Re:Theranos Dials Back Lab Tests at FDA’s Behest
by matt4077 on Friday October 16, 2015 @09:32AM
(#10399099)
To raise another, less misogynist, possibility: she does indeed appear to excellent at selling her idea. So maybe that let to her success in VC circles. There's also a lot of precedent in people dropping out of college and being success. Not just with software but also, for example, hardware – which is more similar to biotech. Considering the Wozniak/Jobs success with hardware in the 80ies, I don't find it entirely implausible that a smart hacker could be successful in biotech even without a doctorate these days.
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Re:Theranos Dials Back Lab Tests at FDA’s Behest
by learc83 on Friday October 16, 2015 @10:14AM
(#10399399)
Biotech is nothing like computer hardware in the 80s, for one you can't do it out of a garage with a few hundred dollars worth of equipment. You need money and credentials just to get started for practical and regulatory reasons.
It's more like starting Intel than Apple.
I do agree with you though that it's probably her sales ability rather than her gender that led to the investments. I think it's likely the investors thought she'd make a great cover story, and that contributed somewhat to her success, but I doubt her gender was anywhere near the defining reason.