The Ai Silicon Valley startups are embracing the controversial work program of China “996”

You would like work almost double the 40 -hour standard week? It is a question that many startups in the United States ask potential employees and to obtain work, the answer must be an unequivocal yes. These companies are embracing an intense program, made popular for the first time in continental China, known as “996”, or from 9:00 to 21:00, six days a week. In other words, it is a 72 -hour working week.

The phenomenon of 996 in China gave rise to great protests e accusations of “modern slavery”, with critics who blame the program for a wave of Workers’ deaths. Despite the negative connotations abroad, the US companies, many of which work on artificial intelligence, are adopting both the program and his nickname while they run to compete against each other and with China. Adrian Kinnersley, a serial entrepreneur who manages both a staff company and hiring and a startup for compliance with employment, was surprised by how many startups are going all-in 996. “It is becoming increasingly common,” he says. “We have more customers in which a prerequisite for the screening of candidates before going for an interview is if they are ready to work 996.”

At the beginning of Covidid’s pandemic, conversations on the conditions for workers in the United States often focused on burnout and the need for greater flexibility. Also in the technological sector notoriously hard, companies have started to emphasize efforts to facilitate a balanced program. Now, the increase in interest in 996 shows that the pendulum has oscillated on the other side. Echoes to Elon Musk “extremely hardcore“Ultimatum to Employees X, who encouraged them to work hours of punishment.

Companies have no difficulty finding disposed employees and some frame it as fundamental for their culture of work. Rilla, an artificial intelligence startup that sells software designed for contractors (such as plumber) to record conversations with potential customers and educate them on how to negotiate higher rates, says that almost all of his workforce from 80 people adheres to program 996.

“There is a really strong and growing subculture of people, especially in my generation-gen Z-which they grew up listening to stories of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, entrepreneurs who have dedicated their lives to the construction of companies that change their lives,” says Will Gao, head of the growth of the company. “Kobe Bryant has dedicated all his basketball vigil hours, and I don’t think there are many people who say that Kobe Bryant shouldn’t have worked hard like him.”

Rilla is in advance of his expectations. In the current work listsexplicitly states that workers should record more than 70 hours a week, warning them not to join if they are not “enthusiastic” of the program. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided in the office every day, even on Saturdays.

Amrita Bhasin, CEO of Ai Logistics Startup Sotira, says that it is common for the founders of the Bay Area to adopt the program as they grow: “The first two years of your startup, you have to do 996”, he says. While Bhasin sees the demanding workload as essentially mandatory for the leaders of the company, he does not think that the employees of rank-e-phile should keep up: “I don’t think it is right to push it on them”.