Debate about 996 culture: Extreme or necessary?

Working from nine to nine, six days a week – a model now being proposed for Europe’s tech companies to catch up with the US and China. But Swedish founders call the whole debate misguided.

“European founders need to realize this: Silicon Valley has turned up the pace again. It takes seven days a week to win.” So wrote British venture capitalist Harry Stebbings on LinkedIn – and started a heated debate about the infamous 996 culture: workweeks from nine to nine, six days a week. The model is commonplace at Chinese tech giants such as Alibaba and Bytedance. Now some say it’s time for Europe to follow suit.

According to its proponents, 996 is not extreme – but necessary for Europe to even have a chance of catching up with the US and China. And there are plenty of signs that we are falling behind.