A Boy Who Struggled in School
Jack Ma grew up in Hangzhou, China, during a time when his family had little money and few connections. As a child, he wasn’t seen as smart or talented. In fact, he failed his middle school exams—twice. When he finally made it to high school, he struggled again and was rejected by colleges multiple times. People told him he wasn’t cut out for success. But Jack had something no test could measure: determination.
Rejection After Rejection
After finally getting into college on his third try, Jack studied English and later applied for jobs. He was rejected by every company he tried. He applied to KFC when it opened in his hometown—24 people applied, 23 got hired. Jack was the only one turned away. He applied to be a police officer and was told he wasn’t good enough. Even Harvard turned him down—ten times. Each rejection could have been the end of his dream, but he saw it differently. To him, it was just part of the journey.
His First Look at the Internet
In the mid-1990s, Jack took a trip to the U.S. and discovered the internet for the first time. When he searched for “beer” and saw no Chinese results, an idea sparked. China was not online—and Jack saw an opportunity. Even though he had no tech background, he went home and started building websites for businesses. It was a small beginning, but it helped him understand the power of the internet.
The Birth of Alibaba
In 1999, Jack gathered 17 friends in his apartment and told them about a bold idea: building a global online marketplace. That meeting became the start of Alibaba. At first, no one believed in it. He couldn’t get funding from most investors. He was told again and again that he didn’t understand technology or business. But Jack kept going. He believed small businesses around the world needed a place to sell—and he was going to build it.
Years Without Profit
For the first few years, Alibaba made almost no money. The company grew slowly, and Jack worked long hours just to keep it alive. He didn’t pay himself much. He focused on building trust with users and making the platform stronger. Competitors like eBay entered China with big money and global teams. But Jack didn’t try to beat them with money—he beat them with local knowledge, hard work, and a team that believed in the mission.
Finally, a Breakthrough
Eventually, Alibaba’s steady growth paid off. The company expanded into online payments, cloud computing, and logistics. When Alibaba went public in 2014, it became the largest IPO in history at the time. Jack Ma, once seen as “not smart enough,” had built one of the biggest e-commerce empires the world had ever seen.
The Power of Not Giving Up
Jack Ma’s story is not just about building a company. It’s about how rejection can shape resilience. Every “no” he heard became fuel to keep trying. He didn’t let failure stop him—he let it teach him. And in the end, it wasn’t talent, money, or luck that built Alibaba. It was the will to keep moving forward, no matter how many times he was told to stop.
