Insights from the Frontlines of Consumer Tech
a16z Podcast
How Alibaba Non-Traditional People to Build New Products
In the early days of Alibaba, Jack Ma hired non-traditional people to build new products and shape the company's culture. These individuals included a hotel manager who became the CEO of Ali Pay, and a secretary who became the head of the logistics platform. Alibaba encouraged competition among teams and either repurposed existing talent or brought in new outside talent as the company launched various businesses. The company prioritized cultural fit over skills and trained people to move up into senior positions. Jack Ma believed that non-traditional hires brought fresh perspectives and were customer-centric. Through this approach, Alibaba was able to build a talented workforce and successfully launch multiple innovative products like Ali Pay and Tynau, which is now the world's largest digital network for logistics.
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