Alibaba (09988) CEO Daniel Zhang posted on the internal network: Returning to the original heart, starting a new entrepreneurial journey.

On May 9th, Alibaba Group (09988) CEO Wu Yongming posted on the internal forum, calling on Alibaba employees to return to their original aspirations and start a new venture. Wu Yongming emphasized that Alibaba's DNA does not include "maintaining the status quo", but only "creating". The AI technology revolution will bring profound and complex changes to human society, with risks and opportunities coexisting. He stated that the technology, talent, and resources accumulated by Alibaba are advantages for the new era, but AI's intergenerational innovation could instantly turn these advantages into disadvantages or even constraints. Alibaba must embrace a start-from-scratch mentality, think like a startup company, and create opportunities from there. This week, a 1:1 replica of the "Lakeside Cabin" marking Alibaba's entrepreneurial origin was unveiled at Alibaba's Hangzhou global headquarters. Wu Yongming said, "It represents Alibaba's relentless entrepreneurial spirit and eternal pursuit of innovation. Bringing it to the global headquarters today is not for nostalgia, but to remind all of us that Alibaba is still in entrepreneurship today." Wu Yongming's full internal forum post "Return to the Original Aspirations, Start a New Venture" is as follows: Return to the Original Aspirations, Start a New Venture Tomorrow is the 21st Alibaba Day on May 10th. To commemorate the fight against SARS, we have designated May 10th as Alibaba Day each year, to thank Alibaba employees for their support and to remind ourselves not to forget the reasons for our journey. At this moment, a brand new era brought by the global technological wave is opening. Alibaba must set aside past achievements, return to the original aspirations of entrepreneurship, and embark on a new journey with the mindset of an entrepreneur. The AI technology revolution will bring profound and complex changes to human society, with risks and opportunities coexisting. The technology, talent, and resources accumulated by Alibaba are advantages for the new era, but AI's intergenerational innovation could instantly turn these advantages into disadvantages or even constraints. We must embrace a start-from-scratch mentality, think like a startup company, and create opportunities from there, or else we will only face risks. In the past two years, the company has actively undergone transformations, focusing on the strategic theme of "User First, AI-Driven". We have re-focused our business direction and reorganized priorities. In the future, the group will focus on several core battles with a saturation-style approach. These key battles will involve multiple business lines utilizing their respective strengths and expertise. We will prioritize long-term value and overall value in formulating the group's collaborative strategies for each business line. In the process of moving towards the new era, we must have the courage to change and adapt to the changes. The saying "break through oneself" is not new but very difficult. It will be a challenging transformation. We cannot be complacent with past success, we must abandon path dependencies, break organizational inertia, and transcend internal perspectives. The disruptive innovations in Alibaba's history have all been about breaking conventions and choosing the difficult and less traveled paths. At the same time, the AI technology revolution allows Alibaba's diverse products and services to have the opportunity to create greater synergies, offering the chance to create entirely new user experiences and values. How to use AI technology to reshape organizational operations and improve efficiency is also crucial. We will vigorously ensure changes are not just empty words through tool support, organizational support, and evaluation mechanisms. On the path of starting a new venture, the only thing that cannot change is the original aspiration: helping solve societal problems, creating customer value, and thinking about the future. This is the foundation for Alibaba to cross the decades and reach 102 years. Taobao, Alipay, Aliyun... The truth has been proven more than once that when we help others solve problems, our own development won't be too bad. A few days ago, we unveiled a 1:1 replica of the Lakeside Cabin at the West Lake Park. This is where Alibaba's entrepreneurship began, symbolizing Alibaba's relentless entrepreneurial spirit and eternal pursuit of innovation. Bringing it to the global headquarters today is not a nostalgic act, but to remind all of us that Alibaba is still in entrepreneurship today. Alibaba's DNA does not include "maintaining the status quo" but only "creating". Alibaba employees, return to your original aspirations, and start a new venture.