Technology and capitalism are very much linked. I think that capitalism probably works best in a technologically progressing society.

I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.

You'll attract the employees you need if you can explain why your mission is compelling: not why it's important in general, but why you're doing something important that no one else is going to get done.

Recruiting is a core competency for any company. It should never be outsourced.

The most contrarian thing of all is not to oppose the crowd but to think for yourself.

Rivalry causes us to overemphasize old opportunities and slavishly copy what has worked in the past.

I think China thinks information technology is less important than we think it is in the US, economically, and more important politically. And so Chinese internet companies are extremely political, they're protected behind the great firewall of China, and investment in Alibaba is good as long as Jack Ma stays in the good graces of the Chinese communist party. Alibaba is largely copying various business models from the US; they have combined some things in interesting new ways, but I think it's fundamentally a business that works because of the political protection you get in China.