Creator of Webpack Tobias Koppers on AI Agents, Rust, and Unsolved Bundler Problems

Tobias Koppers, creator of webpack, on where parallel coding agents stop scaling 🤖 – and why skipping code review has never been easier. ⚙️ Plus the CSS ordering problem he's been fighting in Turbopack for a year, and what fixing it cost. What's inside: 🧠 How many parallel agents one engineer can actually review - and why context switching isn't the limit 📝 Requirements and design docs before code, and why Rust's strict compiler makes AI output easier to trust 🎨 Why CSS load order makes bundling hard, and when chunk tuning is actually worth your time 👤 Tobias Koppers is the creator of Webpack, the bundler that shaped a decade of frontend development, and the creator of Turbopack, its Rust-based successor. At Vercel, he works on Turbopack. Connect with Tobias: 🔗 https://twitter.com/wSokra 🔗 https://github.com/sokra 🔗 https://bsky.app/profile/sokra.bsky.social 🎙️ Our host, Patrick Akil, is a Software Engineer at Xebia and the creator of the Beyond Coding Podcast (40k+ subscribers). A conference speaker and educator, he's focused on connecting people across the tech community. Connect with Patrick: 🔗 https://twitter.com/PatrickAkil_ 🔗 https://linkedin.com/in/patrick-akil 🕐 Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:52 - Code is becoming prompts, docs and reviews 01:31 - Why agents thrive on Rust's strict compiler 01:53 - Your 20$ Off 🤫 02:45 - Don't let the agent start with code 04:23 - Chunking 101: why CSS order messes everything up 07:10 - A year fighting CSS order, and the regressions that followed 09:24 - When tuning your chunks is actually worth it 11:44 - Everybody keeps asking: when is Turbopack going standalone? 12:45 - "The compiler yelling at you": why everyone loves Rust 14:45 - Should you learn Rust for your career? 16:38 - An AI CTO hiring humans? The JSNation discussion table 17:53 - Is your job safe, and why skipping review is too easy 20:10 - How many parallel agents can one person really handle? 📹 The podcast was recorded at JSNation 2026 in Amsterdam: 🔗 https://gitnation.com/events/jsnation-2026?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=TobiasKoppers 📌 Inside this video we’ve hidden a secret code for 20% off your next event: 💫 JSNation US 2026 Nov 16 & 19, 2026 (NewYork & Online) 🔗 https://jsnation.us/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=TobiasKoppers 💫 React Summit US 2026 Nov 17 & 20, 2026 (NewYork & Online) 🔗 https://reactsummit.us/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=TobiasKoppers 💫 AI Coding Summit Nov 16 & 17, 2026 (New York & Online) https://aicodingsummit.com/nyc/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=TobiasKoppers and more! 🚀 Check out all the upcoming events from GitNation: 🔗 https://gitnation.com/events?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=TobiasKoppers #JSNation #GitNation #softwareengineering #webpack #aiagents #javascript #webdevelopment #frontend #programming #rust #nextjs #codereview #aicoding #css #developer