Entrepreneur Jack Ma’s Guide to Success

Jack Ma is co-founder of Alibaba and one of the most successful businessmen worldwide. In 1999, Jack Ma co-founded what would become the world’s largest trading giant, Alibaba.

Twenty years later, he still has a spring in his way, and a number of tips to pass on to young global entrepreneurs.

Here are some of the best quotes from his talk:

1. “Of course I was scared and had doubts when I started with Alibaba. But I believed that someone, if not us, would win. There are no experts from tomorrow, only from yesterday.”
2. “In business, never worry about competition, never worry about pressure. If you worry about the pressure, don’t be a businessman… If you create value, there are opportunities. Today everyone cares. That means it is a great opportunity.”
3. “Your first job is the most important. Not necessarily a company that has a big name, but you should find a good boss who can teach you how to be human, how to do things right, and stay there. A promise: I will stay there for three years.”
4. “How can we teach children to be more creative and to do things that machines cannot do? Machines have chips, but human beings have hearts … Education must move in this direction.”
5. “What keeps Jack Ma awake at night? “Nothing! If I don’t sleep well, the problem will still be there. If I sleep, I have a better chance of fighting it.”
6. “ To manage smart people, you must use culture, the value system, they believe what they do. If you just want to use the rules, the laws and the documents to control, this is how you control stupid people.”
7. “When I hire people, I hire people who are smarter than me. People who four or five years later could be my boss. I like positive people who never give up.”