Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, Re-read Week 13, Final Thoughts

I have been vacillating between an intense discussion of Bad Blood and a terse and blunt statement about Theranos.  In the end, I took a middle path. If you want to dive into the detail again, grab the book and the follow our re-read through it.  If you want the later,  the bottom line is — sleazy company, bad board and sociopathic people at the top.  Now the middle path.

 

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, Re-read Week 12, Chapters 19 through Epilogue

I decided to complete the content portion of the re-read this week.   From a team-level perspective, I believe we can all recognize some if not all of the behaviors seen in Bad Blood, albeit on a far less sociopathic scale. If this were a business novel, it would be easy to assume that the behavior shown in the book is hyperbole used to make a grand point.  In Theranos’s case, the supporting reading I have done suggests the book is somewhat understated. Why do people take the abuse? Why is money the only thing that matters to some? Why do some people say yes to doing work they know is ethically wrong? I am not sure this book answers those questions nor do I think my analysis can shed light on the psychological rationale of individuals; however, next week we will wrap up our re-read by reflecting on the impact of Theranos like behavior at the team level.  Remember that we will re-read The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell next (get a copy soon).

 

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, Re-read Week 11, Chapters 16, 17 and 18: The Grandson, Fame and The Hippocratic Oath

My intent is to complete our re-read of Bad Blood, Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup in three more weeks.  The book has 24 chapters and an epilogue, therefore there will be two more weeks on the book and then a wrap-up.  We will re-read The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell next. This week we tackle three more chapters in which we learn money is thicker than blood (something I learned working in a department store during college), and that people with a moral basis for ethics always have a breaking point (something I have only had to tangentially face).

 

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, Re-read Week 8, Chapter 11 and 12: Lightning a Fuisz and Ian Gibbons

We are re-reading Bad Blood, Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2018 – Buy a copy and read along). This week we tackle two related chapters.  Over the course of the book to date, we have seen secrets and lies (hence the title), intellectual theft, poor diagnostics and careers being destroyed.  This week we add a suicide to the hot mess that is Theranos.

 

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, Re-read Week 8, Chapter 10: Who Is LTC Shoemaker

We are re-reading Bad Blood, Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2018 – Buy a copy and read along).  Chapter 10 focuses on what when Hollywood makes a movie from Bad Blood will be a titanic battle between the indomitable Elizabeth and a career military officer, but what is really a struggle between right and wrong.  In the chapter, Elisabeth forms a relationship with General James Mattis, a Marine Corps General (now Secretary of Defense). Elizabeth and Sunny convince General Mattis to deploy the minilab in Afghanistan; enter Lieutenant colonel (LTC) Shoemaker.  As Mattis would put it later in the chapter, who is LTC Shoemaker?  Who he is, is the gatekeeper between Theranos and the troops.  The premise sold to Mattis is that the miniLab would be able to improve the treatment and survivability of injured soldiers. Mattis is renowned as being very loyal to his troops. As with everything Theranos there are problems, including the chronic ‘say anything and deliver very little’ (over promising).

 

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, Re-read Week 6, Chapter 8 – The miniLab

 

We are back with Chapter 8 of Bad Blood, Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2018 – Buy a copy and read along!). Chapter 8, titled The miniLab, focuses on overpromising and continues to layer on toxicity to the Theranos story.

 

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, Re-read Week 3 – Apple Envy, Goodbye East Paly and Childhood Neighbors

We continue our journey through Bad Blood, Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2018).  Today based on the advice of Stephen Adams we tackle chapters three, four and five. The chapters  are titled, “Apple Envy”, “Goodbye East Paly” and “Childhood Neighbors.” The chapters we cover this week paint a picture of a toxic culture full of deceit, naiveté, and vindictiveness; this will be a blockbuster movie someday. While Theranos sounds extraordinary, it isn’t hard to find similar corporate train wrecks. Bad Blood needs to be read as a cautionary tale.

 

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, Re-read Week 2 – A Purposeful Life and Gluebot

Today we continue our journey through Bad Blood, Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2018).   Today we tackle chapters one and two. They are titled, “A Purposeful Life” and “Gluebot.”  I have not changed the estimate of 20 to 25 weeks, however, Steven Adams has thrown down the gauntlet by suggesting we can do more than two chapters a week.  We shall see!

 

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, Re-read Week 11 – Plan and Prologue

Today we being our journey through Bad Blood, Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2018). The book is 325 pages and is comprised of author’s notes, a prologue, epilogue and 24 chapters.  The book is the story of Theranos, an infamous Silicon Valley start-up. I view this as a cautionary tale reflecting the excesses of a runaway startup culture.  Steven Adam, one of the blog’s active participants, suggested this book. I anticipate that this re-read (a first read for me) will run 20 – 25 weeks. The book is a business novel that leverages real life, but fills some of the cracks.