Growth leader Elena Verna pushes back on AI's 996 culture: hard work isn't working all the time
vivekhaldar · x · 2026-10-23
Elena Verna, a prominent growth leader at a fast-moving AI company, publishes an essay rejecting the industry's glorification of 996-style schedules. A mom of two who loves her job enough to call it a hobby, she refuses to choose between work and parenting, arguing AI has amplified tech's hustle culture, that 70-hour weeks are worn as badges of honor, and that talented people hesitate to join AI companies over family concerns. "Working hard is different from working all the time."
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