Part 6/10:
The Labor Illusion: Creating Perceived Value
Another powerful tactic utilized by Holmes was the labor illusion, which suggests that perceiving effort invested in a product increases its perceived value. Theranos employed elaborate marketing strategies showcasing the "innovation" behind its devices, including staged lab tours that highlighted supposed technological breakthroughs. The illusion of labor contributed to the narrative that Theranos was on the cutting edge of medical technology, despite the lack of tangible results.