Theranos was a startup I only heard of when it started unfolding in 2016-2017. Funny knowing how much I was following stories about innovation in years before that. But that’s not the raison d’être of this blog.

Why did I pickup this book in the first place? Part of it comes from my, let’s say, my general wariness of the VC-lead model of innovation as done in Silicon Valley. But the main reason was that it was highly recommended by Vicky Boykis in her newsletter.

What is it about?

So Theranos used to be a startup promising to change blood examinations. Except as often, they over-promised, under-delivered, using power harassment, overall poor management and any tactics to shroud what was actually happening in the company, to investors, its board and its employees.

John Carreyrou is the journalist from the Wall Street Journalist who did a year-long investigation into the company which finally led to its demise one year later.

How is it?

The stress the book generated in me while reading shows how good it is.

It’s hard to read the account of what was happening to the employees through their interviews then seeing everything done by the top management of the company to derail the investigation.

It’s also interesting to see how the veneration of the Jobs reality distortion field could lead to such results. Partially because it was working for the founder but also because it seems to have been expected by the investors. No matter what the reality said, until everything was out, nothing seemed to be able to uncover the levels of bullshit.

Also interesting how including famous persons, albeit absolutely not knowledgeable of the industry or the product, helped raised the profile of the company and its founder. It was a very efficiency marketing / PR machine build on nothing except bullying and hope. Which disturbed the engineer part of me.

Final words

I highly recommend reading it. As stressful the reading might be to some, it’s a necessary read.