Alibaba has codified its own company values in something it calls the Six Vein Spirit Sword. The term originates in the work of Jack’s favorite novelist, Jin Yong. The sword he writes about is not an actual weapon, but the art of building up one’s own internal strengths in order to defeat any opponent. In Alibaba’s case, the strengths that form the Six Vein Spirit Sword are akin to those outlined in the “Mission, Vision, and Values” of Jack’s favorite corporate guru, Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric (GE).
