It was once said that having the opportunity to work 996 schedules is a blessing, a sentiment that sparked significant controversy at the time. Seven years later, the CEO of Alibaba's DingTalk, Chen Hang, has faced repercussions due to management practices considered even more demanding than the 996 model.
Recently, a departing DingTalk employee published an extensive 70,000-word resignation retrospective, directly alleging that employees in a related project team endured long-term, high-intensity overtime work, with schedules from 9 AM to 11 PM and reportedly only one and a half days off in a single month. Following the spread of this account, an internal post on Alibaba's intranet criticized the DingTalk team's management approach.
The latest development in this matter is Chen Hang stepping down as CEO of DingTalk, with his successor being the 90s-born tech enthusiast, Chen Yusen. This event may mark a significant moment in Alibaba's personnel history: on the surface, it appears as a 90s tech prodigy replacing a seasoned Alibaba veteran. In essence, it signals Alibaba's move away from rigid seniority-based promotions, actively empowering young technical talent to take center stage.
A New Generation Takes the Helm
On June 11th, Alibaba announced a management adjustment for DingTalk: Chen Hang (nickname: "Wuzhao") stepped down as CEO, with Chen Yusen taking over the role. Chen Yusen has maintained a relatively low public profile previously.
However, a review of his resume reveals a truly accomplished yet understated figure who fits the profile of a "technical genius." Born in 1992, Chen Yusen's appointment marks what appears to be the first instance of a 90s-born individual becoming the CEO of a core Alibaba product. He graduated from the Qiushi Science Class (Computer Science) at Zhejiang University's Chu Kochen Honors College, a program specifically designed to cultivate top-tier scientists.
During his university years, Chen Yusen garnered numerous honors. However, his true emergence occurred after graduation. In 2014, he founded Beijing Changting Technology Co., Ltd., focusing on enterprise-level network security services and solution development, with core products including the "Leichi" Web Application Firewall. The company secured angel-round funding from ZhenFund in 2015, with subsequent investors including Matrix Partners.
In 2017, at the age of 25, Chen Yusen was selected for the prestigious Forbes China "30 Under 30" list. A Zhejiang University interview with Chen Yusen mentioned that he turned down job offers from major companies like Alibaba and 360 to pursue entrepreneurship.
Ultimately, Chen Yusen returned to the Alibaba fold. In 2019, Changting Technology was fully acquired by Alibaba Cloud, maintaining independent operations, and Chen Yusen subsequently joined Alibaba. Imagine: born in 1992, gaining admission to a top-tier specialized class at a top national university in your teens; upon graduation in your early twenties, forgoing offers from tech giants to start a business; achieving entrepreneurial success with your company acquired by a major corporation before turning 30. This indeed reads like a script for a prodigy.
After joining Alibaba, Chen Yusen's talents were quickly recognized, and he soon assumed the role of Vice President of the Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group. In 2025, he embarked on an internal venture within Alibaba Cloud, leading the development of the AI Agent product "MuleRun." The next significant news about him is his direct appointment as CEO of DingTalk.
Compared to Chen Yusen, the outgoing Chen Hang's career path shares some similarities but also notable differences. According to public information, after graduating in 1999, Chen Hang joined Alibaba as the company's first intern. He subsequently worked overseas for many years before returning to China and rejoining Alibaba in 2009. Following this, Chen Hang led projects such as "Yitao" and "Laiwang" within Alibaba, but these failed to gain significant traction.
It was in 2015, with the launch of DingTalk and its subsequent rapid growth, that Chen Hang gradually moved to the forefront at Alibaba. He briefly left Alibaba in 2021 before returning in 2025 to assume the role of DingTalk CEO. Chen Hang's resume indicates that, despite his comings and goings, his primary professional development occurred during his tenure at Alibaba, making him a homegrown Alibaba executive.
While Chen Hang has successful product experience, he has been perceived as lacking in human touch. This is not merely an observation; the recent DingTalk controversy essentially stems from Chen Hang and his management style.
Employee Allegations of Grueling Hours
The DingTalk controversy originated from an article titled "Inside DingTalk" published by a departing employee. The original 70,000-word piece reflects on the entire failure process of DingTalk's "ONE" project. The author mentions external factors and internal environmental issues, the latter specifically linked to Chen Hang's return and the management practices he introduced to the team.
Key points raised by the author include: 1) Daily morning and evening meetings, shortened lunch breaks, single-day weekends off, and reduced holiday benefits. 2) During project development, workdays from 6 AM to 11 PM, with meetings sometimes lasting until 1 or 2 AM. 3) In the most extreme month, she reportedly had only one and a half days off, averaging 15 work hours per day.
Perhaps most egregiously, the author stated that in March of this year, DingTalk required all employees to work overtime on Saturdays and Sundays. On the evening of April 2nd, staff were suddenly instructed not to leave before midnight. The reason given was to observe when the lights went out in the office building of competitor Feishu (Lark). Reading these accounts, one can only empathize deeply as a fellow worker.
Summarizing Chen Hang's management approach: an extreme pursuit of efficiency, neglecting employee well-being and humanistic care. This high-intensity work culture was not limited to regular staff. After the controversy escalated, a former vice president of DingTalk also spoke out, writing an article titled "Outside DingTalk," similarly highlighting the issue of intense work hours and bluntly stating a desire to "live a few more years."
Alibaba's response to the incident was relatively swift. Recently, the Alibaba Partnership Committee posted on the company intranet titled "Culture with Heart, Duty, and Growth is the Alibaba Culture," criticizing the DingTalk team's management style, directly stating it "is not what Alibaba culture should be." Subsequently, Alibaba announced the DingTalk management adjustment, with Chen Hang stepping down and Chen Yusen taking over. After one year back at DingTalk, Chen Hang's tenure concluded in a dramatic fashion.
Examining the "Alibaba Style"
The reason a single article by an ordinary employee resonated so strongly is that such stories are not only witnessed or heard by many but also potentially experienced firsthand. The person stuck in a meeting late at night isn't necessarily a DingTalk employee; it could be you, me, or anyone. Within Alibaba itself, similar stories have occurred more than once.
Many in the internet industry are familiar with the term "Alibaba flavor" (Aliwei). It originally referred to phenomena observed when some former Alibaba employees joined new teams and were not well-received. Initially, "Alibaba flavor" described Alibaba personnel emphasizing values, collective honor, mission-driven work, and strong execution. However, the term later evolved into a negative label. For instance, the revamped Sam's Club app was criticized for being "full of Alibaba flavor."
An article once posed the question, "Why is the 'Alibaba flavor' frightening?" It mentioned that Alibaba practices the 996 work system, and its culture is perceived as "more aggressive." Alibaba employees are described as sometimes engaging in work to gain visibility, managing upwards while exerting pressure downwards (PUA).
Including the recent DingTalk incident, Alibaba has faced multiple workplace controversies: for example, the case of an Alibaba executive allegedly assaulting a subordinate; the widely debated "ice-breaking culture" incident; and the personal controversy involving senior Alibaba executive Jiang Fan. Similar cases at Alibaba seem to emerge repeatedly. Interestingly, other internet giants of comparable scale rarely experience such consecutive waves of controversy. What this exposes may be deeper issues within Alibaba concerning its core values, talent philosophy, and management practices.
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