The very important thing you should have is patience.

The line distills a recurring theme in Jack Ma’s public advice to entrepreneurs: that long-term outcomes depend less on quick wins than on the capacity to endure uncertainty, setbacks, and slow compounding progress. “Patience” here is not passive waiting but sustained commitment—continuing to learn, iterate, and build relationships while results lag behind effort. The emphasis on “the very important thing” frames patience as a foundational trait that supports other virtues Ma often praises (resilience, optimism, adaptability). In a business context, it also implies a time horizon: meaningful ventures, reputations, and organizational cultures are built over years, and impatience can lead to premature quitting or short-term decisions that undermine durable success.