The 996 Defectors: A Silicon Valley Company's Radical Approach to Work Culture DeepSeek, an AI firm founded by Liang Wenfeng, has adopted a work culture that diverges from the conventional wisdom of long working hours and strict performance metrics.
While some prominent Silicon Valley founders advocate for 996 workweeks – a nod to China's infamous "996" culture, where employees put in 12 hour days, six days a week – DeepSeek has opted for a more relaxed approach.
Wenfeng describes his company's management model as driven by a shared vision rather than formal processes.