What I learned from reading Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built by Duncan Clark. 

---

Subscribe to listen to Founders Premium — Subscribers can listen to Ask Me Anything (AMA) episodes and every bonus episode. 

---

Crazy Jack (0:01)

The internet is filling the void created by state planning (6:59)

Jack has made a career out of being underestimated: “I am a very simple guy. I am not smart. I might have a smart face but I’ve got very stupid brains.” (20:35)

Jack’s early life / Discipline and Curiosity (24:43)

Jack Magic: “ Nobody saw the opportunity in this business. We didn’t make much money at first, but Jack persevered…I respect him tremendously for he has a a great ability to motivate people and he can invest things that seem hopeless with exciting possibility. He can make those around him get excited about life.” (40:00)

Jack’s first time on the Internet (47:06)

Another lucky break: Meeting Yahoo Founder Jerry Yang (55:45)

Making money from shrimp (57:02)

The worst deal he ever made (1:00:43)

Masayoshi Son: Founder of Softbank (1:04:45)

Be the last man standing (1:10:16)

Ebay vs Alibaba: A case study in what not to do (1:13:32)

Yahoo’s billion-dollar bet (1:23:00)

Jack’s unique reaction to the financial crisis (1:27:00)

Alipay’s ownership changes / One of the craziest stories I’ve read (1:33:12)

If I had another life, I would keep my company private (1:46:10)

“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth

Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast