Work culture goes 'hardcore'
A wave of commentary argues tech’s playful perks era is over — reports claim some teams are normalizing 12+ hour days and 6–7 day workweeks, with fear of AI displacement driving a new grind culture. The shift is being framed as both performative and structural, with long hours described as a response to heightened output expectations. (youtube.com)
Index Ventures partner Martin Mignot wrote on LinkedIn that the “996” practice has “quietly become the norm” across startups, a post that reignited public debate among investors and founders about acceptable startup pace. (cnbc.com) Recruiting artifacts show the change in practice: a Sonatic job ad explicitly listed willingness to work seven days a week as a qualification, and Browser Use founder Magnus Müller told reporters he routinely works seven days to keep up with product timelines. (finance.yahoo.com) (moneywise.com) Venture analysts began quantifying the phenomenon: Avenir partner Jared Sleeper popularized a “grind score” built from Glassdoor metrics to rank companies where high optimism coincides with poor work‑life balance. (it.slashdot.org) Consulting and survey data link the trend to AI adoption: EY’s 2025 Work Reimagined Survey reported 88% of employees use AI at work and concluded organisations were missing up to 40% of potential AI productivity gains due to gaps in talent and governance. (ey.com) Independent polling finds AI is also intensifying workloads for many staff—about 31% of respondents in a recent ResumeTemplates/PR Newswire survey said their workload increased after AI rollouts, a statistic cited by reporters as a driver of longer hours and heightened output demands. (prnewswire.com) Regulatory and investor responses are emerging: China’s courts and regulators have publicly moved to rein in 996‑style overtime, and several major Chinese firms implemented earlier mandatory clock‑out policies in 2025, while impact investors and some European VCs have publicly pushed back against celebrating “hustle as a virtue.” (business-standard.com) HR and business outlets are sounding the alarm on sustainability: analysts quoted in outlets such as Inc. warn that a revival of 72‑hour startup norms raises concrete risks of burnout, higher turnover and reduced workplace diversity for fast‑scaling AI teams. (inc.com)
