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The Ugly, Unethical Underside of Silicon Valley
Article

The Ugly, Unethical Underside of Silicon Valley

As the list of startup scandals grows, it’s time to ask whether entrepreneurs are taking “fake it till you make it” too far.

Fortune, 2016

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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Controversial
  • Overview
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Recommendation

More and more examples of fraudulent activity among Silicon Valley start-up founders are raising the question of whether the problem is systemic in the aggressive make-it-or-break-it start-up community. Entrepreneurial start-up culture encourages rule bending – but rampant rule breaking may threaten its future. getAbstract recommends this article to investors, entrepreneurs, and anyone with an interest in Silicon Valley and start-up culture.

Summary

When The Wall Street Journal first brought to light irregularities at blood-testing start-up Theranos, some investors were outraged by the “slam piece.” Meanwhile though, with accounts of massaged figures and other scandals mounting, start-ups are distancing themselves from Theranos and other “bad apples,” and investors are beginning to pay attention. Some wonder whether Theranos isn’t an exception but representative of a systemic problem within the start-up community.

Silicon Valley culture applauds aggressive determination by founders who interpret...

About the Author

Erin Griffith is a senior writer at Fortune and contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She covers technology, start-ups and venture capital.