About LLMs at Zig Days | Loris Cro's Blog

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About LLMs at Zig Days

May 28, 2026
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4
min read • by
Loris Cro

Zig Days are full-day collaborative programming events that usually take place on a Saturday.People meet in the morning, introduce themselves, and mention what hobby/learning project they want to work on. Everybody is then free to form small groups or to work alone. At the end of the day, some Zig Days let participants demo what they worked on.All the Zig Days are listed here: https://zig.day.
A photo of a Zig Day MilanThis is the flagship meetup format of the Zig community, and its main goal is to foster a community that enjoys and cares about applying systems thinking to create software you can love, as we believe it to be a key characteristic for growing a vibrant global Zig community.These are the only hard rules that Zig Day organizers have to follow in order to be able to brand their event as a Zig Day.So my advice (i.e. not a rule) is to deliberately try to limit the number of discussions about LLMs at Zig Days. We’re all being affected by what’s happening in the industry in 2026, and it’s totally fair to want to share thoughts and doubts with other people about what’s going on, but LLM-related discourse lately has been sucking all the air out of the room, leaving no space for other exchanges.Zig Days are somewhat rare occasions to get together with other people who love thoughtful software engineering, don’t waste an opportunity to talk about data structures, algorithms, and approaches to problems that you’ve never seen before.Additionally, I would also recommend limiting LLM usage during Zig Days. If you have a question, first see if there’s somebody in the room who can help you with it. Similarly, do the coding by hand. Don’t waste all the learning opportunities that you’re getting on an agent that will learn nothing at best, and that will become more effective at doing Amodei’s bidding at worst.When you had a question at work in the past, you would be encouraged to ask your colleagues, while now these human interactions are being replaced by “just ask the AI”. Similarly, when you were handed a task near the edge of your ability in the past, you had to take your time to learn how to do it, while now you’re just being told to have the LLM quickly slop it up, leaving you with fewer learning opportunities.Zig Days are your opportunity to help yourself and others near you be a bit less lonely, while deepening together your understanding of software engineering.Maybe the guy who sells the shovels is right after all, and the best career move is to become proficient at buying more tokens orchestrating agents, but I would still recommend not putting all your eggs in one basket just yet because maybe – just maybe – there will still be some value in knowing how systems work, both to differentiate yourself from other developers career-wise, and as part of effective LLM steering.And even if you have full confidence that the future of commercial software is strictly hands-off agentic coding, Zig Days are still for people who enjoy the act of programming, even if that were to become just a hobby.For Zig Day organizersIf you’re a Zig Day organizer, my recommendation is to deliberately address this phenomenon at the start of the day. If you leave it completely unchecked, you risk having your Zig Day be inadvertently stripped of what makes it unique and worth getting up for on a weekend morning.My recommendation is also to not choose an extreme approach (e.g. by completely banning LLM-related discourse) unless you feel very strongly about it. Clarify with attendees what Zig Days are for and ask them to try to make the most of the event (by having enjoyable exchanges that they would not be able to easily have elsewhere), and to protect what makes Zig Days special. That’s probably going to be enough.
A photo of a Zig Day Nuremberg

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Zig Days are defined as full-day collaborative programming events, typically held on a Saturday, structured around participants introducing themselves, sharing their interests or learning projects, forming small groups, and often demonstrating their work at the end of the day. The central philosophy behind these events, as noted by Loris Cro, is to foster a community that prioritizes applying systems thinking to software creation, which the author believes is a vital characteristic for growing a vibrant global Zig community. In light of current industry shifts, particularly the rise of Large Language Models, Cro advises organizers to deliberately limit discussions related to LLMs during Zig Days, arguing that this discourse has recently become so dominant that it consumes valuable space and stifles other exchanges.

The essence of the Zig Days experience lies in providing an environment for participants to engage deeply with foundational software engineering concepts, such as data structures, algorithms, and novel problem-solving approaches. Cro emphasizes that these events are rare opportunities to connect with peers who share a passion for thoughtful software engineering, offering a space to deepen understanding through direct, hands-on interaction. Therefore, the author recommends that participants actively avoid allowing LLM-related conversations to overshadow these valuable learning opportunities. Furthermore, when engaging in the work during Zig Days, Cro advocates for minimizing reliance on AI; instead, participants should attempt to find solutions through direct peer consultation and by coding by hand. This approach is intended to maximize the learning opportunities provided by the event, as relying on agents may hinder the process of genuine learning, especially when attempting to grasp complex concepts or skills.

Cro suggests that while there is potential value in becoming proficient at orchestrating agents and managing token usage—perhaps positioning oneself as someone who knows how to buy the tools—there remains significant benefit in maintaining a foundational understanding of how systems operate. This knowledge is posited as crucial for personal career differentiation and for effectively steering the application of LLMs. Even if the future of commercial software leans toward agentic coding, the Zig Days format remains valuable for anyone who enjoys the process of programming, regardless of the eventual coding method. These events serve as a means for individuals to reduce isolation while collectively deepening their understanding of software engineering principles.

For Zig Day organizers, Cro’s primary recommendation is to proactively address the LLM phenomenon at the onset of the event, ensuring that the unique, valuable nature of Zig Days is not inadvertently stripped away. Instead of implementing restrictive measures, the author advises clarifying the purpose of the event with attendees. Organizers should encourage participants to maximize the experience by engaging in enjoyable exchanges that are unique to the setting, thereby protecting the specific atmosphere that makes Zig Days special. This approach seeks to balance the acknowledgement of contemporary technological trends with the core objective of the event: facilitating focused, thoughtful, and collaborative software engineering education.