Todd Zheng

Senior software engineer and tech lead. I build AI-powered developer tools and release platforms. Founding engineer of TikTok Global E-Commerce's release platform, now used by ~4,000 engineers. Currently working on LLM agents for debugging, knowledge sharing, and release automation.

Writing

With Scientific Rigor, with an Amateur's Spirit

Don't outsource your thinking to "them" — on independent thought, questioning authority, and what the fringe amateur scientists get right.

May 17, 2026
What Kind of People Make Up a Team?

From WoW raid guilds to software engineering — idealists, steady operators, and fringe members. And why AI makes lean teams possible again.

May 14, 2026
The AI Era Doesn't Need Code Monkeys — It Needs Pioneers

LeetCode can't find the engineers we actually need. On abstraction, openness, and what happens when AI makes everyone a builder.

May 11, 2026
Should Go Still Hold On to Its Philosophy?

Go stands at a crossroads: double down on radical simplicity, or finally embrace more abstraction? No language gets to stay pure forever.

May 11, 2026