Commentary

Commentary and Analysis byDan SmigrodFounder and Managing EditorWe Get Around Network ForumWGAN-TV Live at 5WGAN-TV Training U (in Matterport)The Matterport acquisition of VHT Studios announced Thursday (7 July 2022), will have many in the We Get Around Network Forum community scratching their heads wondering what to make of this news.While there are at least two reasons that the Matterport acquisition of VHT Studios is a big, bold and brilliant move by Matterport (in the short term), unfortunately, there are nine reasons that this is a (very) bad strategy (in the long term).I could imagine that there are two reasons that Matterport decided to buy one of the largest residential real estate photography agencies in the United States:1. VHT Studios will not offer any of the 170+ other 3D/360 virtual tour platforms and software that compete with Matterport2. Matterport Capture Services On Demand to add all VHT Studios servicesWhile most Wall Street financial analysts that cover Matterport will likely reward Matterport for these two short-term sales growth strategies, in the long-term, investors will cringe for the following reasons:1. Matterport’s Sweet Spot is Spatial Data for Enterprise at Scale – The sweet spot for Matterport is spatial data for enterprise at scale. This is the single greatest use case for Matterport. The acquisition of VHT Studios by Matterport is off strategy.2. Matterport Continues to Compete with Its Real Estate Photographer Customers – When Matterport announced its plans for Matterport Capture Services On Demand, I wrote a 6-part series in the We Get Around Network Forum about why this was a bad idea (Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6).I went into great detail about how and why Matterport Capture Services On Demand competes with its Matterport Service Providers (which is a significant marketing channel for Matterport).By offering Matterport exclusively via VHT Studios – and adding VHT Studio services to Matterport Capture Services On Demand, Matterport is competing with real estate photographers – customers of its Matterport Pro2 3D Camera and Matterport Cloud subscriptions.While Matterport will likely spin the story as more demand for real estate photographers to add Matterport, the reality is that VHT Studios and Matterport Capture Services On Demand will be low paying opportunities for real estate photographers that offer Matterport.
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Continues in the We Get Around Network Forum (www.WGANForum.com).

1. Are you a real estate photographer thinking about buying a Matterport Axis?2. Are you a real estate agent thinking about buying a Matterport Axis?3. Are you a Matterport Pro2 3D Camera user thinking about buying a Matterport Axis?4. Wondering how the Matterport Axis compares to a Matterport Pro2 3D Camera, Ricoh Theta Z1, X and SC2?5. As a Matterport Service Provider, how can you position the Matterport Axis to your clients who ask your advice about the product?Then watch WGAN-TV Live at 5 - 5 pm ET - on Thursday, April 14 2022:✓ Matterport Axis Motorized Mount Smartphone Rotator: 1st ImpressionsMy guests will be two WGAN Forum Members that often post reviews in the WGAN Forum:Jeff Nitschke (@lilnitsch)OwnerCaptureNWNorth Idaho and Eastern Washington Statewww.CAPTUREnw.com[Jeff was previously my guest on WGAN-TV: A MSP Customer Journey: Jeff Nitschke with CaptureNW]and ...Dave Avilla (@Dataventurer)Real Estate Photographer andColdwell Banker Realty AgentGilroy, Californiawww.CBnorCAL.com | CalDRE # 01075392[Dave was previously my guest on WGAN-TV: 31 Statistics to Help Sell Virtual Tours to RE Agents]Dave plans to shoot the same property with the Matterport Axis and Ricoh Theta SC2.Jeff plans to shoot the following home with the Matterport Axis that he previously shot with:1. Matterport Pro2 3D Camera2. Ricoh Theta Z12. Ricoh Theta X3. Ricoh Theta SC2

The sweet spot for Matterport is spatial data for enterprise at scale. Then, if you add Matterport's recent acquisition of Enview, which is a company that teases out those analytics of three-dimensional models at scale, once Enview puts the tools and solutions in place for Matterport, that is the single greatest use case for Matterport. 
The sweet spot is spatial data at scale for enterprise. 
Let me see if I can give you an example. If you're a facilities manager and you have 150 different commercial office spaces across the United States, for that matter, across the world, and you're tasked with, "hey, what if we put in this light bulb versus this light bulb in all those three by six boxes that have the fluorescent lights, how much money would that cost? 
How much money would that save? What would be the energy efficiency?" Whatever questions that get queried. 
Well, the old-school way of doing that is, you'd send an email to the 150 different counterparts at each one of those buildings and say, "hey, Jim John, those fixtures in the ceiling that are three by six, that each have four fluorescent light bulbs, how many do we have in that 100,000 square foot location?" They say, "well, I don't know. Let me go walk all these floors and count these fixtures, and I'll get back to you." That is a Herculean manual task done old-school. 
Now imagine, you have a Matterport spatial data, digital twin, of all those 150 buildings, and you have this powered by Enview solution, and you're able to say, "okay, here's the object I'm looking for with AI. Go find all those three by six light boxes in 150 buildings, tell me how many boxes do I have by building and total?" That should be a 10 minute exercise that would otherwise take weeks and tons of people time, and totally inefficient. 
Now, let's go count fire extinguishers and let's go count windows because we have this inefficient glass. If we go put this other type of glass in, we'll be able to save energy by 50 percent. But, we need to know how many windows that we're talking about in 150 buildings. 
Go count the windows. That's an example of Matterport in the best, highest use case, where it can add the most value to enterprise, and charge the most money. That's all about software, that's all about recurring revenue. Has nothing to do with what device that I use to capture the data? 
We didn't talk about it. But if you were to ask me, I would say, "in the long run, Matterport should be out of the camera business." They shouldn't be making any devices. They should be out of Capture Services (On Demand). They shouldn't be running a labor-intensive business. 
They should just be the essence of what is the best, highest use case for Matterport, and that's spatial data meets enterprise at scale. Everything I look at, I tend to evaluate in terms of quadrants. I think about it in terms of my career over time. Did I like working for that company? 
Did I like who I worked for? That was in Quadrant four. I was happy, and the company was happy. Quadrant 1 in the lower case was, I was unhappy and the company was unhappy. That's metaphorically what we're talking about. Let's get in the right box. 
If you take all the different use cases for Matterport, if you were telling me about residential real estate, obviously, Matterport doesn't really add a lot of value in terms of spatial data and it takes a long time to capture, and all these things. 
I'll put it in that lower box where it doesn't add a huge amount of value versus competitors. Matterport probably can't charge as much for it. By the way, they can't sell a lot of add-ons over time for it. Now, this top quadrant box, which I would describe as what is the highest use case for Matterport? 
Things that involve spatial data that matter for enterprise. That's a sweet box up in this top right corner. That provides a ton of value to enterprise, and that is something that Matterport can charge a lot of money over time as recurring revenue. 
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Continues in the We Get Around Network Forum (www.WGANForum.com)

If you are thinking about buying a Matterport Pro2 3D Camera -- and start a Matterport Service Provider business -- you should watch this video (above), if you:1. are not a real estate photographer2. are not a real estate agent3. do not have an existing service business where Matterport digital twins would be an Add On to your existing business.Questions?Best,DanTranscript (Video above)[The voice of the WGAN Forum Member has been changed and edited for clarity and brevity.][00:00:03]Dan Smigrod: Thanks for reaching out, Thanks for joining the We Get Around Network Forum. How did you hear about us?[00:00:09]WGAN Forum Member: Well, I just did some preliminary research and I just saw you everywhere. Anywhere I went talking about Matterport or 3D scanning your name on We Get Around Network just kept popping up and I was like, "You know what, I think this is the guy I need to talk to."[00:00:28]Dan Smigrod: Well, I looked at your LinkedIn profile, it didn't jump out at me that you are going to start a business. Why don't you tell me about what you're planning to do and then how I can help you.[00:00:39]WGAN Forum Member: Basically, I caught wind of the whole Matterport thing recently. I'm a retail merchandiser by trade, andlike we started offering the Matterport services to retail clients and I was actually out... standing with the camera: literally, physically doing it.I thought it was the coolest thing, but my mind started turning like there's so many different uses for this. I can see eventually all this talk about a 3D and the whole virtual VR thing is where things are going, coming out of that 2D space into the 3D space.
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Transcript continues in the We Get Around Network Forum (www.WGANForum.com):
https://forum.we-get-around.com/topic/16543/page/1/dan-should-i-buy-a-matterport-pro2-3d-camera-and-start-a-service-business/

Commentary and Analysis byDan SmigrodFounder and Managing EditorWe Get Around Network Forum and WGAN-TV Live at 5Monday, 21 February 2022My manicurist, Brenda, told me Friday (18 February 2022) that she is thinking about buying Matterport, Inc. (NASDAQ: MTTR) stock, after a friend told her about how Matterport had been trading as high as $37.60 per share after going public via a SPAC deal at $10 per share and Matterport was now trading at $6.83 per share; near its low of $6.20 per share.“I’ll invest $500. It will be fun,” Brenda told me with a smile.(Brenda initially said the company was Matterhorn and didn’t mention the specific dollar amounts or SPAC, but that was the gist of what her friend told her.)I could imagine that Ola Rollén, President and CEO of Stockholm, Sweden-based Hexagon AB is thinking nearly the same thing: buy Matterport now for a few billion dollars while Matterport is trading at its surprising “blue-light special” pricing.While Matterport begins every media release with “Matterport, Inc., the leading spatial data company driving the digital transformation of the built world,…” that statement is likely a much-much-much better description of the much-much-much bigger Hexagon.“Our Vision: A future where data is fully and autonomously leveraged so that business, industry and humanity sustainably thrive,” writes Hexagon on its website. “Our Mission: Putting data to work to enable autonomous, connected ecosystems that boost efficiency, productively and quality for our customers.”Aside from the lofty words, what do the two companies have in common?
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Continued in the We Get Around Network Forum (www.WGANForumn.com) here:
https://forum.we-get-around.com/topic/16479/page/1/will-matterport-be-acquired-by-hexagon/

WGAN-TV Podcast #132: Matterport Timeline: 2014-2022 | Milestones, Insight and CommentaryHi All,Are you wondering about the history of Matterport since the "early days" through the lens of a Matterport Service Provider?On WGAN-TV Podcast #132 - that first aired live Thursday, 27 January 2022 at 5 pm EST - my guest Hopscotch Interactive Founder Emily Olman (@Hopscotch) discusses the following:✓ WGAN-TV Podcast | Matterport Timeline: 2014-2022 | Milestones, Insight and CommentaryIn the video (above), you can get a taste of the milestones. I will ask Emily for more insight and commentary about the "history" of Matterport from the perspective of a Matterport Service Provider.Best,Dan

Hi All,What's the Future for 3D Tour technology for Real Estate Photographers?Watch (above) WGAN-TV: Imagining the Future for 3D Tour Technology for Real Estate Photographers on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 with Dr. Kelley Cours Anderson (@kcoursa), Researcher at Texas Tech University (and incoming Assistant Professor of Marketing at College of Charleston effective 14 May 2021).WGAN-TV Live at 5 Show Includes► Imagination is a driving force in market development, growth, and market futures.► Methodology: Qualitative, Socio-historical analysis. Including a historical review of Silicon Valley, starting from the early 1900’s and a historical review of over 8 years in the development of a 3D/VR-tour technology.► The Silicon Valley’s technoculture provides guidance for market futures, such as 3D tour tech, but also constrains the future market.► While developers use their imagination to launch this market, the photography customer (including those first experiencing as an end-consumer) are pivotal in expanding this media into multiple markets beyond developers’ expectations.Possible Futures:➨ Positive: wider legitimacy, targeted marketing, convenience➨ Negative: (tensions) – photographer customers’ creative rights and end-consumers’ privacy rights► Ethical growth and potential legitimacy is possible through external imagination.What is the future for 3D Tour Technology for Real Estate Photographers?Find out on this WGAN-TV Live at 5 show.Plus, we discuss:✓ why the data captured matters (and why it may be more valuable than the 3D tour)✓ does innovation come from "Silicon Valley" or photographers or elsewhere (and why)✓ the tension/constraint of who owns the 3D tour✓ verticals such as museums, insurance and mortgage documentation✓ tips for 3D Tour photographers such as diversify your portfolio (and why)It's fun to hear about the future given that many of us are focused on today, tomorrow or next week.By the way, Dr. Kelley Cours Anderson was previously my guest on WGAN-TV Live at 5:✓ Transcript: WGAN-TV Virtual Tour Super-Heroes at Your ServiceGot a follow-up question for Dr. Kelley Cours Anderson (@kcoursa)? Post it here.And, thanks to @kcoursa for participating in another WGAN-TV Live at 5 show.Best,DanP.S. It's likely that you are familiar with Dr. Kelley Cours Anderson. Her research is often quoted by Matterport regarding homes with virtual tours sell faster and at a higher price.✓ Matterport Blog (February 25, 2020) With 3D Tours, properties sell up to 31% faster and at a higher priceListings with a Matterport 3D tour statistic examples include:- Sold 20% faster (less days on market)- For 4.8% more (higher sale price)

Thank you to the Matterport Service Providers participating ...
Hi All,Like everyone else around the globe, the Coronavirus is causing anxiety and uncertainty for Matterport Service Providers.On a special WGAN-TV Town Hall (5 pm ET | GMT -4) this Monday, 23 March 2020), join the discussion about how you are feeling and dealing with COVID-19 and, when possible, please offer helpful suggestions for what Matterport Service Providers can do with our down time.During this live WGAN-TV Town Hall: Matterport Service Providers Coping with COVID - you can watch or participate by either:✓ join the discussion with video with this Zoom video link (https://zoom.us/j/540140231)✓ join the discussion by phone onlyiPhone one-tap: US: +16468769923,,540140231# or +13126266799,,540140231#Telephone: ID: 540 140 231Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):US:+1 646 876 9923+1 312 626 6799+1 301 715 8592+1 346 248 7799+1 669 900 6833+1 253 215 8782International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/aeEOqKSUFIThanks for joining the discussion on the show.If you can't make it, what questions should I ask those on the show?Be safe,Dan

Pro3 | VRBO/HomeAway | 360º Cameras | SDK | CDN | MSPs | International | Partners
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Hi All,Find out how Matterport plans to scale exponentially - and why that 'matters' to you - from Matterport Chief Marketing Officer Chris Bell on WGAN-TV Live at 5 (5 pm EDT | GMT -5) on Thursday, 11 July 2019.Among my questions for Chris, how Matterport plans to grow exponentially powered by:✓ People, process, technology, vertical and geography expansion✓ Will there be a Pro3 camera?✓ How will Matterport Service Providers benefit from this growth? ✓ What about Matterport Scanning Services?✓ How does international figure into growth?After an hour, it's your turn to ask Chris questions directly.Two Easy Steps to Join the Show Live1. Now: Download the Zoom Cloud Meetings app (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android)2. When the show is live, Click Here (Automatically Launches the Zoom Meetings app and you will be in the WGAN-TV Virtual Green Room. I will bring you on the show when we begin Q&A with the WGAN Community)“The Matterport Cloud is an unrivaled dataset of precision 3D environments that represents an enormous opportunity to scale the company’s data services business exponentially. This will open up new strategic partnerships and investments as we realize the full value of this data for a rapidly expanding set of market opportunities around the globe,” said Matterport CEO RJ Pittman in the Matterport Press Release on 3 December 2018 announcing RJ joining Matterport.I have written about exponential growth coming to Matterport for five years now. (So, I may not be the best at predicting when.)✓ Matterport + Meero + VRBO/HomeAway = Exponential Growth✓ 10 Reasons Matterport will acquire GeoCV✓ Imagine one company ordering 20,000+ Matterport 3D Tours✓ Matterport + All 360º Cameras = Exponential Growth (for all of us)✓ Matterport Exponential Growth powered by It's APIs/SDKs✓ Exponential Growth Coming Soon to Matterport✓ Matterport Cloud to Support Other Cameras?✓ Matterport and Leica partnering in 2018✓ Ashton Kutcher/News Corp/CBRE invest in Matterport✓ Sweet Deal: Matterport Equity for Influence✓ Matterport Syndication: a Blessing or Curse?✓ Matterport Announces Massive Chinese Partner✓ Preparing Matterport for IPO or AcquisitionHow to Watch WGAN-TV Live at 5 (Three Options)1. Use the link: www.WGAN-TV.com (See bottom right for the pop-up player for WGAN-TV Live at 5)2. Watch on our YouTube Channel (Tip: To get a reminder: SUBSCRIBE and Click on the Bell3. We'll record the show and add the episode to our WGAN-TV Podcast in the Apple iTunes Podcasts App and post to this WGAN Forum discussion. (Within a week of broadcast, you will be able to watch this WGAN-TV episode on Roku TV and Amazon Fire TV.)Special thanks to @Jwbuckl for arranging for this interview.Best,Dan

Which 3D or 360º Tour Platform is right for you? Kevin helps you decide.
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Hi All,Imagine shooting the same multi-million mansion with:✓ Matterport 3D Tour✓ GeoCV 3D Tour (including 3D aerial)✓ Nodalview (360º Tour)✓ Zillow 3D Home (360º Tour)✓ Cupix 3D TourGreater Los Angeles Matterport Service Provider Home3D.us (@Home3D) Kevin Dole imagined that. And, except for substituting one house for one of the shoots, that's exactly what Kevin Dole is in the midst of completing.Kevin will be my guest on WGAN-TV Live at 5 (5 pm ET | GMT -4) on Thursday, 21 March 2019 to talk about his experience with five platforms.Among the questions I will ask Kevin ...1. What was the learning curve for shooting?2. What was the learning curve for post production?3. What was the shooting experience like with each platform?4. What was the post production experience like with each platform?5. Show us each tour that you shot. Which do you like best and why?6. What did you like/dislike about shooting each platform?7. What did you like/dislike about post production for reach platform?8. Can you tell us about the GeoCV aerial 3D shooting and post production experience?9. What else would you like to share about your experience shooting/publishing with five platforms?Kevin will be starting new topics in the WGAN Forum around many of these questions. I could imagine that each topic will be a single subject such as:1. each camera/platform2. comparing learning curve3. comparing shooting experience4. comparing post production experience5. comparing 3D/360º Tours6. overall conclusions and recommendationsThis is an amazing labor of love for Kevin to shoot and publish with five different platforms. And, I am SO thankful that Kevin is sharing this amazing experience with the WGAN Forum Community.This WGAN-TV show will likely be tremendously helpful if you are thinking about:✓ which camera/platform to get✓ adding a camera/platform✓ switching a camera/platform✓ what this other platforms are likeWhat questions would you like to ask? Please join us on the show and ask your questions live.By the way, this project was made possible (in part) by the WGAN 360º Camera Loaner Program.You can borrow a camera - free* - if you are a WGAN Basic, Standard or Premium Member. WGAN 360º Camera Loaner Program Order Form (Private Message me for the password.)Not yet a WGAN Basic, Standard or Premium Member? Compare WGAN Membership Plans | WGAN Membership Benefits | www.JoinStandard.comBest,Dan*Except for return shipping with insurance for the value of the camera

How do you charge TV stations and Newspapers for Matterport 3D Tours?
Hi All,The following WGAN-TV Live at 5 Pricing program airs LIVE ....5 pm ET (GMT -4) today, Monday, 23 October 2017 - Pricing Strategies for Local TV and Local Newspapers and Non-ProfitsAnyone can view this WGAN-TV Pricing program live.The recording will be viewable free for WGAN Basic, Standard and Premium Members (see All Access Pass in the WGAN Welcome Onboard Letter)Best,DanP.S. WGAN Forum Members are welcome to join the virtual studio audience to participate in the discussion.

Matterport Pricing for News Media is Different than Real Estate. Find out how.
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Hi All,Here is the recording of today's (Monday, 23 October 2017) WGAN-TV Live at 5 program about Pricing Strategies for TV Stations, Newspapers and Non-Profits for Matterport Service Providers.WGAN Basic, Standard and Premium Members receive an All Access Pass to the We Get Around Matterport Training Academy Videos, including this one.Not yet a Member? Around 40 Membership Benefits, including the All Access Pass. Compare Plans | www.JoinStandard.comAlready a Basic, Standard or Premium Member? See the Welcome Onboard Letter for your free All Access Pass.Best,Dan

Why barter? When to bater? Why hotels and restaurants? What rate? Tax on barter? Case Study?
Bartering Matterport for Hotels, Restaurants and MoreHi All,The following WGAN-TV Live at 5 Pricing program airs LIVE and will be recorded ....5 pm ET (GMT -4) Wednesday, 11 October 2017 - Bartering Matterport for Hotels, Restaurants and MoreTopics1. Why barter?2. When to barter?3. What to barter for. We'll cover at least hotels, restaurants and fitness clubs4. What rate (rate card) to use to calculate barter?5. Why get your family involved in barter?6. Bartering directly7. Bartering via a Barter company8. Case Study: How I bartered for 7 nights in the $3,500 per night Penthouses of this hotel (and some additional room nights)9. What percentage of your income should you barter?10. How We Get Around handles tax on barter income (I am not a lawyer or accountant. I do not give legal or tax advice.What else would you like to cover about bartering?Anyone can view the WGAN-TV Pricing programs [b]live[/b]: live!The recording will be viewable free for WGAN Basic, Standard and Premium Members (see All Access Pass in the WGAN Welcome Onboard Letter)Best,DanP.S. WGAN Forum Members are welcome to join the virtual studio audience to participate in the discussion.

Optional Extras. Bundles. Why Name Bundles. Bulk Pricing. Discussion of Free.
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Hi All,The following WGAN-TV Live at 5 Pricing program airs LIVE and will be recorded ....5 pm ET (GMT -4) Thursday, 12 October 2017 - Matterport Service Providers: Bundle Versus Optional ExtrasTopics1. Optional Extras (high perceived value / high margin)2. Optional Extras (more examples)3. Bundles (Packages) Examples4. View other Matterport Service Provider Bundles (Packages)5. Advantages of Bundles6. Discussion of Free [Matterport] Space with Bundle (Package)7. Naming your Packages8. Bulk Pricing (What's that? And, why?)9. Advantages of bundles (packages) over ala carte 10. Advantages of ala carte over bundles (packages)11. Blue Ocean Strategy: making your competition irrelevant (a taste) Anyone can view this Pricing program live Thursday, 12 October 2017 at 5 pm ET (GMT -4)Best,DanP.S. WGAN Forum Members are welcome to join the virtual studio audience to participate in the discussion.

Heated discussion from WGAN Forum Members about Matterport charging for MatterPak
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Hi All,Matterport announced MatterPak Bundle for $49 (please see above). There has already been some heated commentary on this topic in the We Get Around Network Forum (tagged: MatterPak) What are your thoughts about the services offered in the MatterPak Bundle and pricing? And, how does this news affect you?On WGAN-TV Live at 5 (5 pm EST | GMT -5) Thursday, 11 January 2018 ...WGAN-TV MatterPak Bundle Roundtable (With You)Want to join-in? Please Private Message (PM) me for the Join the MatterPak Bundle Roundtable Sign-Up Link (free for WGAN Forum Members).Hi Matterport,You're welcome to join the WGAN-TV MatterPak Bundle Roundtable too. Please Private Message me as well.Best,DanP.S. WGAN Forum Members are welcome to join the virtual studio audience to participate in the discussion.