Thomas Zhou🇺🇸
Tech Lead at TikTok
About Thomas Zhou
Tech Lead at TikTok
Hi, I’m a Silicon Valley–based tech lead and three-time startup founder with more than 10 years of experience in engineering and management.
I mentor engineers and founders who want to navigate their next step with greater clarity and confidence. Whether you’re growing your engineering career, stepping into leadership, building a startup, or deciding which emerging technologies deserve your attention, I can help you think through the trade-offs and identify practical next steps.
My perspective comes from building products and teams from the ground up—and from learning through both successes and setbacks. I’m especially passionate about empowering Asian professionals in tech, and I welcome mentees from all backgrounds.
I can help you with:
Engineering career growth and transitions Startup and founder challenges Technical leadership and people management Evaluating and navigating emerging technologies
Bring a question, a decision, or a challenge—I’ll help you leave with a clearer path forward.
Expertise
Sessions with Thomas Zhou
- General Mentorship Session (30 min)
What mentees say
“My mentoring session with Thomas was exceptional. He is very intelligent, practical and insightful.”
“very useful information”
“Thomas being a teach lead with 10+ year of experience is still able to put his shoes into a new Junior SWE. He was able to tell me to slow down and remember his Junior years and gave his own opinions on what Junior's should do and is expected of. It was really helpful and motivating to know that the right track isn't the most flashy or the fastest.”