The Un-Theranos-ing Of Silicon Valley
Isn’t it a bummer to find out a prized piece of art is worthless because it’s a fake?
The spotlight on Silicon Valley (SV) intensified over decades of dot coms and social media companies. Most of the attention sustained positive regard for computer technology and biotech until a blue-eyed robot decided to start up in Palo Alto. Elizabeth Holmes drew more negative publicity to SV after her deceptions at Theranos were revealed in court. The resulting hate spurred at SV “unicorns” was unfortunate given a history of proven innovations that have impacted our daily lives, medicine and science.
Holmes’ earned moniker as a “scam artist” or “fraudster” does not legitimatize disregard for solid innovation by companies like Apple, 23andMe and Adobe. My experience at one of SV’s innovators during the Human Genome Project can help founders and employees establish better practices.
At Company X, I was fortunate to work with engineers and inventors who knew what they were doing. Equally important, they cared that their employees knew what they were doing. It was an open and honest environment. Everyone was equal- you could pop into the cubical of one of the co-founders or talk with the people in the manufacturing and QC department. Unlike the secretive and isolating work environment Holmes pushed at Theranos, Company X was a superlative place to start as a young scientist. The most important things I learned was to ask questions, learn, communicate and explore. These are fundamentals of technology innovation that were not encouraged at Theranos. But, they are at successful companies with bright, patient and honest founders.
During communications with cross-functional groups it was revealed that some researchers were not privy to the workings of instrumentation in use. Though one of the founders was alarmed, they did not go into a fit. Everyone was asked to spend the day to review engineering and design. The co-founder and inventor of the machine made sure that everyone could see as they explained the inner workings of the machine, took questions, and their entire day to make sure everyone was comfortable and on the same page.
SV is where very talented people dedicate their lives to making the world improved and functional through innovation. Within a decade, the only thing Theranos showed for the millions invested was Instagram influencer-level hype. Other than money, Holmes wasted time, opportunity, trust, and humility by concerning herself more with celebrity and the fast-track to wealth. Theranos had top talent from the most respected and successful universities and companies in the world. Farcically, Holmes may have made the blood-testing device work if she heeded the expertise of her engineers to start big and go small. So, while she awaits sentencing, no excuse exists for squandering her shot. It is certainly not the norm in SV nor is it the environment I admire.