15 quotes that show the strange, relentless genius of billionaire Alibaba founder Jack Ma
On not giving up: "Today is cruel. Tomorrow is crueler. And the day after tomorrow is beautiful."
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 teamwork: "If we are a good team and know what we want to do, one of us can defeat 10 of them."
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"
On Alibaba.com's 2007 IPO: "Alibaba is not just a job. It's a dream. It's a cause. Let the Wall Street investors curse us if they want."
On starting a company: "If you want to grow, find a good opportunity. Today, if you want to be a great company, think about what social problem you could solve."
On growth: "In carrying out e-commerce, the most important thing is to keep doing what you are doing right now with passion, to keep it up."
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