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From Wondery, I'm Lindsay Graham and this is American Scandal.

In the mid 2010s, Theranos grew into one of the most celebrated companies in Silicon Valley.

Founded by the young entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos promised a revolution in medicine.

The company would offer inexpensive blood tests for a variety of health conditions.

These tests would only require a few drops of blood and with their availability in stores like Walgreens, millions of Americans would gain easy access to vital information about their health.

It was a grand vision, but Theranos would never make good on this promise.

The Wall Street Journal published a searing expose revealing problems with the company's technology and leadership.

The article would ultimately destroy Theranos and lead to criminal charges against Elizabeth Holmes.

Theranos became a national sensation, exposing a dark side of Silicon Valley where companies often abide by a fake it till you make it mentality.

It's a strategy that can help court investors, but it's also led some to wonder whether the tech industry needs to fundamentally change.

My guest today is Charles DuHic, an investigative journalist and the best-selling author of The Power of Habit, which explores how we can change our lives by changing our habits.

He's also the author of Smarter Faster Better.

As a reporter, DuHic was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2013 for a series that looked at the global problems with the tech industry.

Before becoming a reporter, DuHic worked in private equity.

In our conversation, we'll look at how venture capitalists often work to create monopolies, even when the companies themselves might be troubled.

And we'll discuss whether these powerful investors are ultimately responsible for failures at companies like Theranos. Our conversation is next.

Hi there, Wondry listeners. Hannah and Sruti here from TrueCram Podcast Red handed. Your favourite podcast red handed.

We just wanted to say how excited we are to be included in Amazon Music and Wondry's best podcasts of the year as chosen by their listeners, which is you.

So thank you so much to everyone who listened to us voted for us or the things you do for us.

Any of you out there who haven't checked out red handed, what are you doing? What are you waiting for?

It's a weekly show where we deep dive into the most talked about cases like the Delphi murders and also those you might never have heard of like the Nathari Child sacrifices in Delhi.

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