Few people really understand the management behind the Mars cloud.

For Jack Ma, the best interpretation is no interpretation at all; his raw voice embodies the essence of going against the tide in business operations. On January 19, 2009, Ma wrote in an email to Alibaba employees: "Please take your family out to spend money! Go consume!" Against the backdrop of a global crisis, Ma acted counter-cyclically—planning for salary increases in 2009 and generous year-end bonuses in 2008...