In recent years, the topic of "996" has been heating up, or rather, the topic of 996 has been constantly discussed within the circle of "internet practitioners." Yet every time, I feel like this topic "has nothing to do with me," because I've genuinely been on a 965 schedule for seven years. Someone once said to me: "You don't seem like a programmer. How can a programmer leave work this early?" Yes, I really don't fit the "mainstream programmer" stereotype—neither working 996 nor sporting the "black backpack" or "plaid shirt" described by the media.
I'm not someone who likes to ride the waves of trending topics. In fact, I hardly pay attention to the hot topics everyone is discussing. I'm a "selfish" and "rational" person who only cares about "topics that concern me." I stay quiet, as if harmless to the entire world. I just want to take this opportunity to look back on how I've managed to maintain a 965 schedule for these seven years. Compared to 996, what have I lost? And what have I gained?
Let's first review the general trajectory of my seven years
First Company
I graduated in 2013 and joined a company in Wudaokou, Beijing, in July. I resigned just three months after my probation ended. When I resigned, the department manager said to me, "I'm really sorry. You've been here for three months, and only today, when you're leaving, did I find out we're from the same hometown" (He was from Zhumadian, I'm from Xinyang). In a tech department with fewer than 20 people, the department manager not knowing his subordinates was indeed something to be "sorry" about. The reason I left was that they had hired me but didn't let me do any work (too few tasks), and the salary was delayed. And so, this first 955 job, lasting three months, came to an end.
Second Company
The week after leaving, I joined a startup (introduced by a friend). The atmosphere at this startup was great, and the CTO was incredibly capable. In this team, I only experienced a one-month 995 schedule due to a "crash task"; otherwise, it was always 965. Working at this company was really enjoyable. The CTO was extremely skilled—he was both the product and the tech architect, handled task breakdowns, and set project schedules. Everyone's work was very clearly defined, and our goals were very clear. He created task lists for each of us in Trello, and we, the workers, were like playing a "match-three" game—completing each task and dragging it to the "done" list. Every day, we could clear many tasks, and seeing our daily goals gradually achieved gave us a great sense of accomplishment. We all left work on time together every day, incredibly happy and fulfilled. Here, there was no wasted time, so there was no need for 996.
However, a year and a half later, the company's funding fell through. Despite multiple efforts by the founders, it was hopeless, and we left with N+1 compensation, feeling reluctant. On the day we left, my colleagues and I had dinner and chatted for a long time in Wudaokou, feeling very sad to part ways.
Third Company
After leaving the second company, I was in a daze for two days. I thought our product was excellent, we were working with great enthusiasm, and I really liked my colleagues and the company atmosphere. Why did we have to "break up" all of a sudden? At 23, I couldn't accept it emotionally, so I didn't rush to look for the next job. However, the third company approached me. It was a large company with its own office park, and several subsidiaries under the group. I prepared carefully for the interview. The CTO thought I was an energetic young man, and I felt that following this older guy was a good choice. I also visited the office environment and inquired about various aspects of the company, feeling very satisfied and eager to join. A few days later, I received the offer and successfully joined. As it turned out, my judgment this time was accurate. The company atmosphere was really great, and the CTO was truly excellent. I spent the happiest, most fulfilling, and most meaningful two years of my career here. During my time at this company, I was one of the CTO's "right-hand men." Whenever there was a task, the CTO would basically think of me first, tagging me in group chats. I worked with great enthusiasm, got my probation period shortened, and received a passive salary increase ("passive salary increase" means I didn't ask for it; the CTO proactively raised it). Here, I felt greatly recognized, given considerable autonomy, and my limited abilities were fully utilized. It was still 965 here, and occasionally handling some issues at home on weekends was completely voluntary and something I was happy to do.
Fourth Company
Why did I leave the previous company, which I liked so much? Because after the CTO left for abnormal reasons, I also suffered from office politics under the new CTO, and had no choice but to resign. Then I came to the fourth company and stayed for three and a half years. This company was the "most unbelievable" one I've ever worked for. How unbelievable? — Work ends at 6 PM, and at 6:00 someone is already clocking out (you can hear the card machine in the hallway). By 6:05, half the people are gone. By 6:20, only a few are left. By 6:30, those still there are those who need to deploy. There was absolutely no PUA here, not even a trace. Everything relied on self-motivation. I think the company's philosophy was, "The boss believes you will autonomously do your work well." So there were no strict requirements, no one left early and felt out of place, and no one suffered for leaving before the boss. In fact, at this company, besides completing my own product requirements, I also spontaneously did a lot of optimization. Still, I never worked overtime, except for about three to five times a year when a major deployment would keep me late. Otherwise, it was absurdly "off at 6:00 PM." In Beijing's summer, leaving at 6 PM meant the sun was still scorching hot. Never worked on weekends, and if I did, I got paid. Overtime on statutory holidays was a solid triple pay. In the internet industry where 996 is prevalent, this was simply "absurd"! Extremely absurd!
Fifth Company
Compared to the previous companies, my current company is much more intense. There are so many tasks, requirements are very urgent, and often there are parallel projects. While still developing one task, the next two requirement documents are already sent over. Every day, you're asked to evaluate requirements, estimate timelines, and arrange resource schedules. It's truly overwhelming. However, what you wouldn't expect is that there is still no mandatory overtime here. Work hours are 10 AM to 7 PM (one hour earlier, and it would be 965). There's just this much work. If you can manage the timeline and resources well, you can work full capacity on a 965 schedule without overtime. If you really miscalculate the time, you'll have to work some overtime. Because once project schedules are set, they can't be changed—too many resources and teams are involved, and delaying would affect other teams, causing significant overall losses.
I admit it's really busy here, but I've found that as long as I am serious enough and carefully analyze and design the project schedule, making full use of work hours without slacking off on my phone, 965 is perfectly fine. In fact, most of the time, I leave around 7:10 PM, and occasionally at 8:00 PM. Overall, it's approximately 965. Even if it's not exactly 965, it's very close.
Why have all the companies I worked for been 965?
I've thought about, "Why have the companies I chose all been 965?" Actually, I haven't fully figured out the reason—after all, "the onlooker sees more than the player." I think part of it is due to "personal disposition." I'm not the type who likes to "sell my life." I'm not a particularly "hardworking" person. I have a "know when to stop" mentality and am "not very diligent." I don't really endorse catching up on tasks through "overtime." I think programming is a mental activity that requires repeated thinking and sorting out; it can't be rushed. It's better to write stable applications a bit slower than to hastily write a bunch of bugs. I also think we should cut requirements rather than blindly churn out useless ones, bustling about all day but actually "busy with no value." I don't agree with the work model of "everyone creating results to trick the boss's money."
Perhaps this "guiding philosophy" subtly influenced my focus and mindset when job hunting. I didn't even deliberately seek out companies that don't require 996, but I always managed to find them.
Another reason I haven't experienced 996 is that I've never worked at a top-tier big company. Let alone whether my abilities are sufficient for a big company, strangely, it never occurred to me to go to one. Big companies don't seem attractive to me; I don't have much interest in them. Maybe it's because I lack "ambition" or "drive"!
What have I lost without 996?
Is it fair to say that 996 is synonymous with big companies? — Not an exaggeration, because almost all big companies now operate on 996, while small companies don't have the need for 996. Since 996 can represent big companies, "not having 996" means I haven't worked at a big company. Not working at a big company means I've earned much less money. For example, yesterday I saw an anonymous post from a programmer at a big company saying, "My year-end bonus was 340,000. I feel the overtime is tough, but the money is sweet. Worth it!"
If it were me, I'd think it's worth it too. Getting an extra 340,000 a year from overtime is incredibly sweet, especially as someone from the 90% who occupies 10% of the societal wealth. Of course, there's no need to question the authenticity of this 340,000. I've talked with employees from big companies (due to work cooperation, we worked together for a few days), and they roughly explained the worst-case year-end bonuses by level and what they knew about others. So I don't think this information needs verification.
What else have I lost? I've lost the potential career advancement track at a 996 big company, lost the potential for quality networking, lost the opportunity to earn more money, lost the possibility of finding an excellent spouse at a big company, and lost the chance to combine with a big-company spouse for a "power couple" purchase of a ten-million-yuan house in a first-tier city.
Is that so? No, all of this is just fantasy. Although we can make inferences and predictions based on certain rules, the path of life isn't that simple. Even if you plan well, you may not achieve your goals. Even if you work very hard, you may not get 100% of the desired results.
However, I did earn less money, that's true. Because on average, at the same level and skill, big companies offer much higher salaries. So over these seven years, without 996, I might have really missed out on earning two million yuan.
What have I gained without 996?
Without 996, I look relatively young, feeling about a year younger than my actual age (maybe 996 people look just as young). My hair volume is also well-maintained (maybe 996 people also have thick hair). In previous years, I would go home after work, eat dinner made by my wife, then take out the trash and take a walk with her, and go out on weekends to take photos with my phone. I played with the kids, gave them baths. I also used my spare time to read some technical books and also a series of leisure books (unrelated to technology).
All of this is my own time. Even though I haven't used this time to create immense value, it's time I can freely control and even waste. I didn't eat the 7:30 PM overtime meal, or taste the 9 PM midnight snack, or take the free taxi at 10 PM. As a very ordinary person, I just waste my time freely in my own way.
If you insist on asking what I've gained, I really can't quantify it for you (in this sense, it's not as straightforward as earning an extra 340,000 through overtime).
How do I view 996?
From the perspective of the internet employment environment, companies with 996 are indeed not few, to the point that, probabilistically, we are very likely to encounter a 996 company. Every time a tragic event related to 996 goes viral online, one group says, "996 companies are the root of all evil," and we should resist them; another group says everyone can make their own choices.
First, I want to talk about the issue of "everyone has a choice." I ask: Do you really think you have a choice? Do you have a choice in everything? Subjectively, we do have our own choices. But objectively, we may not "truly have self-choice." For example, do you have the freedom to choose your phone? I don't think I do. What I need is a phone with a screen size of about 4 inches, because I don't have big hands and really don't like holding a large phone with both hands. I don't need such high pixel counts; I just take simple photos. Extra features just mean paying more money. With this demand, can I buy a corresponding phone on the market? I can't. I have no choice; I can only choose from a bunch of large-screen phones. I have the right to choose my own phone, but the options are limited to those. If I don't choose, I have nothing to use, unless I make a custom phone myself or accept the fact and settle for a feature phone.
Work is the same. We can autonomously choose jobs with no overtime, jobs close to home, jobs with low stress. But if all companies are high-intensity and high-pressure, do you have a choice? You don't. The polarization between 996 and non-996 companies in terms of compensation, technical atmosphere, prestige, and career prospects is severe, inevitably forcing those "neither high nor low" to be "raped" by the favorable aspects.
As for whether "996 is the root of all evil" or "should 996 be resisted," this issue is too complex. My knowledge is not sufficient to give a scientific and complete explanation. Currently, as an employee, I can only see the work at hand, and I don't want 996. If I were a boss and owned a company, would I turn it into a 996 company? Would I become someone who ruthlessly squeezes surplus value? I'm not sure. Right now, I can say, "I'm not that kind of person," but who knows if I'll change once I enter that role? People are uncertain, and the future is uncertain.
As for those who want to "oppose 996 as an individual," "resign to show an irreconcilable stance against 996," or "start with myself to change society," these efforts may all be "in vain." If you don't go, someone else will. If you can't do it, someone else can. This isn't something that can be changed by two or three people. The cause and effect of this issue are extremely complex, and your resistance or approval may be superficial. For those colleagues who have lost their lives due to the root causes of 996, or suffered severe mental or physical health damage, I deeply regret it. The loss of any young life is heartbreaking. For these people, the biggest loser is themselves, and the most hurt are their loved ones.
Conclusion
So, to summarize: My view on 996 is: I have no view, no advice, neither endorse nor oppose it. This issue is too complicated for me to articulate clearly. If it were my good friend or someone close to me asking, "Should I go to that 996 company? Should I continue with 996?" I would say: If you can do it, do it; if you can't, don't. If you want to do it, do it; if you don't want to, don't. Make your choice based on your own situation, and decide for yourself.
Actually, everyone already has the answer in their heart. Especially when you're seeking others' opinions...