Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built

I began to read this book after Jack Ma was reported missing, following the controversial cancellation of Ant Group’s massive IPO by the Chinese government just two day before the much-hyped D-day. After reading this book, I can really see why Jack Ma is such a crucial person in the development of modern China, and how the government have the importance to control the very imbedded Alibaba in Chinese society, for better and for worse. And chapter 12 provide a glimpse of why this could happen, with the 2015 disappearance of Guo Guangchang, as also told in the book, may or may not be a precedence.But this book is of course not only about the Chinese business environment. And as the phrase goes, I came for one thing and stayed for another. So stay I did, as this book has a nice flow of writing on a topic that is so fascinating that makes it hard to put down.At its core, the book is about the internet evolution in China and the companies that emerge from the new dawn of technology. While the narrative follows the fascinating story of Jack Ma and the eventual rise of Alibaba Group, the book also provide the background stories of Alibaba’s partners and competitors that set up the context and the complicated environment in which Alibaba operates.Moreover, although the book has the usual rags-to-riches narrative for Jack Ma, it doesn’t focus that much on the “Chinese dreams” but more on the practical tools and tactics that Ma implement to earn the success, in which chapter 11 summarize it neatly. And just like many excellent business biographies, this book also include all the struggles, the boardroom wars, the money lost along the way, and the larger than life characters that put the human side of every top notch executives mentioned.In short, this is an excellent book on one of the hottest and most crucial companies in the world, a book that gives almost like an insider expose on the business environment in China.PS: Jack Ma eventually re-emerged in the media after “laying low”, and few weeks later Ant Group announce that they will revamp themselves into a financial holding company under the supervision of People’s Bank of China. And so, the story in the book continues.

In Alibaba, Clark winds back the hands of time and gives you a front row seat to the frame-by-frame unfolding of one of Asia’s supernovas, the namesake of the book. Lyrically infused with verbatim quotes from alternative technology icons of our day, Clark’s narrative weaves together eye-catching headlines and Chinese mythology in sepia vignettes, so authentic that the “Jack Magic” in the scene palpably streams forth from the pages of the book.Telling the story of the founder, Jack Ma, illustrating Ma’s philosophy and praxeology, the “Jack Magic”, and illuminating the role it played in Alibaba’s runaway success is where Clark shines. Clark’s discussion of the business environment, competitor strategies, and the later maturity of the internet industry indicates a lack of knowledge and insight, with various actors coming across as dry and two-dimensional. It feels tedious to read.While the narration leaves much to be wanted in several departments, the story itself inspires, and the zeitgeist of a few key moments are well preserved. As a Stanford graduate student and Silicon Valley resident, I found a window into an entirely different world - a different dogma - of entrepreneurship; refreshing in a scene where a multitude of playbooks and listicles have converged a set of what seemed to be immutable rules.

I have to admit that I enjoyed the author’s showcase on several companies that parallel with Alibaba. Not many books show the history and stuff on those companies that are competitors. They helped me understand the growth itself. Not just Alibaba but China’s new economic power. At first, I felt that book was overused with a positive view of Jack and Alibaba. As I continuing to read...the negativity finally surfaced. It definitely did bring some balance to sort out the whole thing. The writing style is pretty set in stone...I have no objections or thoughts at all. This book is good to read. Since I didn’t give 5 stars...this is just accumulated of Jack and Alibaba’s growth and history. Nothing 100% excitement about...

A lucid, insightful and inspiring account of an extraordinary man written by a man that is hard to match in terms of China exposure, observant eye, impeccable brain and will to share it all with us. Read it!1001 mistakes to success. 1993 Golden Bridge, 1'300'000'000 to cross. Aliyun. Chief People Officer. Constrain to innovate. Crocodile in the Yangtze, not shark in the ocean (to start with). David strategy, Goliath returns. Decide and be rigorous, also with CEO and COO. Digital Yiwu. Edge ain’t built on a paved highway. ET is precioussssss. Fertilize and cultivate, don’t only harvest. Focus on shrimps. From selling in China to selling to China. Google, cocoos Yahoo. GS, tststs. INtensiv or EXcompany. Jack magic. Jack, marshmallow test uberlord. Know how not know who. Knowledge economy not information society. Local savvy vs international on fits it all “convenience”. Long march or the highway. More Morleys, please. Multiple perspectives to iron Triangle. O2O consolidation. Of sleek and shrill websites. Of wallets and portals. Partners, not employees. Periphery or burn in fixed cost hell. PerseVERYance. Profit, Philosophy and Philanthropy. SARS glue. Six Veins DNA and remuneration. SoftBank, HardHead. Swiss towards CCP. Taobao undercover. Variable Interest Entity and its “rich, fee-producing complexity”. Warrior philosopher. WeHongBao effectiveness. Witts, Wit, Whitman – de nuevo. Work happily, live seriously. Xia Hai dear Haiguis.

Think outside the box and you achieve anything you want. And Mr Jack Ma has proven it.

This is an excellent book to know Jack Ma's character. Those unfamiliar with China can read, thanks to the author's excellent work. I was impressed with an episode that he learned English as a tour guide. He worked as an English teacher and then launched a translation company at his 29 in 1994.The advent of the Internet and the Chinese government's economic policy was a strong tailwind for Alibaba. E-commerce (Alibaba, Taobao), logistics (Cainiao), and finance(Alipay) are called the "iron triangle" that makes Alibaba dominant. Alibaba's IPO on NYSE in 2014 was enormous, and its market value was higher than Amazon and Facebook.The Chinese market is massive and idiosyncratic. This book might be helpful to business.

I’ve been eyeing this book for a while now. The very first chapter clearly gives out a disclaimer (and it is obvious from the cover). This is a biography. Written by a third person. Direct quotes from Jack Ma are often the narration. Yes it does glorify Jack and some would argue, rightly so his achievements. And yes it does pose some questions which to this day have been unanswered. There are a lot of “I didn’t know that” moment so. The most interesting bits of information are tucked in footnotes. As y9u progress through the book the res at least 1 footnote per page. This adds relevant details to the chapters. The only thing that seems to be missing is the “inside view”.

The highlights some instances where Jack Ma (like Elon Musk) has done something's which are objectionable. Despite this, his resolute belief in China's consumers and battle with giants like Yahoo & E-Bay post the dot-com burst are commendable. An entrepreneur in his own right. An account from someone who had been associated with Jack for a long time.

I have been hearing Jack Ma's name pop up in the news quite frequently over the last couple of years. Who is he? What does he do to make himself become a billionaire? You will find the answer in this book. The book provides an account of how Jack Ma built up his company from scratch through strong-will and determination. There was a lot of trial and error along the way. The book provides a fascinating insight into how much change and development China has gone through over the decades. It is not a biography of Jack Ma's life, but more about how he built his company Alibaba.