BandungBergerak.id – What does it take to build your own company? Would only having a vision be enough? These questions are answered in the TV mini series The Dropout. 

The series, which is based on an ABC podcast, tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO of Theranos, a medical product company. She was a student in Stanford University’s chemical engineering major, who decided to drop out in 2003 to start her own company. She had an idea of a medical testing device that can detect 240 diseases, just by using a drop of blood. She then discussed her idea with her professor, Phyllis Gardner. However, the professor thought that this device is impossible to make. Despite Gardner’s disapproval, Elizabeth started a medical device company called Theranos and abandoned her studies. She was only 19. 

Over time, Theranos became a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, with Elizabeth as CEO and her boyfriend, Sunny Balwani, as COO. (Chief Operating Officer). Together, they succeeded in attracting lots of investors, including Henry Kissinger, former US Foreign Minister. 

However, some people have doubts about the company’s credibility. Two employees started to question why they had to sign a secrecy agreement before working. FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) got suspicious why they couldn’t see the lab. Things got worse when an investigative journalist started to write about Theranos in the Wall Street Journal. What’s the end of this startup company like? You can watch the mini series on Disney Hotstar or Hulu. 

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More than Just Ambition

After finishing the whole episode, I realize that running a company takes more than just ambition. It also takes managerial and people skills. It's not easy to manage so many people working for you, as well as looking for investors. The responsibility is so huge and there’s a lot of pressure. The most important thing is being honest, trustworthy, and having integrity. This is something I’m still learning since I started English Class in 2020, at the beginning of Covid-19. I’m also competing with more-established well-known English courses, which makes it even harder. No matter what the challenges though, I know that I need to keep going or I will throw away all my hard work. 

I just want to end up differently from Elizabeth Holmes, who is now serving her sentence at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas. 

*Check out other writings from Alda Agustine Budiono