Research methodology The case was developed from primary and secondary sources. The primary sources include interviews with Evelyn Mora, Founder and CEO of VLGE; John McGrath, Chief Product Officer at VLGE; and Simon Moyana, from the VLGE V-app Team. These interviews were a part of a nationally funded research project and have been approved by a university-level research ethics committee. The secondary sources include industry reports, news reports, company websites and journal articles. Case overview/synopsis Evelyn Mora, CEO and founder of VLGE (pronounced “village”), reflected on the current state of the metaverse to determine the best path forward for her virtual world creation platform startup. The metaverse market was nascent, defined by uncertainty on whether customers will take up extended reality (XR) technology and if so, for what purposes. Moreover, it was dominated by two market leaders (Meta and Apple), with complex technological ecosystems and varying visions for the future. Should VLGE partner up with Meta, Apple or both? Or should it position itself more as an alternative by banding together with like-minded startups to shape a different vision for the metaverse? How might the company rethink or innovate its business model to better serve its current customers, and how does this compare strategically to expanding into new markets? How would VLGE best thrive in the prevailing metaverse ecosystem? Complexity academic level This case is designed for graduate students in a course on strategy, marketing or entrepreneurship. It may be specifically useful for courses that focus on innovation management and positioning. The case works well with class sizes from 15–50 students, depending on the approach, and can be delivered in person or in an online environment. The case was classroom tested with graduate-level students.
Howard-Malek et al. (2026) studied this question.