Harry Stebbings, founder of 20VC, sparked a debate about overworking in tech with a LinkedIn post emphasizing increased work intensity to succeed. His claims resonated with some, yet many European tech leaders opposed the notion, citing the adverse effects of the 996 work culture commonly seen in China. Leaders like Suranga Chandratillake challenged the idea of overwork as necessary for success, mentioning the importance of smart work and acknowledging the realities of work-life balance. Critics outlined the lasting negative impacts of excessive work expectations in challenging creative environments.
"It's about a fetishization of overwork rather than smart work...it's a myth," Balderton Capital General Partner Suranga Chandratillake told CNBC. "California is very good at telling stories and there's a lot of mythmaking around the concept of what startups look like.... there is hard work involved but if you really spend time in that ecosystem, you will discover that lots of people work really hard, but there are also periods where they don't work."
Bloom Money founder Nina Mohanty agrees, pointing out the "lasting effects and unintended consequences" of such an over-the-top work culture.
Husmus co-founder Sarah Wernér and Bethnal Green Ventures Partner Dama Sathianathan pointed to the negative effects 996 work culture, criticizing its extreme demands on employees."
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