I work on operating problems that look busy from the outside and stuck from the inside.
The same pattern shows up across organizations and large teams: too much activity, not enough clarity, and too much complexity around the real work.
My job is to see what is creating drag, remove what is unnecessary, and make the system easier to run.
为无为，则无不治. I come back to this often. Good systems should not crowd out judgment. They make it easier to use well.
Advisory lens
- Many teams are less short on effort than on clarity.
- New tools help when they remove real load.
- Execution usually gets faster after the system gets simpler.
- I care about durable operating choices, not heroic bursts.
Background
I lead Operational Support and Efficiency at TikTok. My team uses AI to reduce operational load and test what AI-native operations look like in practice.
That same operating discipline is what I bring to nonprofit boards and hiring managers: simplify the system, clarify decisions, and reduce load.
My broader background spans engineering, operations, infrastructure, and management across:
- TikTok: Site Leader for Server Architecture, OSE Engineering Leader
- PayPal: Engineering management in Consumer In-Store, Digital Commerce, and Compliance
- Singapore Power: DevOps Lead
- Nugit: Senior Engineer
- Earlier roles: Software engineering across mobile, web, and platforms
Community and philanthropy
This part of my work matters because it shows how I operate when trust, speed, and coordination are the real constraints.
I’ve contributed to social empowerment and community building for over a decade.
IAmTalentedSG (2014–2024) Used technology to improve operational efficiency, served as event photographer, and focused on uplifting youths in at-risk communities.
Project Stable Staples (2020) Co-founded during COVID to provide rapid-response support for families in rental communities. Raised SGD 160,000, supported 2,600+ individuals across 600+ households, built a donation portal in under 2 days, and maintained zero expense ratio. Later received the President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards People of Good recognition. It is one example of coordinating quickly under pressure.
Lai Yu Hua Bursary Active engagement with recipients of this NUS Computing bursary for financially challenged students.
GeekcampSG (2011–2014) Lead Organizer. Grew the community substantially and helped lay the groundwork for later developer outreach work.
Awards and recognition
- President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards People of Good (2020)
- NUS Computing Outstanding Young Alumni (2022)
- NUS Outstanding Young Alumni (2021)
- Voice of Loving Kindness from Singapore Kindness Movement (2022)
How I work
I start by understanding where the friction really is. Then I reduce moving parts and design around the few decisions that matter.
In community work, that might mean logistics, communications, fundraising, or building tools quickly. In engineering, it means leading with enough technical depth to stay close to the work.
The through-line is practical leadership: see the problem clearly, move with intent, and build something that holds up in real use.