New trend in Silicon Valley: No alcohol, no romance, just work. The new generation of founders are embracing the 997 work schedule.

"Work hard, play hard" is a thing of the past: Exploring the 996 culture in Silicon Valley.

"We are hiring our first batch of business development representatives. Since the product was launched last week, we've been fortunate to see that the sales pipeline has grown faster than the team can handle, so we're in urgent need of staff. If you meet the following criteria, you'll be a great fit for this job:

· Willing to work intensively (7 days a week without rest)

· Quick learner and fast - paced doer

· Capable of solving problems independently

· Can start work within a week

This is exactly the original text of a recent LinkedIn job posting.

The company that posted this job is called Corgi, a startup supported by Y Combinator. It recently completed a $108 million financing round and is dedicated to creating insurance products for startups. In the past, working seven days a week might have raised eyebrows, but in today's San Francisco, it's hardly anything unusual.

The job posting then reads: "We don't care about your background or years of work experience. We only care if you have the drive and ability to get things done."

When asked about the reason, Emily Yuan, co - founder and COO of Corgi, said bluntly: "It's all about solving a major and important problem."

Work hard, play hard? Not anymore.

Ten years ago, the startup culture was completely different. Back then, offices were designed like playgrounds. Foosball tables, nightly happy hours, and weekend parties were all selling points for recruitment. Shared workspaces and social scenes merged, and an ambiguous culture prevailed. Overwork was romanticized, and ambition was wrapped in extravagance.

If you didn't experience that era, the Apple TV+ series "WeCrashed" is the best "slice of time." The show depicts how WeWork rapidly rose under the founder's charisma, capital investment, and undisguised party culture, and how it eventually collapsed.

Now, those days seem to be over. "It used to be 'work hard, play hard,' but now it's just 'work hard,'" said Kulveer Taggar, a venture capitalist who has founded two startups and now runs Phosphor Capital.

Taggar is closely connected to the Y Combinator startup ecosystem. He said that today's entrepreneurs have fundamentally changed. They don't drink, don't go to parties, and many don't even date. They only pursue optimization and focus on work, and the intensity is becoming more and more like the 996 - or even 997 - work schedule, rather than the "work - life balance" in the Silicon Valley myth.

Recently, Taggar hosted a private dinner for founders and prepared many expensive wines, but no one even took a sip.

"I once visited a portfolio company, and the founder proudly showed me that there were mattresses on the floor of every office," Taggar said. "During interviews, they would directly ask candidates if they were willing to sleep at the company, and still, a large number of people wanted to apply."

Voluntary 996, not forced

For One Chowdhury, the 24 - year - old co - founder and CEO of Octolane, the 996 work schedule doesn't represent suffering but a conscious strategic choice.

"Why do I choose the 996 schedule?" Chowdhury countered. "It's not to push myself to the brink of physical and mental exhaustion, but to achieve 'escape velocity' and reach the critical point of breaking through the situation."

"At this stage, startups not only need speed but also an almost obsessive commitment. I work this way out of personal choice, not because I'm forced. What drives me is ambition, not pressure."

In Chowdhury's view, 996 is no longer an exception but the entry threshold for entrepreneurs.

He said: "996 used to be a point of pride, but now it's just the basic requirement. Among the top 1% of founders, work itself is the reward. What seems extreme to outsiders is just a state of flow to them."

But the sacrifices are real. He said: "My schedule is carefully planned, but my sacrifices aren't. I decline parties, give up weekend rest and sleep, not because I'm addicted to pain, but because I love progress. Chaos isn't glamorous; a clear goal is."

He added: "The only thing worse than the 996 schedule is regretting not giving it my all."

A generation that optimizes everything

This new generation not only works longer but also optimizes their lives with the precision of a scientific experiment.

Chowdhury doesn't drink, not to show self - discipline, but to pursue efficiency. "I'm chasing momentum," he said. "I want to stay sober. I'd rather spend my twenties sober than wasted on alcohol."

He closely follows longevity researcher Bryan Johnson and treats his life as an ongoing experiment, quantifying inputs and optimizing outputs. Even rest has been redefined.

"Rest doesn't necessarily mean sleeping," he said. "Sometimes it's staring at the ceiling after accomplishing something you thought was impossible; sometimes it's sending a message to your co - founder at 2 a.m. just saying, 'We're really doing this.'"

Relationships don't have to be abandoned - but they have to be in sync with you. "This isn't just a job," Chowdhury said. "This is war. There's no such thing as work - life balance, only being on the same page."

The new generation of founders is younger and more proactive

Cyril Gorlla, the 23 - year - old co - founder and CEO of AI startup CTGT, is a representative of this emerging type of founder.

Gorlla dropped out of Stanford to start his business. CTGT has completed a $7.5 million seed - round financing, with investors including Google and General Catalyst. The team has an office space of nearly 6,000 square feet in San Francisco and regularly hosts executives from Fortune 500 companies.

His schedule is packed. "When I'm in the office, I usually leave at three or four in the morning," Gorlla said. "Then I come back as usual the next day."

He doesn't drive but takes Waymo - because it gives him an extra 20 minutes of work time. He doesn't drink, and he goes to the gym to change his state. His Slack is always online.

"This doesn't feel like work," Gorlla said. "When you're building something meaningful, it takes on a life of its own."

When asked how to describe the characteristics of today's founders, Gorlla answered without hesitation. "Younger and more proactive," he said. "That's the change."

He gave an example: Some teenagers today already have published research papers on their resumes. Meanwhile, the gap between high - and low - initiative entrepreneurs is widening. "That's the real divide now," he said. "It's not age, not privilege, it's initiative."

Not overwork - but control

Unlike those founders who just dropped out of school, Upeka Bee has years of experience building an engineering team at Gusto.

Not all founders in this era believe in an extremely tight schedule - but even those who prioritize health have abandoned the old - fashioned party culture.

Bee is the founder and CEO of DianaHR, an AI - driven human resources service platform for small businesses and a 2024 winter incubation project of Y Combinator. She works hard but in an orderly way.

"I train like an athlete," Bee said. "I work out many times a week, meditate every day, and protect my sleep because that's how I can stay in top shape."

She doesn't drink - not out of abstinence culture, but for longevity. "Alcohol makes me tired, dehydrated, and accelerates aging," she said. "Your body is your best tool."

Bee is married, actively involved in community activities, and has long participated in the Burning Man festival. She doesn't romanticize the state of struggling alone but is honest about the trade - offs.

"I don't have work - life balance," she said. "There's not much food in my fridge, and I spend most of my time in the office."

But she insists that occasional happiness is non - negotiable. "I'd be exhausted if I didn't see my friends," she said. "You don't need alcohol to dance, and you don't have to indulge to feel alive."

DianaHR recently announced the completion of a $3.7 million seed - round financing, led by SNR Ventures, with follow - on investments from General Catalyst, Y Combinator, and founders from unicorns such as Mercury, Twitch, and Dropbox.

Do we all have to keep up?

This isn't a one - size - fits - all answer, and it's not suitable for everyone.

But it's obvious that the startup culture has changed fundamentally: Superficial benefits are gone, parties have quieted down, and work goes on as usual.

The new generation of founders doesn't pursue atmosphere; they pursue speed. For better or worse, 996 is no longer an anomaly but a choice. The question founders face today isn't whether this pace is healthy, but whether it suits them.

Original article source:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dariashunina/2026/01/22/work - hard - play - hard - is - over - inside - silicon - valleys - 996 - culture/

This article is from the WeChat official account "Forbes" (ID: forbes_china). Translation: Björn & Rach, Proofreading: Lemin. Republished by 36Kr with permission.