"Everyone is talking about 996, but the real question is: Are the top people at your company willing to come in on a Sunday to solve real problems?" said Jérémy Goillot, founder of The Mobile-First Company, a French start-up founded in 2023 that specializes in professional applications, which has recently raised €10 million. To illustrate his point, Goillot recounted sending a message to his team on a Saturday night: "Tomorrow, 9 am to 7 pm, we are meeting at the office and tackling our three biggest issues. Are you in?" The next day, four young men, all apparently under 30, showed up. The moment was captured and posted on LinkedIn.
Behind the friendly photo, the message is clear: Joining the start-up means accepting a high level of commitment and near-permanent availability, which are presented as core company values. Without explicitly mentioning "996" – a work schedule of 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week – some start-up leaders in France are already embracing this philosophy and are openly boasting on social media about working weekends, their extended availability and distancing from any life outside the company.
This extreme pace, often seen as a form of "pushing oneself beyond limits," has been fueled by the American success stories of Silicon Valley, which has only intensified with the AI boom in the US. For example, Daksh Gupta, president of the American start-up Greptile, recently summed up the local norm for the San Francisco Standard: "No drinking, no drugs, 996, lift heavy, run far, marry early, track sleep, eat steak and eggs."
