Food Quote by Jack Ma
“In the beginning I just wanted to survive. For the first three years, we made zero revenue. I remember many times when I was trying to pay up, the restaurant owner would say, 'Your bill was paid.' And there would be a note saying, 'Mr. Ma, I'm your customer on the Alibaba platform. I made a lot of money, and I know you don't, so I paid the bill.'”
About This Quote
Source Interview: 2015 Alibaba Founder Talk, 2015
Early entrepreneurial struggle focused on survival before profit, highlighting community support and perseverance.
In simple terms: Survival first, profit later.
Key Takeaway
Persist through early setbacks.
Themes
entrepreneurship
perseverance
community
financial hardship
growth
Mood
determined
reflective
Type
motivational
realistic
When to use this quote
- startup phase
- cash flow crisis
- seeking mentorship
- building trust
Key Concepts
bootstrapping
networking
customer loyalty
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you leverage community support in early ventures?
- What strategies turn survival into sustainable growth?
A Different Perspective
Success may still be limited without scalable business model.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
