--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we go to work at 8 am and go home at 5…" description: "\"If we go to work at 8 am and go home at 5 pm, this is not a high-tech company and Alibaba will never be successful. If we have that kind of 8-to-5 spir..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/jack-ma-2112_being-successful_if-we-go-to-work-at-8-am-and-go-home-at_2679343.jpg" --- # If we go to work at 8 am and go home at 5 pm, this is not… ![“If we go to work at 8 am and go home at 5 pm, this is not a high-tech company and Alibaba will never be successful. If we have that kind of 8-to-5 spirit, then we should just go and do something else.” quote by Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/jack-ma-2112_being-successful_if-we-go-to-work-at-8-am-and-go-home-at_2679343.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/jack-ma-2112_being-successful_if-we-go-to-work-at-8-am-and-go-home-at_2679343.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/jack-ma-2112_being-successful_if-we-go-to-work-at-8-am-and-go-home-at_2679343.jpg) > “If we go to work at 8 am and go home at 5 pm, this is not a high-tech company and Alibaba will never be successful. If we have that kind of 8-to-5 spirit, then we should just go and do something else.” [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success in tech requires long hours and relentless dedication, not a standard 8‑to‑5 schedule. **In simple terms:** Tech success needs hard work beyond normal hours. Key Takeaway Embrace intense effort for innovation. Themes work ethic innovation entrepreneurship Mood determined urgent Type motivational pragmatic When to use this quote - founder meetings - team building - product development - crunch periods Key Concepts startup culture burnout risk Questions to Reflect On - Are you willing to sacrifice personal time for growth? - How can you balance intensity with well‑being? A Different Perspective Long hours can lead to burnout and diminish creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alibaba Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alibaba-successful-544235/) [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Company Alibaba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company-alibaba-544234/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Memorable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memorable/) [Pm High](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pm-high-2567242/) [Pms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pms/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Tech Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tech-company-544236/) [Work Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-home/) ## Related quotes > [If we go to work at 8 a.m. and go home at 5 p.m., this is not a high-tech company and Alibaba will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-we-go-to-work-at-8-a-m-and-go-home-at-5-p-m-this-is-not-a-high/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Everyone told me you can't build a major tech company in Canada. There just aren't enough investors or engineers or top-level managers. Each day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holmes/everyone-told-me-you-can-t-build-a-major-tech-company-in-canada-there/) [Ryan Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holmes/) > [Before comedy, I worked at a tech company, and before that, I worked on Wall Street. And, honestly, I've never really been sexually harassed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wolf/before-comedy-i-worked-at-a-tech-company-and-before-that-i-worked-on/) [Michelle Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wolf/) > [“Most of a tech company’s value will come at least 10 to 15 years in the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/most-of-a-tech-company-s-value-will-come-at-least-10-to-15-years-in/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [Being a female head of a successful tech company means that I'm in a pretty niche category.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartz/being-a-female-head-of-a-successful-tech-company-means-that-i-m-in-a/) [Julia Hartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartz/) > [I believe tech should be a core skill of a tech company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-seibel/i-believe-tech-should-be-a-core-skill-of-a-tech-company/) [Michael Seibel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-seibel/) > [My dream is to build a tech company that helps people discover content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuseir-yassin/my-dream-is-to-build-a-tech-company-that-helps-people-discover-content/) [Nuseir Yassin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nuseir-yassin/) > [Growth is always essential. Running any tech company, you want to make sure you're growing. Putting in place all of the right structure to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wojcicki/growth-is-always-essential-running-any-tech-company-you-want-to-make/) [Susan Wojcicki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wojcicki/) > [Anyone who thinks restaurants are hard should try working at a tech company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/anyone-who-thinks-restaurants-are-hard-should-try-working-at-a-tech/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [I don't have a smart phone. I didn't have one when I arrived in the U.S., and somehow life has continued. I teach at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hilton/i-don-t-have-a-smart-phone-i-didn-t-have-one-when-i-arrived-in-the-u/) [Steve Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hilton/) > [I guess I always had made some assumptions about what it would be like to work in a tech company, and some were right,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lyons/i-guess-i-always-had-made-some-assumptions-about-what-it-would-be/) [Daniel Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lyons/) > [It's relatively easy to set up a tech company, join an accelerator, and progress down a pathway towards success. It's more complex to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/it-s-relatively-easy-to-set-up-a-tech-company-join-an-accelerator-and/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [With the iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad, and iMac, Apple is the most powerful tech company in the world. It's also the No. 1 music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lyons/with-the-ipod-itunes-iphone-ipad-and-imac-apple-is-the-most-powerful/) [Daniel Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lyons/) > [Starting a company in San Francisco when we did usually meant it was destined to be a data-driven tech company. But that didn't seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/starting-a-company-in-san-francisco-when-we-did-usually-meant-it-was/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [If you're going to launch a tech company in North Dakota, you need to be willing to go against the grain and reimagine what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/if-you-re-going-to-launch-a-tech-company-in-north-dakota-you-need-to/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) ## More by Jack Ma > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [The world will not remember what you say, but it will certainly not forget what you have done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/the-world-will-not-remember-what-you-say-but-it-will-certainly-not/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Only fools use their mouth to speak. A smart man uses his brain, and a wise man uses his heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/only-fools-use-their-mouth-to-speak-a-smart-man-uses-his-brain-and-a/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Never ever do business with the government. Be in love with them, never marry them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/never-ever-do-business-with-the-government-be-in-love-with-them-never/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [It's impossible for China to keep 10 to 15% growth annually. The economy needed to slow down, and we have to learn to slow down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/it-s-impossible-for-china-to-keep-10-to-15-growth-annually-the/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [I flunked my exam for university two times before I was accepted by what was considered my city's worst university, Hangzhou Teachers University. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/i-flunked-my-exam-for-university-two-times-before-i-was-accepted-by/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [China's government is so strong on investment, so strong on exporting, but they're too weak on domestic consumption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/china-s-government-is-so-strong-on-investment-so-strong-on-exporting/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [If the 'Post' can play the role of a connector between the West and the East, I have confidence in the paper's future success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-the-post-can-play-the-role-of-a-connector-between-the-west-and-the/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [I know nothing about technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/i-know-nothing-about-technology/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Today is cruel. Tomorrow is crueller. And the day after tomorrow is beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/today-is-cruel-tomorrow-is-crueller-and-the-day-after-tomorrow-is/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [30% of all people will never believe you. Do not allow your colleagues and employees to work for you. Instead, let them work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/30-of-all-people-will-never-believe-you-do-not-allow-your-colleagues/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [If you want to invest in us, we believe customer number one, employee number two, shareholder number three. If they don't want to buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-want-to-invest-in-us-we-believe-customer-number-one-employee/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/never-give-up-today-is-hard-tomorrow-will-be-worse-but-the-day-after/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [A great opportunity is often hard to be explained clearly; things that can be explained clearly are often not the best opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/a-great-opportunity-is-often-hard-to-be-explained-clearly-things-that/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [The customer is number one, the employee is number two and the shareholder is number three. If the customer is happy, the business is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/the-customer-is-number-one-the-employee-is-number-two-and-the/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) [Explore all 185 Jack Ma quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) ## More Being successful quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) [Chris Kirubi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kirubi/) > [You cannot be successful without passion. If you don't love what you're doing, if you don't have passion for it - forget it. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-cannot-be-successful-without-passion-if-you-don-t-love-what-you/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [You can't not be a little different from others and be successful for three decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/you-can-t-not-be-a-little-different-from-others-and-be-successful-for/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [Everyone has a breaking point, turning point, stress point, the game is permeated with it. The fans don't see it because we make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-winfield/everyone-has-a-breaking-point-turning-point-stress-point-the-game-is/) [Dave Winfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-winfield/) > [If you increase the number of rockets you build and you buy, then it's the scale of the economy, the price is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-chiao/if-you-increase-the-number-of-rockets-you-build-and-you-buy-then-it-s/) [Leroy Chiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-chiao/) > [Hockey is a unique sport in the sense that you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/hockey-is-a-unique-sport-in-the-sense-that-you-need-each-and-every/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [There has always been a display of wealth and always will be, until the depression comes, which it always does. And let me tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/there-has-always-been-a-display-of-wealth-and-always-will-be-until/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I think there is a big and significant difference between being a leader and being a manager-leaders lead from the heart. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/i-think-there-is-a-big-and-significant-difference-between-being-a/) [Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/) > [There's nobody that wants the president to be successful more than I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-r-clapper/there-s-nobody-that-wants-the-president-to-be-successful-more-than-i/) [James R. Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-r-clapper/) > [Don't worry about your individual numbers. Worry about the team. If the team is successful, each of you will be successful, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/don-t-worry-about-your-individual-numbers-worry-about-the-team-if-the/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [We have to be successful at the cutting-edge industries of the future like Twitter. But we also have always been a country that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-have-to-be-successful-at-the-cutting-edge-industries-of-the-future/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Also, it's not the mathematical skill that's critical to winning, it's the discipline of being able to stick to the system. There are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blair-hull/also-it-s-not-the-mathematical-skill-that-s-critical-to-winning-it-s/) [Blair Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blair-hull/) [Browse all 1,002 Being successful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we go to work at 8 am and go home at 5 pm, this is not a high-tech company and Alibaba will never be successful. If we have that kind of 8-to-5 spirit, then we should just go and do something else.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack Ma" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-we-go-to-work-at-8-am-and-go-home-at-5-pm-this-is-not-a-high-tech/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being successful" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-we-go-to-work-at-8-am-and-go-home-at-5-pm-this-is-not-a-high-tech/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/jack-ma-2112_being-successful_if-we-go-to-work-at-8-am-and-go-home-at_2679343.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/jack-ma-2112_being-successful_if-we-go-to-work-at-8-am-and-go-home-at_2679343.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/jack-ma-2112_being-successful_if-we-go-to-work-at-8-am-and-go-home-at_2679343.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we go to work at 8 am and go home at 5 pm, this is not a high-tech company and Alibaba will never be…” — Jack Ma", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jack Ma", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we go to work at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-we-go-to-work-at-8-am-and-go-home-at-5-pm-this-is-not-a-high-tech/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-we-go-to-work-at-8-am-and-go-home-at-5-pm-this-is-not-a-high-tech/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```