraints forced the company to pick an inexpensive, non-traditional retail location for its first VR venue.

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“We ended up getting a location in Hong Kong. Even though Hong Kong has seven million people, we were able to find a building with zero foot traffic, and the rent was insanely cheap. You know, the water pipes were broken, and we were on a 16th floor. There was no outside signage.”

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