It’s 2025, and instead of working less, some are pushing to work more. Twelve-hour shifts, six days a week (for whatever reason, some people seem to enjoy slavery). And this proposal comes from Silicon Valley, the same place that invented “work whenever you want, from wherever you want”.
Twelve-hour workdays, huh? Then they’ll want us to have kids and not lose our hair from stress. Like the 9-9-6 model that was born in China (from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 6 days a week), it’s gaining ground among artificial intelligence startups in San Francisco. Commitment to innovation or modern-day exploitation, you decide.
Culture of excess (they swear)
Silicon Valley has always meant work. It’s where open offices, free snacks, and “work from home” were born. But now, with the boom of artificial intelligence, many are returning to an older (and tougher) mindset that basically means living to work.
Magnus Müller (Browser Use) admits to working nights and Sundays because he can’t disconnect from work. Maybe, Mr. Müller, some people like having a life beyond 5 p.m.
Another example is Kinjal Nandy from Sonatic, who asks his team to be present every day of the week, though, to be fair, he provides food and housing on campus. You don’t see your partner, but hey, you get breakfast!
“The 9-9-6 isn’t for everyone, those who adopt it don’t do it for the money, but because they believe in the mission”.
From China to California
This model has Asian roots. In China, giants like Alibaba and Huawei used it for years as a symbol of sacrifice and extreme productivity, but of course, there were massive protests and lawsuits over overwork (pretends to be shocked!), and the Chinese government restricted this model.
In the U.S., there are no laws that forbid it, and some startups are adopting it “voluntarily”, you get what that means, right?
And beware, many who join do so with the idea of “making history” because they see AI as the new “American Dream” especially young people fresh out of college (who are, probably, easier to manipulate, but that’s a personal opinion).
Extreme productivity…
And yes, believe it or not, there are people who defend this kind of model because they think it produces faster results in industries with rapid advancements. But really, how much of our own lives are we willing to risk for someone else’s dream?
Supporters of the model claim that intense work brings faster results, especially in fields where progress happens every week.
Is it healthy?
Healthy, working is not. Let alone exploiting your body for 12 hours. If we already complain about how much we miss out on because of work, imagine doing that many hours every week. Besides, numerous studies have shown that after 55 hours a week, the body and mind start to pay the price, chronic stress, depression…
“Overwork kills exactly what Silicon Valley claims to celebrate: innovation”
It wouldn’t even be legal in Europe
While the U.S. is debating the 9-9-6 model, Europe is horrified. In countries like Spain or France, such a system would be outright illegal because labor laws protect rest periods and limit weekly working hours. In fact, many European countries are fighting to shorten the workweek even more.
Realistically, 9-9-6 is a threat to decades of labor rights won through blood, death, sweat, and strikes.
The new face of success?
It’s ironic that this is happening now, just as AI is revolutionizing everything, right when innovation is moving so fast that many startups believe only the quickest and most aggressive will survive.
But at what cost? More and more people suffer from depression, stress, or severe anxiety. Are we really willing to sacrifice our lives for a job? To live endlessly under the glow of office LEDs or in front of a computer screen?