Meta’s chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth is reportedly preparing to hold what he has described as the most important meeting of the year, urging employees to attend in person despite the company’s usual remote-first culture.
Employees told to prioritise attendance
According to a report by Business Insider, managers at Meta have asked staff to “drop what they are doing” to attend the meeting, which is scheduled for 14 January. Two employees told the publication that Bosworth strongly recommended physical attendance, a move seen as highly unusual for the division he oversees.
The meeting is expected to involve teams within Reality Labs, the Meta unit responsible for wearables, as well as virtual and augmented reality products.
Unusual move for Reality Labs
Reality Labs is not known for holding large in-person gatherings, making the directive particularly notable. One employee said managers had made it clear that other work should be deprioritised to ensure staff are present.
The division has been under intense scrutiny due to its financial performance. Since 2020, Reality Labs has reportedly recorded losses exceeding $70 billion, despite achieving some commercial success with products such as the Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Financial pressure and recent layoffs
Reportedly, the meeting comes at a challenging time for the unit. Reality Labs has gone through several rounds of layoffs over the past year and, according to a separate Business Insider report published in December, was planning further budget cuts.
These pressures have raised questions internally about the future direction of Meta’s metaverse and hardware ambitions, adding weight to the significance of Bosworth’s planned address.
Who is Andrew Bosworth?
Andrew Bosworth, often referred to internally as Boz, holds a degree in computer science from Harvard University. He began his career as a field sales manager before working at Microsoft and Facebook, later rising through the ranks at Meta.
According to Meta, Bosworth previously led the company’s Ads and Business Platform product group, overseeing engineering, product, research, analytics and design. During his tenure, annual revenue from the unit reportedly grew from $4 billion to $40 billion within five years.
