Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
John Carreyrou chronicles the rise and collapse of Theranos, a biotech firm led by Elizabeth Holmes that claimed to revolutionize blood testing through proprietary Edison devices. The book details how the company promised hundreds of diagnostic results from a single finger-prick of blood while secretly running tests on competitors’ commercial machines. Carreyrou examines the corporate culture of extreme secrecy, the intimidation of whistleblowers like Tyler Shultz and Erika Cheung, and the failure of board members to verify the technological claims behind a nine-billion-dollar valuation.
Business professionals and technology enthusiasts read this book to understand the mechanisms of corporate fraud and the dangers of the move-fast-and-break-things philosophy. It attracts those interested in investigative journalism and the legal complexities of white-collar crime. Readers gain a detailed look at how high-level deception survives due to weak oversight, predatory legal tactics, and the suspension of disbelief in venture capital circles. The narrative provides a factual case study on the ethical boundaries of startup culture and the importance of scientific transparency.
Outward-looking, growth-minded and clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Practical Optimizer. Which reader are you?
Insights from Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup
“Elizabeth and Sunny were the only people at the company who knew everything.”
Elizabeth Holmes wore black turtlenecks just to copy Steve Jobs. She wanted the image of a genius before she had the results.
“Doing the right thing is never easy.”
Tyler Shultz stood up to his own grandfather to tell the truth. It cost him his family's support and millions in legal fees.
The lab results were basically guesses. They ran patient blood on secret third party machines because their own tech failed.
“He was a former secretary of state, but he was being played.”
George Shultz and Henry Kissinger believed a college dropout over their own experts. Powerful men were easily blinded by a good story.
- Published
- 2018
- Language
- EN
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