Interview with Cheng Li (Lu Su): A Decade of Technological Evolution at Alipay

InfoQ: The theme of this episode of the "Ten Years" technical documentary series is to trace the major technological milestones from 2009 to 2019. We start by introducing Cheng Li (Lu Su), one of the founders of Alipay’s technical platform and former chief architect.

InfoQ: You are regarded as one of the founding architects of Alipay’s technical platform, yet you say the current architecture is still not the most perfect in your mind. You also led a 17‑hour emergency rescue during a critical outage. How do you view those experiences?

Lu Su: The past decade has seen key technologies appear one after another—cloud computing (2009‑2010), mobile (2011‑2012), big data (2013‑2014), artificial intelligence (2015‑2016), and blockchain (2017‑2018). At Ant Financial we call these five pillars “BASIC”. They arrived in quick succession and fundamentally changed the industry.

InfoQ: Do you think the past ten years constitute an "internet technology revolution"?

Lu Su: Absolutely. It was a decade where technology reshaped an entire industry, preparing everything for the next wave.

InfoQ: You once wanted to be a mathematician. How did you become a programmer?

Lu Su: I pursued a master’s degree in mathematics, then a Ph.D. under a mentor who emphasized practical engineering. I shifted my focus to solving engineering problems, combining my interests with my strengths, and began writing code.

InfoQ: You mentioned an early critical project in 2004‑2005. Can you share that story?

Lu Su: In 2004 we were tasked with rebuilding Taobao’s architecture for the future. After joining Alipay in 2005, I was appointed chief architect for a crucial project. Mid‑way, a colleague warned that the design was becoming overly complex. Late at night I realized the architecture was indeed risky and decided to prototype a simpler, more reliable solution, which the team adopted and successfully launched in May.

InfoQ: How did this experience shape your architectural style?

Lu Su: It taught me to be pragmatic and to always put the system’s reliability first. I now approach decisions by removing personal bias and focusing on the most dependable solution.

InfoQ: What memorable moments occurred during Alipay’s growth?

Lu Su: In January 2010, during an annual meeting, a customer called in to complain about our service. The CEO, Jack Ma, bluntly said, "Alipay is terrible!" This direct feedback spurred us to improve, leading to the launch of Quick Pay, which raised the success rate of online payments from under 70% to over 95%.

InfoQ: You transitioned from writing code to becoming a technology strategist. How did that change affect you?

Lu Su: I wrote code for only about four years before moving into architecture. After 2009 I shifted from hands‑on coding to shaping technology strategy, which required a broader view of systems, business impact, and emerging trends.

InfoQ: How do technical leaders differ from non‑technical leaders?

Lu Su: Technical leaders tend to be rational and evidence‑driven, while business leaders may be more willing to push boundaries without strict justification. Both perspectives are valuable, but technical leaders must balance reliability with innovation.

InfoQ: Looking ahead, what do you see for China’s internet technology?

Lu Su: China’s internet companies are already on par with the world. I expect original innovations to emerge, producing new technologies, productivity, and perhaps even world‑renowned technical pioneers.

InfoQ: For readers who want more, click the lower‑left “Read Original” link to visit Ant Financial’s official site.