New trend: extreme hours at AI startups
3 days ago
- #996
- #work culture
- #AI startups
- The '996' work pattern (9am to 9pm, 6 days a week) was common in Chinese tech companies until banned in 2021.
- Some AI startups, like Cognition, are adopting extreme work hours (80+ hours per week) to achieve Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) quickly.
- Examples of AI startups with grueling work cultures include Lovable, Replit, xAI, CodeRabbit, and Icon.
- AGI is seen as a game-changer, leading to a sprint-like work culture in AI startups.
- Long work hours can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and high turnover.
- Potential candidates with family duties or personal priorities are often excluded from such work environments.
- Generational wealth through equity is a strong incentive for employees to endure extreme work hours.
- Despite the push for long hours, success isn't guaranteed, as seen with Cognition and Icon.
- The trend of extreme work hours in AI startups is likely to continue due to FOMO and competitive pressures.
- Historically, similar work patterns were seen in the tech industry during the rise of computers in the 1970s.