Fake It Till You Make It

I have been thinking about "fake it till you make it" quote after I watched a documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, a fake entrepreneur who scammed so many investors for her machine that never worked. Holmes was an ambitious entrepreneur and wanted to make things possible. She was a dropout student, then she created her own company called Theranos. She had an idea of a machine that tested blood with a single drop. It sounded impossible because to test somebody's blood to find out about their health, it usually takes a tube of full of blood. Now, Holmes' idea could make the blood testing easier. Especially it was suitable for people with the fear of needles, as known as trypanophobia. When Holmes pitched her idea to every investor, they thought Theranos and the Edison machine could actually the future of science. So they poured money in for Holmes. And soon, she became rich. Theranos and the Edison machine were bubbles that waited to be popped.

Source: Reuters

Many people who were scientists or in science industry believed what Holmes and her company did was impossible and unscientific. But Holmes did not care anyway. She continued to do what she wanted to do. Her only purpose was to getting money and perhaps, wanted to be rich after all. I wasn't sure that she had ever doubted her Edison machine or what she was doing.

They always say a needle inside a bag will come out. When the Edison machine was introduced in Walgreen, people started to question if the machine actually work. And it didn't. The blood test actually had to come from other testing labs. Theranos became a toxic working place. Holmes had to shut their mouths up so that they wouldn't say anything to anyone. It wasn't until an investigative journalist from The Wall Street Journal, John Carreyrou, exposed Theranos. He investigated all the activities inside that company and wrote about it. Carreyrou's book "Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup" became the best selling book where all the details about Holmes and her Theranos. It is a good book though.

Holmes is an example of fake it till you make it. But what does that mean anyway? Well, it is more like a crime to me. The crime of fraud and swindle. They think they can try repeatedly until they make it. Of course they can do it and prove everyone that they are not like what people think. Some people will think "fake it till you make it" is an encouragement for everyone to keep going and never give up even if they don't know for sure that they can do it. Then, I will ask a question. Why do they have to pretend to be someone that they aren't?

The consequence for Holmes was her sentence which is more than 11 years in prison and the collapse of Theranos. It ended an empire built on lies and corruptions. Holmes couldn't make it after all because she didn't have the ability to make it possible. Yes, I agree she was good at business but to run a company which serves the medical and science, the owner must have a knowledge on that industry. Holmes was a dropout student with a mind of businesswoman. So she didn't understand how blood testing work. She could have been great if she listened.

It is a mistake of everyone. Leaving outside their ears every comments of people around or their negative thinkings that put them down. But there are some comments they should consider. If it comes from people who actually care about you or know what you are doing, you should listen and find out if it is true. Besides, don't fake it till you make it. Once you found out what you want to do and have no doubt on your ability to make your doing come true, go ahead. The best way to prove someone is not proving at all because as long as you're proving, you haven't reach your success. When you are success, they will look at it without questioning.