"While the 996 parlance and laser focus on AI may be new, hustle culture has always been embedded in Silicon Valley to some degree. Some business leaders, perhaps most famously Elon Musk, have long demanded those hours from their employees: "There are way easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week," he once said of the "hardcore" work ethic promoted at his companies."
"The CEO of the $10 billion AI startup Cognition has talked openly about the intense work ethic expected at his company. "Cognition has an extreme performance culture, and we're upfront about this in hiring so there are no surprises later," he shared on X earlier this year. "We routinely are at the office through the weekend and do some of our best work late into the night.""
Startups racing to match advances in artificial intelligence are adopting intense work cultures modeled on China's 72-hour "996" schedule. Hustle culture has long existed in Silicon Valley and influential leaders have demanded extended hours, framing them as necessary for major breakthroughs. That culture is spreading as founders and workers push to capitalize on AI opportunities. The CEO of Cognition described an extreme performance culture with weekend office presence and late-night work. Some industry veterans and employees are seeking alternative approaches to avoid replicating relentless schedules and to prioritize different workplace norms.
Read at Fast Company
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