Screentime: Firefighter Turned Venture Investor Matthew Ball Is Also a Fortnite Power User

Welcome back to Screentime, where tech leaders divulge their personal phone habits.

To say Matthew Ball is all in on the metaverse would be a meta-understatement. The venture capitalist is wrapping up four years of research and writing for his new, succinctly titled book “The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything” (July 19). In it, Ball looks forward to an “open and interoperable Metaverse, one that isn't just technologically realizable, but also healthy.” He approaches the technology based on years of experience doing just about everything—from firefighting for Canada’s Ministry of Natural Resources, to heading up strategy for Amazon Studios, to his current jobs as a general partner at EpyllionCo and a partner at the gaming-focused Makers Fund. Here, Ball breaks down the rest of his digital diet—from his predilection for inbox zero to his 2,000-photo-strong collection of dog pics.

What kind of phone do you have and when did you get it?

Google’s Pixel 6 Pro. I order the newest Pixel model every year, day of release! I admire much about Apple’s hardware and the iOS ecosystem, but I prefer the Android UI/X, especially when it comes to customization and the ability to install whichever apps I choose.