the miniLab, had been under development for more than two and a
half years. But the device remained very much a work in progress. The
list of its problems was lengthy.
The biggest problem of all was the dysfunctional corporate culture
in which it was being developed. Elizabeth and Sunny regarded
anyone who raised a concern or an objection as a cynic and a naysayer.
Employees who persisted in doing so were usually marginalized or
fired, while sycophants were promoted. Sunny had elevated a group of
ingratiating Indians to key positions. One of them was Sam Anekal,
the manager in charge of integrating the various components of the
miniLab who had clashed with Ian Gibbons. Another was Chinmay
Pangarkar, a bioengineer with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from
the University of California, Santa Barbara. There was also Suraj
Saksena, a clinical chemist who had a Ph.D. in biochemistry and
biophysics from Texas A&M. On paper, all three had impressive
educational credentials, but they shared two traits: they had very little
industry experience, having joined the company not long after
finishing their studies, and they had a habit of telling Elizabeth and
Sunny what they wanted to hear, either out of fear or out of desire to
advance, or both.
For the dozens of Indians Theranos employed, the fear of being fired
was more than just the dread of losing a paycheck. Most were on H-1B
visas and dependent on their continued employment at the company
to remain in the country. With a despotic boss like Sunny holding their
fates in his hands, it was akin to indentured servitude. Sunny, in fact,
had the master-servant mentality common among an older generation
of Indian businessmen. Employees were his minions. He expected
them to be at his disposal at all hours of the day or night and on
weekends. He checked the security logs every morning to see when
they badged in and out. Every evening, around seven thirty, he made a
fly-by of the engineering department to make sure people were still at
their desks working.
With time, some employees grew less afraid of him and devised
ways to manage him, as it dawned on them that they were dealing with
an erratic man-child of limited intellect and an even more limited