【商業智慧】阿里巴巴創辦人馬雲：很多人失敗的原因不是錢太少，而是錢太多 Alibaba founder Jack Ma: The reason many people fail is not that they have too little money, but rather because they have too much money

阿里巴巴作為中國互聯網產業的領軍角色，也曾面臨著大環境的蕭條及公司的前途未的問題。面對重重難關，阿里巴巴仍能劫後重生。創辦人馬雲曾言道：「很多人失敗的原因不是錢太少，而是錢太多。」

在2000年，阿里巴巴的前景被看好，連英國CNN電視台都稱讚：「阿里巴巴是第一個邁向西方的中國互聯網公司。」更獲得了高盛和軟銀等國際投資銀行的大筆投資，馬雲也成為了公眾焦點。馬雲因而開始大舉擴張公司。他把總部搬到美國，還在全球各地開設了辦事處，甚至請來了世界500強的副總裁和外籍員工來當公司高管。然而，繁榮的景象並不一帆風順，這樣的快速擴張並沒有帶來成功，反而讓公司陷入了困境。

2000年底，互聯網泡沫破裂，許多互聯網公司倒閉，阿里巴巴也面臨危機。這時馬雲發現公司只顧著砸錢，忽視了公司的實際運營，導致組織架構混亂，新舊員工相互不協調，員工們各自為政。加上當時整個行業陷入寒冬，90%的互聯網公司都相應倒閉，馬雲終於意識到公司需要改變。

因此，馬雲帶領團隊進行了全面的整頓和改革，他聘請了通用高管關明生作為阿里巴巴的COO，關明生整頓了組織架構，裁減了不必要的辦事處和冗員，以及降低開支。同時，馬雲也向團隊灌輸共同的價值觀和目標，讓大家重新找回方向和動力。終於，阿里巴巴在艱難中存活下來，並在2003年底實現了盈利。

在商業世界中，適度的挑戰和壓力能激發創新和成長，而過度的財富可能成為一個障礙。錢太多可能會讓人迷失方向，而真正的成功是要有清晰的目標和有效的管理。

As a leading player in China's internet industry, Alibaba has confronted various hurdles such as economic downturns, and uncertain future prospects. Despite these challenges, Alibaba has managed to make a remarkable comeback. Alibaba founder Jack Ma once stated, "The reason many people fail is not that they have too little money, but rather because they have too much money."

In the year 2000, Alibaba's future looked promising. Even the British CNN television network lauded, "Alibaba is the first Chinese internet company to venture into the West." It attracted significant investments from international investment banks like Goldman Sachs and SoftBank. Ma himself became the centre of attention. Consequently, Ma began expanding the company aggressively. He relocated the headquarters to the United States, established offices worldwide, and even hired vice presidents from Fortune 500 companies and foreign employees as company executives. However, this prosperity did not come without challenges. The rapid expansion failed to yield success, ultimately plunging the company into a predicament.

By the end of 2000, the internet bubble burst, causing many internet companies to collapse, and Alibaba found itself facing a crisis. It was during this time that Ma realised the company had been too focused on spending money, neglecting the practical aspects of its operations. This led to a disorganised organisational structure, a lack of coordination between new and existing employees, and each employee operating independently. Additionally, the entire industry was in a downturn, with 90% of internet companies going bankrupt. Ma finally recognized the imperative need for change within the company.

Therefore, Jack Ma led the team through comprehensive rectification and reform. He hired former General Electric executive, Savio Kwan, as Alibaba's COO. Kwan reorganised the organisational structure, streamlined unnecessary offices and staff, and reduced expenses. At the same time, Ma instilled a shared set of values and goals within the team, allowing everyone to regain direction and motivation. Ultimately, Alibaba weathered the arduous challenges and achieved profitability by the end of 2003.

In the business world, moderate challenges and pressure can stimulate innovation and growth, while excessive wealth can become an obstacle. Having too much money can lead people astray, whereas true success requires clear goals and effective management.