READERS GUIDE
Reader’s GuideValley Verified by Kyla Zhao
Discussion Questions:
1. Did you feel like Zoe made the right decision by leaving her fashion career for tech? Why or why not?
2. Have you ever made a career transition like Zoe did? How did it go for you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. One of Zoe’s big struggles after moving to Silicon Valley is loneliness from not knowing anyone and having no friends. Have you ever been in a similar situation, and if so, how did you handle it?
4. Did you identify with Zoe’s feelings of imposter syndrome when she started her new job? How do you deal with imposter syndrome when you experience it?
5. Have you ever found yourself being put down or doubted by others, like what Zoe faced from her FitPick coworkers? How did you navigate that?
6. What do you think of the way the book tackles issues of sexism and gender bias? Have you encountered such microaggressions in your life?
7. Tech billionaires and startups have been covered in the media more and more in recent years. In what ways did the book’s portrayal of the tech industry in Silicon Valley surprise you, and in what ways did it fit with your expectations?
8. Zoe felt troubled by how she was growing apart from her old New York friends after she took on the job at FitPick that they couldn’t relate to. Have you ever felt like you were drifting apart from a friend? How did you navigate that?
9. Zoe never thought she would become comfortable in the tech industry because she came from such a different background. Have you ever found yourself developing an interest or aptitude in a completely unexpected field?
10. Work plays a large part in the lives of Zoe, Lillian, and Bernadette. What do you think of each woman’s relationship with her career, and can you relate to any of that?
11. Zoe and Lillian started off on the wrong foot, with each woman thinking the other was too dissimilar for them to get along. Yet they
discovered eventually that they are stronger when they work together. Have you ever experienced a dynamic like that?
12. Would you want to work at FitPick? Why or why not?
