On people: "Hire the person best suited to the job, not the most talented. This can be a very painful lesson. There’s no point putting in a Boeing jet engine when you need to run a tractor."
Dongguan Network Operators Meeting, March 2005 via "Never Give Up"
On ethics: "Never deceive others, in business or in life. In 1995, I was deceived by four companies — four companies that are now closed. A company cannot go far by deceit."
Shanghai Network Operators Meeting, July 2005 via "Never Give Up"
On the benefits of his technological ineptitude: "Intelligent people need a fool to lead them. When the team's all a bunch of scientists, it is best to have a peasant lead the way. His way of thinking is different. It's easier to win if you have people seeing things from different perspectives."
On himself: "I am a very simple guy, I am not smart. Everyone thinks that Jack Ma is a very smart guy. I might have a smart face but I've got very stupid brains."
On past mistakes from "the dark days at Alibaba": "If you don't give up, you still have a chance. And, when you are small, you have to be very focused and rely on your brain, not your strength."
On having a larger mission: "It doesn't matter if I failed. At least I passed the concept on to others. Even if I don't succeed, someone will succeed."
On work: "If we go to work at 8 a.m. and go home at 5 p.m., this is not a high-tech company and Alibaba will never be successful. If we have that kind of 8-to-5 spirit, then we should just go and do something else."
Always keep in mind these three principles: what you want to do, what you should do, and for how long you should do it.
Beijing Network Operators Meeting, March 17, 2008 via "Never Give Up"