In just three years, DeepSeek has grown from an unknown startup to a $60 billion AI powerhouse, with around 173 million downloads since its public launch in January 2025. Founder Liang Wenfeng says he achieved this without KPIs or late-night shifts, revealing in a nearly four-hour discussion session obtained by Tencent Technology that his team generally does not work overtime. He cited two reasons: research needs a relaxed environment, and the company is very focused, doing very few things. DeepSeek has no rigid hierarchy, rulebook, or strict written end goal; employees are only told what to do for half of their workday, with the other half unallocated. “No one manages them. No KPIs,” Liang said, adding that the company is driven by an unwritten vision. Liang, who has a $37.9 billion net worth, contrasts this with China’s 996 work schedule—9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week—which was outlawed in 2021 but remains a badge of honor among tech founders like Alibaba’s Jack Ma, who called it a “great blessing” in a 2019 essay. Some young Chinese have left professional careers for manual labor to escape the culture, while entrepreneurs on LinkedIn claim copying the 996 model is the only way to succeed. Harry Stebbings, founder of the 20VC fund, said Silicon Valley had “turned up the intensity,” and European