Author’s Q&A on Bit Flip
WHY SILICON VALLEY?
First and foremost, Silicon Valley is what I know. So, in the spirit of "write what you know,” this setting was the logical choice for me, since I’ve spent over 20 years at a wide range of technology startups. More importantly, though, I feel Silicon Valley is a microcosm for broader societal issues that we are grappling with as a nation — including wealth inequality, corruption, sexism, media manipulation, and the loss of privacy and civil liberties. As the downsides of “Big Tech” have come into focus, it’s accelerating many conversations that are long overdue.
Where did the idea for Bit Flip come from?
I started by keeping a journal of some of the more humorous and outrageous things I observed about Silicon Valley. I’ve always wanted to write a novel, and it seemed like the logical medium for the commentary I was collecting. The idea for Bit Flip started after I lost my job several years ago, and the plot just unfolded from there. It also afforded me some time to write! Although all the characters and companies are fictional, many of the events are derived from my personal experiences living and working in Silicon Valley.
How would you describe the genre of bit flip?
Corporate thriller? Satirical literary novel? Every author resists categorizing their work, but I’m really not sure. What I like to read is personal journeys about self-reflection and overcoming obstacles. I tried to honor the literary traditions of authors like Jack Kerouac, Ernest Hemingway, Jack London and Tom Wolfe — stories that really highlight the inner conflicts of the main character, but through an external struggle or adventure. More recent novels I’ve strived to emulate include Sideways by Rex Pickett and Less by Andrew Sean Greer. Both these novels featured middle-aged, male protagonists re-evaluating what was important in their lives, but told in a humorous and endearing narrative.
Mike Trigg, Author
This is your first novel. Why now?
I felt like I finally had something to say. My interest in creative writing began when I was in undergrad, but I never pursued it because I didn’t think I had any interesting experiences to write about yet. I put the idea of being an author aside as I followed my entrepreneurial ambitions in Silicon Valley. But, candidly, it has been a disillusioning journey at times. There is this aura and mystique around Silicon Valley that can be very different behind the scenes. I felt I had a unique vantage point to share that perspective.
Who do you see as the target audience for this book?
Although it’s told from the perspective of a middle-aged white male, I believe this novel will appeal to a wide audience. The core conflict is about humiliation and redemption — feeling like you’re not good enough, but proving everyone wrong to pursue your dream. But it’s more nuanced, laying bare the darker motivations, like envy, greed, desire, and jealousy, that motivate people to do what we do. Ultimately, it’s about honesty, integrity and determination, values that are in short supply lately.
Why did you end it as you did?
The title of the novel, Bit Flip, refers to a zero-to-one change — a 180-degree turn. Which is obviously a metaphor for the change of heart the lead character goes through, rejecting his whole career, in effect committing professional suicide, to do what he knows is right. I deliberately left open the idea of what our protagonist decides to pursue after his career in tech. For me personally, that change was writing a book! But I wanted the reader to imagine the protagonist pursuing whatever their dream is, rather than presuming one for them.