In conversation with Lulu Yilun Chen

If you took the economic might of Amazon, and added the penetration of Facebook, the ubiquity of Google, and the cultural significance of YouTube, you might have something starting to resemble Alibaba.

Commonly mischaracterized as a kind of Chinese eBay for businesses, Alibaba and its interlinked network of products and services have exploded into global markets, disrupting conventional businesses, and creating previously unimaginable opportunities for millions of small businesses worldwide.

Brian Wong, a long-time executive and former special assistant to Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, details the company’s unique culture and “tai chi” management principles that has propelled its global success, in his book The Tao of Alibaba: Inside the Chinese Digital Giant that Is Changing the World.

Hear more about the “secret sauce” behind the company’s distinctive business philosophy.