Jack Ma factor

Here's a collection of some of Jack Ma experiences, in his own words:

Try and try
I spent seven years in primary school while normal students took five years. I applied three times to get into university. I applied for 30 jobs but did not get one.

Persistent will be rewarded
When I tried to look for a job at KFC, 24 people went and 23 were hired. I was the only one who was not accepted. I also tried to be a policeman. Five classmates went and four were accepted, I was turned down. It was the rejection and failure that made me who I am today.

Treat failure as a training course
I was not the brightest, and had made mistakes and failed many times. Every setback, every time people refuse us, I take that as a training course.

Team work
It is important to have a good team and the need to groom and train talents within an organisation to ensure the success of a company.

How education should be
Education should focus on imagination, creativity and teamwork.

I believe the future is not about competition of knowledge, but wisdom and experience.

It's not only about work
Life is not only about Alibaba. There are so many interesting things that I don’t have time to enjoy, so I will never go back to the company and criticise the young people like a stepfather.


Jack Ma, 52, set up Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce company, in his apartment in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, with 18 other friends in 1999. Today, Alibaba Group generates an annual gross merchandise volume (GMV) of US$580bil (RM2.5tril) – placing it at the 21st position on the list of countries by GDP – with a goal of achieving one trillion dollars by 2020.