Leaving aside the questions around the ethics of 996... is this kind of schedule actually effective? Do companies that work knowledge workers like this actually outperform competitors?
I spent a good chunk of my twenties working a schedule of 8 hours coding at work followed by 6 hours coding on a side project, with my entire weekend on the side project as well. I didn't have any sort of social life (largely by choice but also because I was remote working in a tiny rural village).
It was massively effective. I wrote a ton of great code. I made enough money to quit working for several years and do a startup. When you're young, moderately fit, and ambitious you can crank out a ton of code.
However, the important point is that it was my choice to do that. You can't ignore the ethics because that's what makes it wrong - asking people to do it while (even silently) implying bad things will happen if they don't is deeply unethical.
A side project is much different than a work project. You got your eight hours of work and got to go home and do whatever you pleased. In this case, it was to write more code. Having to corral your brain into the singular focus of an employer's project against deadlines, feedback (sometimes crazy talk,) updates, documentation and other distractions is different.
I can happily crank out code all day if it's something I'm doing for myself. As soon as you add the employer, it immediately starts doing my head in. It's completely different work. Some employers are better than others in this regard I suppose.
Also worth noting is that you spent time working on your own side project. Not for a company that owned your intellectual output. You invested in yourself and your interests.
Wow. So much this, thanks for saying this. I feel the same way: I love coding, and do work relentlessly at times but its out of choice and not because anyone asks me to.
I think it probably works. The 6th day in particular seems like it would be a big boost. Technically, even if having a work week 80% longer than your competitors only ekes out a 10% boost to the amount of work done, that's still a big advantage.
The problem then is that the weekend is 50% shorter, so workers are coming to work on Monday without having rested as effectively. In the long run, I can well imagine that costing 10% or more.
I shouldn't think so. Early in my career I work in some consulting company that prides themselves for working their engineers until late at night. Never again. A real strategic advantage would trump hard work every time.
It was massively effective. I wrote a ton of great code. I made enough money to quit working for several years and do a startup. When you're young, moderately fit, and ambitious you can crank out a ton of code.
However, the important point is that it was my choice to do that. You can't ignore the ethics because that's what makes it wrong - asking people to do it while (even silently) implying bad things will happen if they don't is deeply unethical.