9/9/6 – Does The New Chinese Startup Work Practice Help Or Hurt Productivity?

Editor’s Note: For a deeper look into the 996 phenomenon in 2019, check out our piece on the changing face of China’s workforce.

This post is contributed by Sean Konieczny, a tech entrepreneur and extensive traveller who believes that miles traveled is directly correlated to the level of EQ and decision making quality. While in Asia, he settled in Beijing and co-founded a digital health data company to provide precision healthcare services that correspond with user health data.

China’s always had the reputation for a work culture that puts work before life. In the early days of Jack Ma’s career, Alibaba management promoted back-braces for their engineers so they could sit in their chairs for days on end, without collapsing from back stress. In today’s war-like startup environment, Chinese companies are doing whatever they can to get an edge. A new productivity practice is becoming popularized. It’s called 996.

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