12 lessons from 12 months in Alibaba

Alibaba is unlike any other company I’ve worked for. I had no experience in e-commerce before this, and had never joined a Chinese company. That made working in the company’s headquarters in Hangzhou equal parts challenging, chaotic, and candid. It has taken me 12 months to feel relatively settled in, and these are 12 lessons I’ve learnt along the way while working in AliExpress, Alibaba’s international shopping site.

At Alibaba’s headquaters in Hangzhou, China

1. Be shameless to learn fast

Work moves at a breakneck speed here. There is no time for hand-holding, and foreign newbies must learn things from ground up. 

In order to get a quicker grip on things, I was shameless about asking silly questions. I didn’t spend too much time worrying if asking basic questions would make me look stupid. I probably did, to those who were already fluent in Chinese e-commerce terms. But understanding the task was more important than saving my “face”, so I continued annoying my colleagues with daft questions. 

Being a newbie meant a little more room for mistakes. So I took the initiative to do smaller tasks independently despite not knowing the ropes, as busy teammates always appreciate the help to clear daily tasks. And if something goes wrong (which happens at times given the quick turnaround time), be shameless enough to pick yourself right back up after learning from the experience.

2. Be the friendly stranger

Foreigners are a minority here in the Hangzhou office. And as an outsider fully immersed in a Chinese work environment, it is important to make the extra effort to be approachable. 

Smile. Even when you only understand half of what’s being discussed in a big meeting. 

Be polite. Especially when communicating via instant messaging as it’s an important channel for forming good relationships in a workplace where many work remotely. 

Show interest in the Chinese culture. Use Mandarin as much as you can, however limited it may be, as it’s always appreciated.

Work becomes much smoother once colleagues feel more comfortable with you, and every bit of 关系 (good relationship) helps.

3. Projects are like stories to a journalist 

While there are approximately 15,000 employees here at the headquarters, Alibaba hardly functions like a corporation of the same size. It takes pride in its startup culture, so instead of clear-cut team functions, every employee has to juggle multiple cross-disciplinary projects at a time.

It's chaotic and confusing at first, but my background as a magazine writer enabled me to see every project like a working article. I need to pitch it well to different stakeholders to convince them that it’s to their benefit to help me with it, and then find experts in different fields to support me in executing it well. 

4. Speed is king

But unlike a magazine, the e-commerce environment values speed over perfection. It’s better to launch a ready product quickly than to spend more time ensuring it’s absolutely flawless.

5. Uncertainty is the norm

Staying agile under the pressure of speed means working with a certain level of uncertainty. For newer projects, the emphasis is often placed on executing and experimenting rather than careful planning. 

6. Embrace change, and learn to love it

But what happens when you have to work fast under ambiguous circumstances? Plans change. While it can be frustrating at first, the best way to stay afloat is to go with the flow. It’s no wonder that “embrace change”, one of Alibaba’s famous 土话 (sayings), is uttered time and time again by its employees.

7. There's no time for grudges

As everyone here understands the nature of the environment, mistakes are not dwelled upon. It is, rather, seen as an opportunity for everyone to learn from.

8. Learn to share and care

Employees are encouraged to do presentations at internal sessions. This enables us to sharpen our presentation and storytelling skills, and learn from each other’s experiences. Whether it’s to garner support for a new project, get colleagues up to speed with industry trends, or hold a quick tutorial on how to use a new internal content management tool, anyone can get their 15 minutes of fame here. 

9. Emails aren’t everything

Much of our day-to-day work communication is done via instant messages on DingTalk. It took me a while to get used to the deluge of Mandarin messages I’d receive every day, and I’m still learning how to decipher important messages from the constant flow of information within chat groups. Working with numerous remote 外包 (outsource) partners also taught me the value of a phone call ⁠— having good old conversations from time to time does wonders to build better working relationships.

10. Prioritization is paramount 

Ensuring productivity in an environment where a high volume of tasks are urgent requires strict priority setting. I’ve learnt that not every instant message needs to be dealt with instantly, and it’s perfectly fine to negotiate deadlines and responsibilities when it’s justified. By respecting my own time, I’m able to get more done each day. 

11. Internationalization doesn’t happen overnight

As AliExpress broadens its reach into new markets, we’re constantly trying to find the right balance between emulating what Taobao (the Chinese online shopping site that's also the world's biggest e-commerce website) has done well for China, and adapting to local preferences abroad. It takes time to find the right balance, and we’re still working towards an ideal formula. Frictions arise due to cultural differences, but it’s all part of the learning process. Patience, empathy, and professionalism are important qualities for any one working in an international environment.

12. Appreciate the bigger picture

While some days are more trying than others, it’s still a huge privilege to be amongst it all. There are many valuable lessons to be learnt, life skills to pick up, and stories to be told because I got to work in Alibaba. It’s a pretty sweet deal to be part of a tech giant’s global ambitions, and witness it in its early stages of internationalization.

As Jack Ma once said, “此时此刻 非我莫属” (“If not now, when? If not me, who?”).