100 Quotes by Jack Ma
Jack Ma, the visionary founder of Alibaba Group, embodies the spirit of entrepreneurial innovation that defines the 21st century. His journey from humble beginnings to building one of the world's largest e-commerce and tech conglomerates is a testament to his determination and foresight. Ma's ability to recognize opportunities in the evolving digital landscape has not only transformed the way commerce is conducted but has also spurred the growth of China's technology sector. His philosophy of "New Retail" seeks to seamlessly blend online and offline shopping experiences, revolutionizing traditional retail paradigms. Beyond business, Ma's philanthropic endeavors and emphasis on education underscore his commitment to social responsibility. Despite his prominence, he remains a charismatic figure who encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to dream big and embrace change in an era of rapid technological disruption.
Jack Ma Quotes
Help young people. Help small guys. Because small guys will be big. Young people will have the seeds you bury in their minds, and when they grow up, they will change the world.
You should learn from your competitor, but never copy. Copy and you die.
Your attitude is more important than your capabilities. Similarly, your decision is more important than your capabilities.
A lot of people complain about yesterday. We have no power to change yesterday. But this very day, 30 years later, is what we can control and decide. Change yourself, take baby steps, and stay determined for ten years. I thank the times of change and everyone’s complaints. Because when everyone is complaining, that is your chance, an opportunity. It’s only in times of change that someone can be clear of what he has and wants, and what he needs to give up.
If you do not know where your competitor is, or overconfident and snobbish about your competitor, or are unable to comprehend how your competitor became a real threat, you will surely fall behind him. Don't be the "they" in this idiom: First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
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.
Only fools use their mouth to speak. A smart man uses his brain, and a wise man uses his heart.
Success and profitability are outcomes of focusing on customers and employees, not objectives.
Today is cruel. Tomorrow is crueller. And the day after tomorrow is beautiful.
A good job isn't something you go out and find, it's something you discover while you're working.
If you’re still poor at 35, you deserve it.
Find the right people, not the best people. (Meaning)
Go big, or go home. Otherwise, you’re wasting your youth.
What starting your company means: you will lose your stable income, your right to apply for a leave of absence, and your right to get a bonus. However, it also means your income will no longer be limited, you will use your time more effectively, and you will no longer need to beg for favours from people anymore.
If there are nine rabbits on the ground and you want to catch one, just focus on one.
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.
I don't want to be liked. I want to be respected.
A great opportunity is often hard to be explained clearly; things that can be explained clearly are often not the best opportunities.
Life is so short, so beautiful. Don't be so serious about work. Enjoy the lives.
We appreciate yesterday, but we're looking for a better tomorrow.
The opportunities that everyone cannot see are the real opportunities.
No matter what your current condition, how or where you grew up, or what education or training you feel you lack, you can be successful in your chosen endeavor. It is spirit, fortitude, and hardiness that matter more than where you start.
Luck is very important. Of course you can't wait for luck, because it won't come. While you start a journey, luck may eventually come to you.
Once in your life, try something. Work hard at something. Try to change. Nothing bad can happen.
If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then be different from your peers.
All MBA have said are correct, but they can't execute it.
The very important thing you should have is patience.
30% of all people will never believe you. Do not allow your colleagues and employees to work for you. Instead, let them work for a common goal.
If you've never tried, how will you ever know if there's any chance?
Don't hire the most qualified, hire the craziest.
Adopt and change before any major trends or changes.
Customers should be number 1, Employees number 2, and then only your Shareholders come at number 3.
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.
A leader should have higher endurance and ability to accept and embrace failure.
The customer is number one, the employee is number two and the shareholder is number three. If the customer is happy, the business is happy, and the shareholders are happy.
No matter how tough the chase is, you should always have the dream you saw on the first day. It'll keep you motivated and rescue you.
If Alibaba cannot become a Microsoft or Walmart, I will regret it for the rest of my life.
I'm not a tech guy. I'm looking at the technology with the eyes of my customers, normal people's eyes.
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.
The world will not remember what you say, but it will certainly not forget what you have done.
Never ever do business with the government. Be in love with them, never marry them.
A real businessman or entrepreneur has no enemies. Once he understand this, the sky's the limit.
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 8-5 spirit, then we should just go and do something else.
Giving up is the greatest failure. (Meaning)
No matter what one does, regardless of failure or success, the experience is a form of success in itself.
Your employee should have superior technical skills than you. If he doesn't, it means you have hired the wrong person.
Always let your employees come to work with a smile.
The quality of a good leader therefore is his vision, tenacity, and his capability.
You never know how much can you do in your life.
If you don't give up, you still have a chance.
I wanted to have a global company, so I chose a global name. Alibaba is easy to spell, and people everywhere associate that with "Open, Sesame," the command that Ali Baba used to open doors to hidden treasures in One Thousand and One Nights.
Global vision, local win.
My dream was to set up my own e-commerce company. In 1999, I gathered 18 people in my apartment and spoke to them for two hours about my vision. Everyone put their money on the table, and that got us $60,000 to start Alibaba. I wanted to have a global company, so I chose a global name.
Even if your competitor is still small in size or weak, you should take him seriously and treat him as a giant. Likewise, even if your competitor is massive in size, you shouldn't regard yourself as a weakling.
Never ever compete on prices, instead compete on services and innovation.
Opportunities are where the complaints are.
My job is making money, helping other people make money. I am spending money, trying to make sure more people get rich, because you cannot spend a lot of money, right? So my job is spending money, helping others. This is a headache.
A leader should have higher grit and tenacity, and be able to endure what the employees can't.
We will make it because we are young and we will never, never give up.
A leader should never compare his technical skills with his employee's.
Customers first, employees second, and shareholders third. (Meaning)
A leader should be a visionary and have more foresight than an employee.
If you view everyone as your enemies, everyone around you will be your enemies.
The most unreliable thing in this world is human relationships.
Don't even trust that you are able to unify what everyone is thinking; it is impossible
When you have one million dollars, you're a lucky person. When you have 10 million dollars, you've got trouble, a lot of headaches.
Rather than having small smart tricks to get by, focus on holding on and persevering.
If we are a good team and know what we want to do, one of us can defeat tons of them.
For ecommerce, the most important thing is trust.
My job is to help more people have jobs.
I try to make myself happy because I know that if I'm not happy, my colleagues are not happy, and my shareholders are not happy, and my customers are not happy.
You've to make consumers smart. An e-commerce portal doesn't sell a product at cheaper rates, instead an offline shop sells it at a costlier prices.
I know nothing about technology.
I don't want people in China to have deep pockets but shallow minds.
Alibaba is an ecosystem that helps small business to grow.
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.
Change the world is maybe Obama's job.
Today, making money is very simple. But making sustainable money while being responsible to the society and improving the world is very difficult.
I am very interested in bringing companies from everywhere to sell their products in China.
A peace talk is always difficult, always complicated.
When I am myself, I am happy and have a good result.
I want people to learn what democracy means.
Yahoo today is not a portal. Yahoo today is a search engine.
People think, 'Jack, you do too much.
Opportunity lies in the place where the complaints are. (Meaning)
We should never finish a 20 year program in two year.
When we have money, we start making mistakes.
I call myself a blind man riding on a blind tiger.
If the customer loves you, the government will have to love you.
I would love to, if someone would lend me the money.
You never know that the things you're doing are that meaningful to society.
― Jack Ma Quotes
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
