This article offers Alibaba CEO and Founder (Jack Ma )’s Famous Motivational Quotes. Jack Ma Quotes on Business, Success, Leadership, Students, and Never Giving Up. Alibaba CEO Jack Ma Quotes on 20, 30, and 40.
List of Contents
Jack Ma’s Motivational Quotes For Success
Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.

The essential thing you should have is patience.
The goal is not to have lots of money. The goal is to have enough money to live life your way.
When we see something is coming, we have to prepare now.” “My belief is [that] you have to repair the roof while it is still [sunny].
Opportunity lies in the place where the complaints are.
When you succeed, others will grow too.
If you don’t give up, you still have a chance. Giving up is the greatest failure.
When you are small, you have to be very focused and rely on your brain, not your strength.
Instead of learning from books, learn from mistakes.
Opportunities lie where the complaints are.
Success doesn’t come to you; you go to it.
Jack Ma Quotes on Business & Entrepreneur
You should learn from your competitor, but never copy. Copy and you die.
As entrepreneurs, if you’re not optimistic, you’re in trouble. So the people I choose have to be hopeful.
Nobody makes money catching whales. People make money catching shrimps.” “Small Business is beautiful. Small Business is powerful.”
Efficiency is the essence of the new retail or business.
In the past, trade was done in containers, but in the future it will be done in small parcels.
The previous business model followed the “make first, sell later ” model, but the new model follows the “sell first, make later ” model.
New Manufacturing is the perfect blend of manufacturing and service. A company’s competitive strength won’t lie in its manufacturing capabilities; instead, it’s measured by its underlying innovative thinking, customer experience, and service capabilities.- Jack Ma.
Don’t use trade as a weapon. Use trade as a solution. When you sanction another country, you are sanctioning small businesses and young people. They will be ‘killed:
Small companies need to be aware of how much business is being conducted on mobile phones.
A great entrepreneur is always optimistic about the future.
The best service is achieved when no service is required.
As entrepreneurs, if you’re not optimistic, you’re in trouble. So the people I choose have to be hopeful.
Companies and entrepreneurs should not focus on building their brand, but on excelling in their service.
The ability to serve others is the most remarkable and core ability of the 21st century. – Jack Ma.
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.
Forget about your competitors, focus on your customers.

Jack Ma Quotes on Technology, AI & Machines
Information technology aims to control, while data technology aims to share.
The world will be connected not by oil or things, but by data. – Jack Ma.
Data is the first resource that humans have created.
There is no single machine that can be “intelligent” on its own.
Robots should be doing things that human beings cannot do, not become human or replace humans.
Machines have intelligence, animals have instincts, humans have wisdom. A machine could never possess what humans have.

“Machines only have chips. Humans have hearts,”-Jack Ma.
We should make machines more like machines and people more like people. – Jack Ma.
“When we understand what can be done only by humans and what can be done only by machines, the future is ours”.- Jack Ma.
Technology helps people use their time effectively and prevents them from doing repetitive tasks.
The Internet disrupted newspaper circulation, but former newsboys have become package couriers. There are more than three million couriers in China.
“Instead of worrying about technology taking away jobs, we should embrace technology and solve new problems.”
AI would take over many traditional manufacturing jobs, but at the same time create new, more exciting jobs for humans.
Ma says that today people visit an average of 30 places in their lifetimes, but in the future that number may reach 300. Because automation will reduce the number of hours people work, they will be able to travel more.
“I think the good thing,” Jack Ma observed, “is that technology is going to improve people’s lives.” With less time working and more time for personal activities.
Prepare early. What you deem as professional skills today may become obsolete 30 years from now.”- Jack Ma.
Matchines cannot do experience, service, and innovation.
Without data, nothing can be done. If you prepare for and believe in this technology revolution, start doing it now. What you do today is not decided by yesterday but by 15 years of effort. -Jack Ma
Jack Ma Quotes on Health and Happiness
“Mental health flows from physical health, and we’ll never be happy if our body is suffering in pain. Therefore, health and happiness will forever be our goals.”- Jack Ma.
Happiness and Health. It is the future. No matter how rich you are, how poor you are, no matter who you are, you will always want to be happier and healthier:”
If you put bananas and money in front of nonkeys, monkeys will choose bananas because monkeys do not know that money can buy a lot of bananas.
In reality, if you put money and health in front of people, people will tend to choose money because too many people do not know that health can bring more money and happiness.”
Jack Ma Quotes on the Future
“The rules of the future should not be dominated by government agencies alone; instead, they should be made together by the government, the private sector, and all stakeholders.” -Jack Ma.
Globalisation cannot be stopped; if trade stops, war will follow.
Right now, if your company doesn’t think globally, you don’t stand a chance. Is it impossible to ignore globalisation today?”- Jack Ma.
In the next 30 years, 80 percent of small businesses will benefit from globalisation. In 2030, more than 85 percent of companies will be e-commerce. 99% of trade will be online, with less than 1% offline.- Jack Ma.
He then advised big companies to operate like small companies. “If you cannot operate a company like a small company, you are dead.”
Today, many companies want to grow big. But I’m sure in 2030 you will want to be small because you’ll need to be flexible. – Jack Ma.
In the next 30 years, those companies that can use the Internet well will win,” Jack Ma said.
What you need to learn about the future of retail is not how to sell, but how to serve people. Whether you are in online or offline retail, customer service is the most important thing. It is not company-oriented, not cost-oriented, and surely not resource-oriented. Customer service is always people-oriented.- Jack Ma.
In the 21st century, no matter who you are or whatever your organization is, you should not pursue size and power. You should be good. Kindness is the strongest power.
Jack Ma Quotes on Leadership
A good boss is better than a good company.

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 when people see things from different perspectives.
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.
The world needs new leadership, but the new leadership is about working together.
If you want your business to succeed, it is critical to appoint enough female leaders.
A leader should be a visionary with greater foresight than an employee.
A leader should have greater grit and tenacity and be able to endure what employees can’t.
If you want your life to be simple, you shouldn’t be a leader.
A leader should never compare their technical skills with those of their employees.
Jack Ma Quotes on Friends and Family
When selling to close friends and family, no matter how much you’re selling to them, they will always feel you’re earning their money; no matter how cheaply you sell to them, they still wouldn’t appreciate it.
Friends will shield you, and fair-weather friends will distance themselves from you. Family will look down upon you. The day you finally succeed, you’ll realize that those who helped you are strangers.
True friends are those who are with you when you fail, not when you succeed. Choose friends wisely.
In life, if you want to be successful, find friends who are smarter than you and learn from them.
When you are young, help your friends. When you are old, benefit society. Friends are the seeds of your future network and support.
When doing sales, the first people who will trust you will be strangers; friends will be shielding against you, and fair-weather friends will distance themselves from you. Family will look down upon you.
Business is about building. Friendship is about trust building.
We need to treat our dear strangers better! And even more so to friends who know what we are doing and yet still support us.
If your decisions differ from those of your friends, your life will be different too.
Many people in this world can only be your friend, not your partner.
You need the right people with you, not the best people.
I try to make myself happy because if I’m not satisfied, neither are my colleagues, teammates, and, of course, the customers.” (Implying the impact of your mood on those around you, including friends/peers)
In your 20s and 30s? Follow a good boss. Learn more.” (While more about mentors, this ties into choosing who you associate with/friends)
If we are a good team and know what we want to do, one of us can defeat ten of them.” (Relates to friends or team)
Life is so short, so beautiful. Don’t be so serious about work. Enjoy the lives.” (Encouraging balance with friends and life)
We should never finish a 20-year program in two years.” (Applies to relationships, friendships – don’t rush).
It isn’t very easy to know the outside world, but you know yourself. If I know myself better, I can change myself to meet the outside world.” (Again, applies to self and thus how you relate to friends)
An honest businessman or entrepreneur has no enemies. Once he understands this, then the sky’s the limit.” (From the context of relations/friends/enemies)
Jack Ma Quotes for Young People and Students
Anything that young people love has a future.- Jack Ma.
Look to the younger generation and hire those who have the potential to become the next great leaders.
Our biggest fear is having youths who have deep pockets but shallow minds. – Jack Ma.
When we were young, nobody gave us a chance. Now, we should give young people a chance. Young people do a much better job than we do. Personal legacy should be less important than building a team that will last and give them a chance to do so.
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.
No matter how tricky the chase is, you should always have the dream you saw on the first day. It’ll keep you motivated and rescue you (from any weak thoughts).
If you want to grow, find a good teacher. If you want to be a great leader, find great students.
Please don’t wait for the right opportunity; create it.
The very important thing you should have is patience.
Jack Ma Quotes about Work
Once in your life, try something. Work hard at something. Try to change. Nothing bad can happen.
The only thing you can do is work hard and fight. It’s better to be optimistic than pessimistic.
I always find people smarter than I am. Then my job is to make sure smart people can work together. Foolish people can work together efficiently, smart people can’t.
Once in your life, try something. Work hard at something. Try to change. Nothing bad can happen.
You have got to keep trying, and if it doesn’t work, you can always revert to what you were doing before.
Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.
Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done.
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.
Don’t be so serious about work. Enjoy the lives.
Jack Ma Quotes about Money
Spending money is much more difficult than making money.
When we have money, we start making mistakes
Jack Ma Quotes About Employees
You don’t have to find the best people in the world; the best people are already working with you in your team. Train them, work with them, and they will train you in return.
When employees are happy, your customers are happy, and you are happy —these are the businesses that are sustainable and can last. Hold on to your dreams, (and believe) This is a good company” – Jack Ma
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.
Your employee should have superior technical skills than you do. If he doesn’t, it means you have hired the wrong person.
Success and profitability are outcomes of focusing on customers and employees, not objectives.
Always let your employees come to work with a smile.
The customer is number one, the employee is number two, and the shareholder is number three. If the customer is happy, the business is glad, and the shareholders are delighted.
Your employee should have superior technical skills than you do. If he doesn’t, it means you have hired the wrong person
Success and profitability are outcomes of focusing on customers and employees, not objectives.
Always let your employees come to work with a smile.