If you’d like to read a success story that makes you really think, then consider the story of Alibaba founder Jack Ma. He was born in China but developed a strong urge to learn how to speak English. For nine years, he would ride his bicycle to the tourist hotels in the area and learn conversational English from the tourists. He failed the entrance exams to the best Chinese schools, so he graduated from a school that was considered substandard in 1988. In 1995, he was making $15 teaching English at another substandard school when he decided to live with a family in Seattle for a while.
When he was in Seattle, Ma was introduced to the Internet and immediately started a directory call China Pages. His first website failed, but his persistence eventually lead to the development of websites that were purchased by the Chinese government. He earned a job working on Internet technology in China when he decided to start the online eCommerce website Alibaba. Ma and friends raised $60,000 that eventually spawned a business responsible for $248 billion in business every year. Ma himself is the richest man in China with a net worth estimated at around $22 billion. When Ma gives career advice, most people listen.
Never Give Up On An Idea
Ma attributes his success to never giving up on himself or his ideas. One of his more popular quotes is “If you don’t give up, you still have a chance.” His life is a testament to the power of persistence and he has shown repeatedly that any challenge can be conquered with the right approach and the attitude that you will never give up.
Competitors Are Not Enemies
A very unique approach used by Ma is to consider his competition as friends that can teach him how to succeed. Of course, Ma’s competition is not going to actively show him how to succeed at their own peril. But Ma does not make enemies and is a believer in the power of friendly competition.
A Good Team Is Critical
One of the more interesting stories about Ma is that he would give small pieces of equity in Alibaba to the college students who would work as interns for him when he was just getting started. He has never been one to keep the wealth for himself because he has always believed that sharing the wealth creates more for everyone.
Always Be Who You Really Are
Billionaire and Internet genius Jack Ma is famous for dressing in drag for Alibaba shareholder meetings to entertain shareholders and doing other eccentric things. He shares the belief of a handful of other successful entrepreneurs that you must always be yourself, no matter what the circumstances. Jack Ma insists that everyone who works for him should enjoy life and enjoy it in any way they see fit.
Do Not Fear People Who Are Smarter Than You
One of the more common fears of entrepreneurs is hiring people who know more than they do because they fear that smarter people may try to take their company from them. Jack Ma prefers to surround himself with people who know much more than he does because he learns from those people and understands how to utilize their talents.
Jack Ma is a self-made billionaire who has a very unique outlook on life and business. While he may seem a bit eccentric to some, he has a lot of good career advice to offer, especially for people who is looking to start their own business.