13A - Reading Reflection No. 1

1.)  Nike has been in my vocabulary since I was a young boy, so the autobiography on its founder, Phil Knight, was most intriguing to me. 

a.    One of the biggest things I was surprised about is that Nike wasn’t always the name of the company. Later in the book they get down to why the name was changed, but Nike sure has a better ring to it than “Blue Ribbon”.

b.    What I most admire about Phil Knight was that he didn’t get in the way of his designers and people that were passionate about the product, but still was able to steer the company in the right direction. There were some very tough years in the beginning, but the revenue stream kept coming in. There was no quitting, period.

c.    It was hard to find something that I least admired about Phil Knight. He seems like the type of leader you would want. If I had to pick something, it certainly seems like he didn’t have a plan and was “faking it until he made it”. I don’t necessarily think that is a bad way to act when the experience is lacking, but the innovation and drive was clearly there. 

2.)  I think Phil Knight holds some great competencies about entrepreneurship. He was a runner in college, and his partner in the early business was his track coach. This tells me he knew his product, but also didn’t have to go far to find a research group/team. I think it can’t be stated enough that one of the things he lived by was to “let people surprise you” with regards to how they accomplish things and lay out the expectation of the final result. I think this opens up creativity to everyone.

3.)  For me, the early years were confusing. I totally understood later in the book, but the beginning stages and involvement with the Japanese shoe manufacturer Onitsuka were confusing to me. It totally makes sense though, and Phil Knight held these shoes in high regard because of their durability and cost-effective manufacturing. 

4.)  Two questions:

a.    What gave you the confidence going into the early negotiation meetings with Onitsuka?

b.    How did you manage to not necessarily be in the public eye? I never knew who founded Nike until around 2010 (I was 22 in 2010), but I certainly can’t remember much scandal or much bad press about the company. 

5.)  I think Phil Knight’s work ethic is something few people obtain. I think you have to be born with that tenacity, and also be involved in something heavily to see the available market. His time as a track athlete clearly helped him know what would work and what would sell. The shrewd negotiating and tireless work ethic paid off, even with only $8,000 profit the first year.