It’s spooky season, the Great Lock In is upon us, and the only thing scarier than ghouls and ghosts is what’s happening in Silicon Valley right now — the weekend is disappearing in the tech city.
For those of us who live for those two beautiful days, you can blame the rise of 996 culture, per The San Francisco Standard.
All work and no play
Nine-nine-six refers to the schedule of working from 9am to 9pm, six days a week. The concept originated in China circa 2010, and entered Silicon Valley’s vernacular a few years back.
But it seems to have strengthened its grip on San Francisco in recent months, with job listings that describe brutally long workweek expectations having become commonplace and grindcore a hot topic on LinkedIn and X.
And to prove it’s not all just talk:
- The number of corporate credit card transactions on Saturdays has surged this year, compared to previous years, according to data from payments firm Ramp, which interpreted that to mean more people are putting in work on the weekends.
Turn down for what?
A big factor is the AI arms race and the lucrative incentives fueling it, which have put pressure on tech companies to work harder and faster than their competitors.
Plus, given the harrowing job market, one expert told NYT that insecure workers may be more willing to accept 996 as the new norm.
But are Hustle readers hustling this hard?
For your own sanity, we hope not. But to answer our own question, we also assume probably no. Based on past surveys, we know our readers…
- Care too much about lunch: Over 70% either always or regularly eat away from their workstation (versus the 62% of Americans who routinely stay put).
- Work far too few hours: ~72% work less than 40 hours a week, and ~40% dillydally for at least five hours while on the clock.
- Value their independence too much: 33% said flexibility or work-life balance was their greatest motivator.
… to ever get on board with 966.
But in the off chance you are a founder who is or is considering subjecting yourself or your poor employees to the workhorse grind, maybe don’t.
Aside from the likelihood of burnout and the certainty of being an asshole, Deedy Das, an investor at Menlo Ventures, told The Standard that “generally, you don’t build generational companies with a slave-driver mentality.”
Work
