Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
Book Review of Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
“I believed that if people got out and ran a few miles every day, the world would be a better place, and I believed these shoes were best to run in …. belief is irresistible”
3 Main Messages
Follow your passion, create your product then build your pack.
Success is built on lots of hard work and a bit of luck.
Don’t ever become complacent - it can all disappear tomorrow.
In all my reading and research there are clear and consistent messages about what you need to do to be successful in any field: you need to find and follow your passion; build your tribe; lead by example; take risks and be brave; invent and innovate; bounce back from failure and ultimately: you need to work hard. This book tells the story of a man who did every one of these things and built a giant of a business as a result.
Lauded by Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Andre Agassi, amongst others, this memoir tells the candid story of Phil Knight from his youthful explorations of the world to him starting, building and ultimately selling Nike, making him one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time.
Knight started with a passion and a vision and then proceeded to develop his product and build his pack. He genuinely believed in his shoes and believed that running was a way to better people’s lives and improve the world. He lived his passion and frequently writes about the runs he took to clear his head after a long day and with colleagues to relieve stress and develop ideas.
The team he gathered were like-minded people. Most, like Knight, were from Oregon, where the people thought of themselves as pioneers: “The cowards never started and the weak died along the way. That leaves us.” They were passionate mavericks and enjoyed the free rein he gave them to run things as they liked. They met annually at the ‘Buttface Conference’ where they claimed they were the only group of leaders who could call each other that. They weathered huge storms together and Knight talks about the camaraderie, loyalty, gratitude and love between them.
That said, he is quick to point out both his flaws, and theirs. This is not a back-patting story of success built on success. Knight is open when talking about mistakes he made and regrets he now has. He talks of letting letters go unanswered, of handling conversations badly and of poor behaviour towards his staff at times. The picture he paints is not rose-tinted and there are plenty of struggles, close calls, and examples of burnout and depression along the way.
One of Nike’s famous advertising slogans was “there is no finishing line” and this is how they all approached their work. There was always a new problem to solve or a new battle to win, including frequent tussles with the banks, with their Japanese partners and with the FBI. This was a highly stressful existence and many would have given up along the way.
Knight and his team often seemed to be winging it and risking everything which is why this is also a story about risk. Throughout the journey, Knight and his team made gut decisions, lived close to the wire and spent much of their time in debt, waiting for the next shipment or payment. Luck, it seemed, was on their side.
Like every entrepreneur, the product varied, changed and developed and not every prototype worked, with some having to be recalled. And so Nike learned from their mistakes and owned up to them (in the most part), earning themselves a reputation for being trustworthy and telling the truth. This earned them a loyal following.
Ultimately, the risks they took paid off and they benefited from the synchronicity of their collaborations. They were able to build great celebrity endorsements, due to the high quality of the shoes, and because of the relationships that they built. Knight modelled his business on Sony, which was profitable, innovative, efficient and treated its workers well.
Knight writes about how he believes that trade prevents war and how international relationships are built on respect and a great deal of research! He also writes about innovations that Nike made in developing a water-based bonding agent which eliminated 97% of carcinogens in the production process, which they shared freely with their competitors. He was constantly working towards a greater good.
He also writes about how unaffected and unchanged he was by making money: “Nothing had changed, least of all me. And yet I was worth $178 million.” He was never in the business to make lots of money. This is a lesson that keeps coming through strongly: that we must follow our passion, find our people and live for a greater cause than fiscal reward.
Although I am not a huge sports fan, certainly not a runner and wouldn’t consider myself an entrepreneur, I was fascinated by such a frank retelling of an incredibly interesting life. As Sports Illustrated concluded: “This memoir by the founder of Nike is a must-read for everyone on your list.” I have to say that I agree!
