Interview with Mike Trigg, author of Bit Flip

Today it gives the Indie Crime Scene great pleasure to interview Mike Trigg, author of forthcoming new release Bit Flip.

Bit Flip is your first novel, which debuts on August 16. What can you tell us about the title of the book?

The book’s title is derived from a technical term for when a “bit” (represented as a zero or one in binary code) changes from zero to one or back again. Here, I’m using the phrase as a metaphor for a change of heart, which is what Sam Hughes, the protagonist, goes through in the book. I also went through a similar transition personally, when I pivoted from my career in tech into being an author.

Your protagonist Sam Hughes works in Silicon Valley as a tech entrepreneur. This was your professional line of work until you retired. How far did you draw on personal experience?

The novel was definitely inspired by my personal experiences in the tech industry. Although the story is entirely fiction, many of the situations, scenes, and characters are ones I’ve witnessed in real life over the course of my career. I wanted to write a novel that was credible to insiders, yet also interesting and engaging for any reader. Just like an ex-CIA officer writing a spy thriller, I believe my background and experience in the tech industry give the book substantial authenticity. 

Bit Flip is described as a satire, but it’s also a crime thriller. What is the importance to you of writing a satire about Silicon Valley and its influence, and why is this especially significant now?

At its core, Bit Flip is a cultural critique of contemporary life in the Silicon Valley tech start-up scene. And subtle satire is, in my opinion, one of the best ways of delivering a critique. I wanted readers, particularly those in the tech industry, to see a little of themselves in this narrative. That’s certainly how I feel—simultaneously rolling my eyes at the excesses of Silicon Valley, but also recognizing that I’m perpetuating that culture. But what makes it a compelling novel is the plot centred on white-collar crime. Although it may not be as dramatic as violent crime, corporate crime such as that depicted in the book is much more common and may feel a little too familiar for many readers. 

Tell us something about Sam Hughes. At the start of the book, he seems to be suffering from a mid-life crisis. What propels him into a new start-up career?

In the opening chapter, Sam is essentially giving up all his entrepreneurial ambitions. Although he’s been a modest success professionally, he feels burned out, disillusioned, and inadequate that he’s never had a big “exit.” Suddenly, the opportunity to realize that dream, coming back as CEO to sell the company and earn himself a huge payday, rekindles his desire to prove himself. Throughout the story, Sam is forced to walk a treacherous line between his values and his ambitions. That is the moral dilemma at the heart of the novel—Sam’s inner conflict with himself.

You mention that Sam returns to his midwestern roots - how important is that background to him and the book?

Sam’s Midwestern upbringing—he’s from Ohio in the book—is foundational to his personality and a key part of the story. His father has a struggling family business that Sam feels compelled to keep going, and Sam harbors guilt over his decision to instead pursue a career in Silicon Valley. When Sam visits his hometown in the midst of his midlife crisis, his original ambition is resurrected and his journey of redemption begins. So that background is critical to his evolution as a character. 

One of the most important themes in Bit Flip seems to be the conflict between career, wealth and entrepreneurial success versus morals, friends and family. Talk to us about why this dichotomy exists for Sam.

This dichotomy is one that almost every professional feels. Achieving outsized professional success almost always carries a steep personal price. As Sam becomes more ruthlessly focused on his career achievements, he gradually realizes the cost in terms of his family and values. Ultimately, he is forced to decide between his family and his professional success.

Sam returns to his former company, from which he was ousted. Without giving too much away, what can you tell us about the company’s founder and the “conspiracy of fraud, blackmail, and manipulation” that Sam discovers?

Thinking his career in tech may be over, Sam stumbles upon suspicious activity at his former company. The thread he starts to pull reveals greater and greater degrees of financial wrongdoing in the organization. Unfortunately, this slippery slope is one that several Silicon Valley companies have slid down. In which transgressions aren’t so egregious that they require immediate disclosure—a moral gray area, at least at first. I wanted to depict how start-up companies like Sam’s are largely left to regulate themselves. With no real oversight and private investors who are deeply incentivized to make the company a success, it can be tempting to exaggerate the company’s momentum. In some cases, up to and including outright fraud.

How about the other characters in the book? Who do we meet or does Sam stand alone, alienated from his family and work?

Other key characters include Sam’s wife, Heather, who serves as his moral compass throughout. Sam’s mentor, Peter Green, who encourages Sam to become a more ruthless version of himself. Sam’s boss, Rohan Sharma, the mercurial founder of Sam’s company who fires Sam early in the story, but who turns out to have some ulterior motives. And the three venture capital board members who each have their own hidden agendas.

Who are the villains and antagonists that Sam has to face?

Sam faces many antagonists throughout the story. Initially Rohan, his boss, who fires Sam over an on-stage rant, and partially to cover up Rohan’s own misdeeds. Then, it becomes Preston Lawrence, one of the board members who may have been complicit in the company’s illegal activity. Then it becomes Chip Peterson, the multi-billionaire CEO of a company that is interested in acquiring Sam’s company. But the real antagonist of the story is Sam himself—struggling between his darker desires of ambition, greed, and pride, pitted against his values, ethics, and family obligations. I always feel these are the most interesting characters, when they are simultaneously the protagonist and antagonist in the story.

How does he deal with the moral dilemmas that he encounters?

Sam is torn as the situation within his company reveals itself. As the revelations of wrongdoing escalate, he tries to thread the needle—hoping he can sufficiently clean up the mess while maintaining his ethical standards, yet simultaneously hoping he can get away with it and realize a huge personal windfall. Ultimately, his situation becomes increasingly untenable, as the prospect of massive personal wealth and professional esteem consumes him. 

With Bit Flip as your first novel, are you excited about the launch and are you working on a sequel - or something different?

I’m very excited about the launch of Bit Flip! It has been such a long journey to get here, and it has been so gratifying to get such fabulous early reviews, including 5-star ratings from Foreword and IndieReader. My second novel is already written, and I can’t wait for that to come out as well. It’s called Burner and, although it’s not a sequel to Bit Flip, it is also set in Silicon Valley and explores similar themes. It is also a more conventional thriller with a twist at the end that will blow readers away. 

Having worked for most of your life as an entrepreneur, how does the craft of writing differ?

I actually believe being an entrepreneur and being an author are incredibly similar. So much so that I wrote an article on this subject, which will be coming out soon. In both vocations, you need to be able to conjure something from a raw idea into something real and tangible. You need to be willing to invest in yourself. And you need to build a brand, in the former around your product and in the latter around your books. Both occupations can also be lonely at times, when it feels like it’s you against the world. But both are also incredibly rewarding when you see your ideas come to fruition. 

Do you have a daily schedule for your writing and an office or other space where you work?

I’ve never been a particularly scheduled person. I find that if I’m not inspired to write, I can’t force it. And, similarly, when inspiration comes, I’d be foolish not to ride the wave of productivity. That is contrary to most of the writing advice I’ve heard, but it works for me. I do have a dedicated writing space, however, in our home office with multiple monitors that enable me to write, do research, view my outline, and keep an eye on my inbox, all from one desk.

What writers do you enjoy, from the present or the past? Have you any favourites?

It’s so hard to answer this question, because there are so many authors I love. A list of my favourites has to start with the authors who initially sparked my interest in writing, including Jack Kerouac, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hunter S. Thompson, and Jack London. I’m a huge fan of the masters of the modern thriller genre, from Joseph Finder and John Grisham, to Laura Dave, S.A. Cosby, and Wanda Morris. I dabble in near-future sci-fi,  particularly with a tech focus, including Blake Crouch, Rob Hart, and Dave Eggers. And I thoroughly enjoy more literary works, especially Amor Towles, Joshua Mohr, Joshua Ferris, and Anthony Doerr. 

What are your goals for the future and what do you want to achieve?

My goal for the future is simple: to continue writing. I’m largely finished with my second novel and have started work on a third. My goal is to continue to publish at a pace of a novel every year or so, and I hope to be back talking with you again when the next one comes out.

Amazon | Mike Trigg Books

About Mike Trigg:

Mike Trigg was born in Kentucky and raised in Wisconsin. He earned a BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from University of California, Berkeley. Over his twenty-five-year career in Silicon Valley, he has been a founder, executive, and investor in dozens of venture-funded technology start-ups, as well as a contributor to TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. He lives in Menlo Park, California, with his wife and two sons. Bit Flip is his first novel

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