Hustle Culture is Back in Silicon Valley. But Can Workers Sustain a 996 Grind?

According to San Francisco workers, the hustle culture of the pre-pandemic days has returned in the form of long working days and weekends at the office. So called “996 work”, which originates from China’s tech scene, is a work schedule that starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 9 p.m., six days a week. The hustle isn’t new to Silicon Valley, but the hyper-competitive AI tech race and the fact that some employers are making 996 mandatory for its staff, or using it as a recruitment filter, could lead to uncharted territory. We talk about the origins of 996, the grind culture of Silicon Valley, and whether or not this trend is going to stick.

Guests:

Carolyn Chen, associate professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley and co-director, Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion. Author, "Work Pray Code: When Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley"

Lora Kelley, Journalist and writer covering tech and work

Ara Kharazian , economist at Ramp, a tech company focused on financial automation

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