
Silicon Valley is confusing pseudo-science with innovation - tokenadult
http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/29/10642070/2015-theranos-venture-capital-tech-bubble-disruption
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jerryhuang100
I'm curious how they did their 510(k) or just some simple math for their
(only) approved HSV-1 IgG assay [1]:

In their "Table 3: Design of Precision Study", the Equivocal Panel C, Lot 3 is
asterisked with the citation of "sufficient cartridges not available". However
if you try to sum up the total valid replicates (27 + 44 + 8 = 79) and it just
does not match to the total of 78.

[1]
[http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf14/K143236.pdf](http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf14/K143236.pdf)

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quanticle
The more interesting line from the article, for me, was this:

    
    
        As the funding environment cools, a lot of companies with unsustainable 
        business models are going to go under. 
    

I wonder how long it'll be before Groupon declares Chapter 11. They've been
bumping along at near zero growth and profits for some time now, and investor
patience is going to start running out once other sectors of the economy start
generating meaningful returns.

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andersen1488
You've basically described half of the silicon valley "unicorn" crowd. The
next 2 years are going to see the death of many VC backed tech companies as
interest rates rise.

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joshu
Remind me which fallacy it is the one where the argument treats many things as
if they are one thing?

I have done a couple medtech investments. They are very, very hard to DD. For
plain tech I am just used to having enough background to be able directly
evaluate the company. Much harder when one gets out of their own arena.

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empressplay
Also see [http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/30/10690420/theranos-
blood-t...](http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/30/10690420/theranos-blood-test-
no-fda-federal-inspections-elizabeth-holmes)

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m0llusk
This piece makes a general statement and focuses on one company. Another
Silicon Valley Company, Zonare Medical Systems, has moved ultrasound forward
so that it can be used for more diagnostic tests more accurately. They are
also quite stable and have not seen wild variation in their valuation. Perhaps
that is why they are not interesting to the press? Only calls of condemnation
and crisis actually drive clicks?

