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> it's an example of how different the playing field is for different people I really liked your response, and am curious to know if you'd be able to comment m
by bmer 10y ago
> it's an example of how different the playing field is for different people
I really liked your response, and am curious to know if you'd be able to comment more specifically on that little bit I quoted above.
What exactly is the playing field? Getting VC funding? Managing regulatory agencies' demands?
Who has an advantage on the playing field? Who doesn't?
- existencebox 10y agoThe philosophical answer would be "yes"; the pragmatic answer isn't that far off, at the risk of a cop out. All the things you suggest and more, by "playing field" I meant life, or less broadly, success in enterprise. Advantage in this case seems broadly wrought by connections and political/financial clout. (citing early Theranos board composition, funding, etc) To make my comparison stark by drastic example, many years ago I watched a friend go under trial for minor possession. Although in relative terms, the hits Theranos/Holmes will receive if some of the current investigations pan out may be larger, it seems unlikely to assume that she won't still derive such a significant windfall from her tenure in the interim and the publicity that comes along with it (good AND bad) to put her in a position in life that I assure you said friend would gladly trade for. The types of outcomes derived for these two people don't even seem to be in the same game, if we're talking playing fields. (this made even more comical given the potential breadth of impact of the respective crimes, a comparison I hope I can leave as an exercise to the reader)