Fraud. There, I’ve said it.

I spent a good portion of the early half of my career dispelling the myth that antennas are Black Magic. Then, I tired of it, and started agreeing. And I was the magician.

I’ve always had a strength for explaining to my clients how antennas, especially THEIR antennas, work in the simplest terms. It has always been a benefit to both of us. Including the most powerful phrase in science and engineering: “I don’t know.”

To simplify a complex topic and tell the truth is honorable.

The definition of “fraud” is:

In civil litigation, allegations of fraud might be based on a misrepresentation of fact that was either intentional or negligent.  For a statement to be an intentional misrepresentation, the person who made it must either have known the statement was false or been reckless as to its truth.  The speaker must have also intended that the person to whom the statement was made would rely on it.  The hearer must then have reasonably relied on the promise and also been harmed because of that reliance. 

Put more simply (though with less precision), speaking a falsehood knowingly for gain.

And boy, howdy, does it ever happen in the world of antennas. Because… Black Magic.

[The facts of the cases below have been altered to honor NDAs, and to protect the unfortunate.]

A new client came to me some years back, looking for “antenna” expertise to help develop a technology in the area of biomedical engineering. She made her money in real estate, and it was not a small fortune. Seeking to give back, she found and sought to develop an idea for curing disease. In her employ for this project were two PhD’s from a nearby university. The idea was to modify proteins through the use of RF energy, in a controlled fashion, and use this power to develop cures for disease. So far, so good.

In discussions with the team, I learned that the desired product was a chamber of uniform RF energy to irradiate a sample while simultaneously measuring it’s characteristics with other means, and do so at a controlled temperature. We had conference calls with all parties to establish these goals and it was all clear.

A straightforward consulting gig, right?

The PhD’s were expressing doubts because the Client simply did not understand the science. They steered the Client from a very broad and poorly formed goal (wait for it…) to a specific, achievable one. This is what we worked on. However, the original goal statement, right from the Client’s mouth, was that they wanted to “find the resonant frequency of disease.” Read that again, slowly. No, I am not making this up. I was very clear with the Client that this really had no meaning, but thankfully the PhD’s did have a good plan, and it would result in the development of a tool that was useful, and may indeed lead to a contribution to biomedical engineering and the fight against disease.

We were about 75% through the project when the PhD’s had had enough. The Client did not understand the technology, and was under the influence of some other new PhD (herein, the New Guy), who just smelled money. The original pair departed, and I had to fight the good fight, explaining to the Client what we were doing, why we were doing it, and why some of the ideas the New Guy had did not have basis in fact. The New Guy was continuing to feed nonsense into my client’s head, and getting paid well for it. I was told that temperature control was no longer needed, despite the fact that we already had sunk significant engineering into an excellent control system.

The more I listened, the more I was certain that this New Guy was just there to pump money out of the Client. Period. One day, I asked for a meeting with her, and explained my observations, and that I thought her investment was being wasted. I had delivered two systems, as agreed, but we were heading in the wrong direction.

I spoke truth to power. I called out the New Guy on their bullshit. I told the Client that “…the best way to use me is to help you understand the technology so you can make informed decisions. I will no longer accept payment for development work, I will act as a consultant to you only. You really need this, because you are not understanding that you are pouring money into a hole. I will always tell you the truth.”

And that was the end of the relationship. There was no more I could do.

She was being defrauded, yet thought she was doing good. This is a sadly common tune.

Fast-forward a couple of years, and I get contacted by another Client. He is an expert in banking down in Tennessee, and was CEO of a technology company that needed some RF help. They had a product which made some broad claims about improving corn production by focusing RF energy on the crops. OK… I did not know much about corn, but I was willing to help with their antenna needs. They presented to me papers and studies about the effectiveness of their technology and it was impressive. Right up until the point where I saw pictures of their device. Without going into detail here (again, to protect the client), and without mincing words I told the client that the technology was bullshit. (I had matured in my consulting practice to recognize when to save time.) The physics they presented to me was in no way possible, and the studies were a case of “correlation does not imply causation”.

I felt bad… I like my corn chips as much as (perhaps more than) the next guy, but I am in the business of speaking the Truth to my clients. I was expecting a brisk exit, but instead, I was hired.

Client: “Thank you for your analysis and your honesty. But, we have a problem.”

Me: “Oh, what is that?”

Client: “Our business is thriving. We are doing [N] dollars a year in sales, and I have a duty to best manage this business.” (Where ‘N’ is … ample)

Me: <blinks> “Well I will understand if this terminates our relationship. Of course, this is all under NDA.”

Client: “Oh, no, I need you. I need your skepticism and your expertise. You’re my resource for understanding this stuff!”

What an awesome response. He wanted and needed to proceed ethically and legally with this business. He made certain that the literature which was produced presented all the data. He sought to navigate how to position this company to continue serving the corn farming industry in other ways. I did not envy his task ahead. Yet, still, his customers were VERY HAPPY with his product.

This was not fraud. This was weird, but not fraud. There may have been fraud earlier in the history of this technology, but I have not researched it, nor do I need to. The Client had been delivered the truth.

The antenna/RF business is perceived as Black Magic. Consultants such as myself need to put on the White Hat and speak the truth to clients, even if it means “no deal”. It is especially difficult to do this at the beginning of one’s career.

But, I can sleep really well.

Despite the corn chip crumbs.