- A product manager at Alibaba's DingTalk wrote a 75,000-character resignation letter exposing toxic workplace culture and extreme pressure from CEO Chen Hang to develop an AI tool, leading to his eventual removal.
- The letter highlighted 'involution'—relentless, meaningless competition driven by fear rather than vision—seen in practices like making teams watch rival offices' lights and fueling unsustainable price wars across industries.
- Involutionary competition devalues workers, fosters bureaucracy, and damages young workers' confidence, with performance systems like KPIs spreading beyond tech to prioritize short-term gains over sustainability.
- While Alibaba addressed the crisis by ousting the CEO and calling for humane culture, broader issues remain for delivery workers, small businesses, and underpaid white-collar professionals facing similar pressures.
- The Chinese government has prioritized 'anti-involution' policies since 2025 to strengthen labor protections and curb destructive competition, but addressing deep market imbalances is key to restoring meaning and future confidence.