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Comment by kevin_thibedeau | Hacker News Reader

Nor is 23andme.

Well, I think we can generalize that to many Tech Companies in general, if you examine their "value add" Google, FB, Linked-In, etc. There is something unappealing in quite a few. Not that each one is _all_ bad, but many have at least _some_ bad. in them. G and FB obviously trade in user data. On the other hand AMZ leverages many lowly-paid warehouse workers. Netflix is unapologetic about getting people to "binge", they don't even apologize for the word binge (which is typically associated with unhealthy alcoholic intake).

Yet, they all add some good value to many people as well, despite those flaws.

Why is that? I'm out of the loop.

I mean 23andme seems (to some) to originally have been a vanity project funded by Google founder's massive money to give wife something to do (super over the top uncharitable, misogynistic, chauvinistic characterization to answer the "why is that? question). However they have pivoted to something very interesting lately. They are now a drug development company and have hired some of the best in the business to mine their data and develop novel therapeutics. They have Germaine Fuh! 23andme is now a cool company!

They were hawking "genome analysis"[1] that were of dubious accuracy, value, and most importantly, not FDA approved. The FDA told them to stop.

[1] dunno if thats the technical term.

The "health" tests were of dubious accuracy, but as a long-time customer I always thought their warnings and caveats about those tests were enough. I was sad when the FDA made them stop. However, since the FDA action and the recent restoration of the health tests the product has improved, so I guess the FDA's move was was for the best.

The genetics component has always been terrific. I've had friends uncover surprises, like one who unraveled a mystery about an undocumented and unmentioned great-grandfather, who they found out was from a different continent and shunned by the family.

Even though I work in the 'omics field, I'm still amazed every time I get an email from 23andme that a sibling or cousin has joined, with them determining that based on nothing but some spit.

I think it's a very exciting company to watch and it's just getting started.

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