Jack Ma: The future has come

Chapter 10 Jack Ma's Internet World View (1)
1. Opportunity is where the complaint is
When I was 12 years old, I started to learn English by myself. I can't remember the original intention, but simply fell in love with English.At that time, every morning at 5 o'clock, I rode a bicycle for 40 minutes to the hotel in Hangzhou to find foreign tourists.They taught me English in exchange for showing them around the city.The idea of ​​actively learning English made me realize the importance of thinking: when everyone is right, wait a few minutes; when everyone says no, wait a few minutes.See the world from a different perspective and you will get different feedback.

When I left university in 1995, I told the principal that I wanted to be an entrepreneur in the Internet field.He asked me what is the Internet?I said I don't know either.After we talked for two hours, he said: Jack, I know you want to do something, but I don't understand what you do.Still, if you want to come back in ten years, come back.I say yes.Teachers always believe in the future, believe that knowledge will change people's lives, and believe and hope that students will be better than themselves.In our company, CEO stands for "Chief Education Officer," I'm in charge of education, they're in charge of action.

When I started my business, small businesses were struggling to survive.It took me 5 months to borrow $500 and the company went out of business.When I went to register my first company, I wanted to name the company "Internet".The person in the registrar's office told me: No, the word is not in the dictionary.He suggested that I use the name "Computer Consulting."Therefore, my first company is called "Hangzhou Hope Computer Consulting Company".Actually, I didn't know anything about technology and computers at the time.For the past 15 years, I have often compared myself to a blind man riding on the back of a tiger.I tell my team: We have to prove we are not a success story by chance.The government and the banks have not given us any help, we are starting from scratch.This is the courage of my generation and the power of the Internet that I want to share with young people.

Another thing I firmly believe in: small is beautiful.Just as multinational companies are taken care of by Wall Street, small businesses should also be supported.I want to help them.

I realized that there are so many things in the world that I can do, so many things that I can do better, so many things that we can do together.I represent not only myself, but also the small people and small businesses that I work with.

In today's world, complaints are everywhere.When Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco occupied the market, I also complained about their huge market share when I was in my 20s.Now, I don't complain anymore, because we have grown into giants too.

What I'm trying to say is this: Where most people complain, is also where opportunity lies.This is something I believe in.

Small is beauty, small is power.The secret of Alibaba's success is: dreams still exist, what if one day they come true?
Editor's note:

On the evening of October 2014, 10, New York time, the Asia Society announced the first "Change Makers" winners list and held an award ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. 16 individuals or teams who have made outstanding innovations and contributions to the development of the Asian region were awarded This honor.Jack Ma, as the only representative of Chinese entrepreneurs, topped the list of the first "Changers".

2. Entrepreneurs need to think about things ten years from now

The bigger the company, the more tired the people are, and the higher the seat, the more lonely the people will be.Because this is a responsibility, and this responsibility gives us the opportunity to do something meaningful in this era.

The market does not believe in applause, only in results

It is not easy to be an enterprise; it is even more difficult to be an enterprise in China.If running a business in the United States is like a 100-meter race, then running a business in China is a cross-country race.We face many obstacles, but those obstacles are also opportunities.A good entrepreneur must be someone who is a good listener and still able to own his own ideas.This is the difference between entrepreneurs and economists: when the economist finishes speaking, the matter is over; when the entrepreneur finishes speaking, the matter has just begun.Therefore, what entrepreneurs need to do is the unity of knowledge and action.It is easy to know and easy to do, but it is very difficult to put them together.Because entrepreneurs must understand knowledge and science, and must be able to explore and discover new laws while following the laws.So I think entrepreneurs are scientists and artists in the process of social development.As an entrepreneur, I am very proud.

The real difficulties we face today are by no means the obstacles predicted by economists.I have great respect for economists, but I think we entrepreneurs should not just listen to economists to judge the future.The Prophet of Spring River Plumbing Duck, entrepreneurs are most able to feel the changes of the times and the economy.When all entrepreneurs wait to hear economists predict the future, it means that our entrepreneurs have lost confidence.Economists are based on the summary of yesterday, analyze the data, find out the business model, and then predict the future.However, the intuition of entrepreneurs, the judgment of entrepreneurs on the future market, and the grasp of opportunities are more important.We need to know: This is an era of change.

Innovation cannot be taught, but play can give birth to a "new normal"

We often say that the innovation capabilities of the United States and Europe are stronger than ours, while China's innovation capabilities are limited.In the final analysis, it is a question of education.In fact, I think there is no problem with education in China, but there is a problem with education.Education is to cultivate culture and cultivate emotional intelligence.I graduated from Hangzhou Normal University. If I graduated from Peking University or Tsinghua University, I might be doing research every day now.Culture is played out.If we rethink our culture under the "new normal", you will see that many painters, many athletes, and many works are created by playing.Therefore, we entrepreneurs must also learn to play.

What I think of as the "new normal" is the "new normal" under the new economy.Many people are blaming me, thinking that Jack Ma messed up traditional business, why don't you ask yourself why you couldn't see this trend ten years ago?The impact of the new economy is not technology, technology can be bought and found.The question is whether you dare to use and accept new viewpoints.Resistance is useless, only adaptation and integration.In the past, our business was self-centered, but in the new economy in the future, we will be others-centered, customer-centered, and employee-centered.Let employees be stronger than you, because employees are the source of future innovation.

A few years ago, I participated in a forum in Taiwan to discuss innovation.Wu Xiaoli said that many entrepreneurs in Taiwan in their 80s and 80s are still discussing innovation.I think Taiwan is hopeless.Do people in their [-]s and [-]s still think they are better than young people?Opportunities should be given to young people, to employees, to your customers.

Thinking about the Internet economy revolves around several points: being others-centered, open, transparent, sharing, and responsible.This is the main spirit.Our economy used to be impossible to share - the information I have you can't have so I can make money.And the future trend is that you can only succeed if you know how to share.

Entrepreneurs based on today should also think about things ten years later

At present, the impact of the Internet economy on the world is relatively small. 200 years ago, the Industrial Revolution brought steam engines, trains, and even World War I and World War II; while the Internet just allows you to change your consciousness and rethink the future.The rise and fall of enterprises is normal, the economy cannot maintain the best momentum forever, and excellent enterprises must be established and grown under bad conditions. Under the "new normal", the so-called setbacks and difficulties are your greatest opportunities.

To be a business, the more critical point is: we must think about things 10 years from now.There are not many things that start today and win tomorrow.Only by proceeding from reality and predicting the future can we have a chance.As far as I am concerned, I usually predict what the government will do in three to five years, and then start to act immediately and make constant corrections; after three to five years, when the government starts calling for everyone to act together, I will choose to quit.Therefore, we must have a strategy. The strategy is based on the judgment of the future. The strategy comes from the vision, and the vision comes from the mission.Therefore, the construction of the entire system of mission, vision, strategy, organization, culture, and talents must be perfect and strong, so that you can do well.

To go for a long time, you need to be organized.To build a strong organization, establish an organizational culture, because only a strong organization and culture can attract outstanding talents.A strong culture means a strong enterprise.The essence of culture is to make your products have quality.What is quality?It means that there must be taste, texture, and quality companies to produce quality products and provide quality services.And a quality company must be created by quality employees.Don't be reluctant to spend money on employees, but spend money only on the assembly line.You must understand that everyone is willing to lend you money to buy equipment, but no bank is willing to lend you money to train employees, and this is the art of business management and the secret of business success.

There should be more and more opportunities in the future.It is necessary to improve the culture and organization of the enterprise, and to think globally, because the Internet will accelerate globalization.Today's market resource allocation is a global resource allocation.In the next 10 years, perhaps 5 million people in China will become middle class.Therefore, we should focus on competing with quality rather than winning with quantity.I don't understand technology, finance and management myself, but I believe in young people who understand technology, finance and management, and they are the future.

Man's determination is better than the sky, and the sky has laws. "Heaven" may be a natural or man-made disaster, but "stableness" is the "stableness" of "calmness", not the "stableness" of "certainty".In any economic situation, the test is your ability, and your ability is reflected in the ability of your employees, the ability of your organization, the ability of your corporate culture and your ability to predict the future.Today is an opportunity for us to show entrepreneurs' judgment on the future, and it is a moment for us to show our ability.Today, what we can show is: Entrepreneurs are the most important backbone in the development of this society. Only when entrepreneurs are strong can Chinese enterprises be strong and China can be strong; only when entrepreneurs are prosperous can the entire Chinese market be prosperous——I Proud of it!

Editor's note:

The Fifth Member Representative Conference of Beijing Zhejiang Enterprise Chamber of Commerce was held in Beijing on December 2014, 12. More than 6 representatives from all over the country and people from all walks of life who care about and support the development of Zhejiang merchants gathered together.Ma Yun was hired as the honorary chairman of Beijing Zhejiang Enterprise Chamber of Commerce, and delivered a speech at the conference, talking about his thinking and judgment on the future development of Zhejiang merchants, as well as his judgment on future Internet trends and business trends.

3. Innovation should be the business of entrepreneurs
Many economists say that in the short term, China's economy will face downward pressure.But I personally think that the pressure of China's economic downturn is long-term and lasting.It is impossible for us to go back to 9% or 12%. We have to learn to adapt to the state of 5% or 6%. Even in the next 20 years, if we can maintain a growth rate of 2% to 4%, it is already very remarkable, because We are already the second largest economy in the world. In fact, 2015 was not easy. There were many things that I didn't intend to see in my life, but they all happened in this year.We entrepreneurs must grasp those things that may exceed our expectations and predictions.

Shopping malls are like battlefields, to live is to win
The past year (2015) has been a very difficult year for entrepreneurs.Shopping malls are like battlefields. On the battlefield, the living people are successful; in the shopping malls, the same is true for enterprises.If the enterprise can still stand there at the end of the year, and can still give bonuses and wages to employees, it is a success.The first element of being an enterprise is to live like a soldier. Sometimes the first element of a soldier going to the battlefield is not to win, but to live.

On the last day of 2015, none of us fell down, which is very worthy of celebration!
At the end of each year, we think about the difficult year ahead, thinking that our company may encounter many unexpected difficulties.Seeing the future disaster clearly and still doing it, this is the real optimism.In the next 3 to 5 years, China's economic situation will still not be very optimistic, but in the next 5 to 15 years, China's economy is still full of hope.When the economic situation is good, entrepreneurs who can make money cannot be called real entrepreneurs.When the stock market is in a bull market, an old lady who buys vegetables on the street can make money. You cannot call her an investor, but a stock speculator.Only when the economic situation is bad, the enterprise can still make money, this is a successful entrepreneur.Only companies that can survive the critical juncture have "antibodies".

Entrepreneurs are explorers in the process of social development

China is undergoing tremendous changes, be it transformation, upgrading or innovation.The opportunities we have are probably extremely rare in any era of human society.China is the world's second largest economy, but the quality, quantity, scale, and quality of enterprises are still far behind the United States, Europe, and Japan, the largest economy.However, China will surely produce many world-class enterprises in the future.

An excellent entrepreneur must understand this era and this country.Only when entrepreneurs truly understand what they have, what they want, and what they should give up, can the enterprise go for a long time.The present era is also an era of real business transformation.Some people see business change as an opportunity, while others see it as a disaster.In fact, an opportunity is a real opportunity when it is not formed. Once an opportunity is formed, it is often the beginning of a disaster.The responsibility of an entrepreneur is to innovate, and the protagonist of innovation is the entrepreneur.Entrepreneurs are explorers in the process of social development. Entrepreneurs are scarce resources. We can train professional managers, but it is impossible to train entrepreneurs.

What China is most afraid of is the first "Fu"

Innovation is expensive, and innovation is time-limited.The time for innovation is limited. If you care about many external things, you will lose the most precious moment in your life.At 65, all you can do is enjoy some grandchildren in your own home.

Innovation is also risky.Traditional banking institutions have done a better job than our Internet companies in terms of risk management.Traditional financial risk management is to make the body armor thicker and better, and our innovation is to make it impossible for killers to approach you.Is it to make the body armor stronger, or to make it impossible for the killer to appear in this field?This is a place worthy of our innovation and reflection.

What China is most afraid of is the first "Fu". There are several kinds of "Fu".One is the rich "rich", and being the "richest man" in China is a disaster; there is also the responsible "negative", or the most indebted "negative".I hope to be the "first blessing", the person with the best fortune, and the person with a stable ending.However, how many people with big companies can have a good ending?Therefore, we must find a stable and stable blessing for our company, our employees, and our descendants!

Real entrepreneurs don't complain, and successful people are always checking their own problems.Whether it is the real economy or the virtual economy, they are actually growing infants.Two children fight and both say bad things about each other.Does China have excess capacity?No, it is the excess capacity of the backward economy.Has manufacturing declined?Overall, manufacturing has not declined either.Is China's retail industry doing badly?Overall, the retail sector is also doing well.It's just that you didn't do well, so today the Internet has eliminated you, and that's justified.In fact, the death rate of Internet companies is not much lower than that of traditional companies, and it is even more cruel.

(End of this chapter)