Steve Raymond is the CEO of 8i, a company that enables real human holograms - the ability to create them and distribute them - for augmented, virtual and mixed reality.

Prior to 8i, Steve was the founder and CEO of BigFrame, a YouTube media company that was acquired by Dreamworks Animation. Previously, Steve was the VP Product Development and Strategy for Entertainment & Digital at NBCUniversal.

8i is Steve’s 5th startup. Each of the previous four have been acquired. In addition to Dreamworks, acquirers have included MTV Networks, Yahoo, and AOL. Steve has a knack for spotting a winner, and he believes 8i will be another.

I’ve broken my conversation with Steve into two parts. In this first part, Steve and I talk about the focus and progress of 8i. We touch on the technology of capturing and distributing volumetric video, why it’s hard, and who the early adopters may be.

We discuss the search for product market fit and the challenges facing early stage startups in the AR and VR market today. Steve also shares advice on the art of being the CEO of an early stage company.

I think you’ll love this one.

You can find all of the show notes at thearshow.com.