Theranos
A defunct blood-testing startup founded by Elizabeth Holmes.
Where Theranos comes up1 episode or test
- 1Silicon Valley fake-it ethosBilton's theme for the whole story
- 2Holmes forgets to make productThe blood test never actually got built
- 3Potentially deadly consequencesPatients relied on a product that wasn't real
From Nick Bilton's theme for Theranos
What was said about Theranos
Bilton's Theranos theme: fake-it ethos led Holmes to forget to make it. Nick Bilton framed Theranos as a story about Silicon Valley's fake-it ethos, which led Elizabeth Holmes to forget to actually make the product. The consequences were potentially deadly.
Bilton won't start a piece until he can state its theme in one sentence, like an elevator pitch, and every scene then loops back to it. His other themes: 'the future is coming whether we like it or not' for the Apple Vision Pro, and 'he needs a problem to solve and if there's not one there, he'll create one' for Elon Musk. Quote: "I won't start a book until I know what the theme is."
How to Improve Your Storytelling Skills (Nick Bilton Interview)
Bilton's theme for the Theranos story was that Silicon Valley's fake-it ethos led Holmes to forget to make it. The consequences were potentially deadly.
Bilton's Theranos theme: fake-it ethos led Holmes to forget to make it. Nick Bilton framed Theranos as a story about Silicon Valley's fake-it ethos, which led Elizabeth Holmes to forget to actually make the product. The consequences were potentially deadly.
Bilton won't start a piece until he can state its theme in one sentence, like an elevator pitch, and every scene then loops back to it. His other themes: 'the future is coming whether we like it or not' for the Apple Vision Pro, and 'he needs a problem to solve and if there's not one there, he'll create one' for Elon Musk. Quote: "I won't start a book until I know what the theme is."
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