Shoe Dog (Nike Founder Autobiography) – Book Review
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the creator of Nike is the Blue Ribbon/Nike founder autobiography (by Phil Knight). I listened to the audiobook on Storytel.
This is one of those rare business autobiographies that is not only well written but is also entertaining – at places. If you think building a brand from a start-up without capital is easy, read this book.
Most startups face the issue of product-market fit or insufficient sales. But Phil Knight’s major issue, right up to Nike went public – many years after its inception, was Insufficient Funding.
Other founders also have funding issues, but once the business model is established and the revenue starts flowing in, funding is not that big an issue.
In the 70’s, when Phil started Nike along with his shoe-dog (fanatic) athletic coach ‘Bill Bowerman’, one could only approach the banks for funding. And to say that they had a very conservative approach towards funding is an understatement.
Would you believe his bankers repeatedly asked him to slow down with sales? Nike’s biggest issue those days were exploding sales, and the consequent backlash from creditors for the exploding demand – and the increased funding requirement that came with it!
I loved the founder’s initial story – his journey around the world, his final stop at Japan to import good quality shoes that he could sell in the US market, his struggles with his Japanese suppliers, etc. makes for a frank and great read.
If you want to read a good ‘business founding’ story without the author exhausting us with his/her own greatness and abilities, this is the book.
We realize that startup founders and brand creators have no extra-human powers. They are just like us. But they try harder – way harder – even in the face of insurmountable difficulties. They too fail, but they don’t let failure discourage them – they just try again, again, and again.
This is a must-read for anyone planning to start their own business that is capital intensive. Here is the link for the audiobook ‘Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike’ on Storytel.
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