13A – Reading Reflection No. 1
I read Phil Knight's Shoe Dog.
What surprised you the most?
I would say what surprised me the most from this autobiography was the reasoning behind of the Nike swoosh and what it means to the culture of streetwear. The fact that the meaning is so simple as to the sound of someone going past you really seemed like it couldn't represent a billion dollar brand that easily with that so simple of a meaning. I am an avid Nike customer and for twenty years of living I never actually knew what the swoosh meant.
What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?
What I most admire about Phil Knight is that he is not afraid to take risks even when he feels a sense of doubt. What started off as a trip to Japan with a borrowing of $1,000 from his father, lead to one of the most iconic fashion brands in the world. Furthermore, Phil illustrates someone who has everlasting passion for what he does and how he was able to surround himself with other "Shoe Dogs" who helped him reach the peak he is at right now in his life. If Phil did not take the risks he took back in the non-technology environment days he started his business in with usually no money in his bank account, we as consumers of the fashion market would not have the sneakers, backpacks, jackets that most of you are wearing right now when you are reading this assignment.
What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?
I would say what I least admire about Phil Knight is how much he doubted himself and the struggle he entitled himself to. For example, he claims that he did not always fit in with the norm and that he was consistently broke. This is the most essential part of life, which is standing out from the crowd you are within. If one does not speak up or stand out, the world may not ever know what you are fighting for or contributing with. In addition, I believe sometimes it is good to ask for help in order to overcome a certain obstacle that is in one's way.
Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure?
Phil Knight consistently encountered adversity and failure. However, these challenges are what most likely unfolded the brand of Nike that we all know today. Living in a time where technology was not the norm, Phil had to be able to conduct his business model in new and innovative ways. In addition, Phil was not very wealthy and was always out of money to help fund his start up business known as Blue Ribbon Sports. As a result, his support from the Japanese shoe makers failed because he was not able to support them with any monetary value. Overall, Phil had to balance his timidness and poor experiences with a strong attitude that would intimidate his competitors in order to establish his future company named, Nike.
What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?
I believe the fact that Phil had such a background for the love of running and the sportswear that these athletes wore and along with the collaboration from his shoe dogs, is what made Phil so successful. Also, Phil received his MBA from Stanford, so you know he had the smarts to envision what he wanted to do with the company of Nike. I believe that since Phil relied on his intrinsic skills and personal experiences he was able to perform at a higher level than his competitors in the market of sportswear.
Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
One part of the reading that was confusing to me was the ending where Phil wishes he could relive the experience of creating Nike again. I feel like the process is a once in a life time experience and should not be relived because of the fact that someone could steal the tools and techniques that he so dearly held close to him. I feel like it contradicted the overall message of the memoir, but I could see where he was coming from.
If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
1. What would you recommend for sneaker lovers who enjoy the idea of creating as to how they can come up to level of success that you experience today? Why: This would give me real insight on how I can conduct my passion of collecting and reselling sneakers and if I will have a justifiable method.
2. What is your current daily duties as the CEO of Nike today? Why: I am just curious to learn about what he does now at Nike...create, sell, ship?
For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work?
I would say the entrepreneur's opinion of hard work is that you will not be successful unless you are faced with very challenging obstacles that make you fall and get back up ten times struggle and most importantly anyone can make a long-lasting impact in the business world even without financial support. For example, Phil was continuously begging banks for monetary help to help kickstart his business in times of financial crisis that he was experiencing.
What surprised you the most?
I would say what surprised me the most from this autobiography was the reasoning behind of the Nike swoosh and what it means to the culture of streetwear. The fact that the meaning is so simple as to the sound of someone going past you really seemed like it couldn't represent a billion dollar brand that easily with that so simple of a meaning. I am an avid Nike customer and for twenty years of living I never actually knew what the swoosh meant.
What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?
What I most admire about Phil Knight is that he is not afraid to take risks even when he feels a sense of doubt. What started off as a trip to Japan with a borrowing of $1,000 from his father, lead to one of the most iconic fashion brands in the world. Furthermore, Phil illustrates someone who has everlasting passion for what he does and how he was able to surround himself with other "Shoe Dogs" who helped him reach the peak he is at right now in his life. If Phil did not take the risks he took back in the non-technology environment days he started his business in with usually no money in his bank account, we as consumers of the fashion market would not have the sneakers, backpacks, jackets that most of you are wearing right now when you are reading this assignment.
What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?
I would say what I least admire about Phil Knight is how much he doubted himself and the struggle he entitled himself to. For example, he claims that he did not always fit in with the norm and that he was consistently broke. This is the most essential part of life, which is standing out from the crowd you are within. If one does not speak up or stand out, the world may not ever know what you are fighting for or contributing with. In addition, I believe sometimes it is good to ask for help in order to overcome a certain obstacle that is in one's way.
Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure?
Phil Knight consistently encountered adversity and failure. However, these challenges are what most likely unfolded the brand of Nike that we all know today. Living in a time where technology was not the norm, Phil had to be able to conduct his business model in new and innovative ways. In addition, Phil was not very wealthy and was always out of money to help fund his start up business known as Blue Ribbon Sports. As a result, his support from the Japanese shoe makers failed because he was not able to support them with any monetary value. Overall, Phil had to balance his timidness and poor experiences with a strong attitude that would intimidate his competitors in order to establish his future company named, Nike.
What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?
I believe the fact that Phil had such a background for the love of running and the sportswear that these athletes wore and along with the collaboration from his shoe dogs, is what made Phil so successful. Also, Phil received his MBA from Stanford, so you know he had the smarts to envision what he wanted to do with the company of Nike. I believe that since Phil relied on his intrinsic skills and personal experiences he was able to perform at a higher level than his competitors in the market of sportswear.
Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
One part of the reading that was confusing to me was the ending where Phil wishes he could relive the experience of creating Nike again. I feel like the process is a once in a life time experience and should not be relived because of the fact that someone could steal the tools and techniques that he so dearly held close to him. I feel like it contradicted the overall message of the memoir, but I could see where he was coming from.
If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
1. What would you recommend for sneaker lovers who enjoy the idea of creating as to how they can come up to level of success that you experience today? Why: This would give me real insight on how I can conduct my passion of collecting and reselling sneakers and if I will have a justifiable method.
2. What is your current daily duties as the CEO of Nike today? Why: I am just curious to learn about what he does now at Nike...create, sell, ship?
For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work?
I would say the entrepreneur's opinion of hard work is that you will not be successful unless you are faced with very challenging obstacles that make you fall and get back up ten times struggle and most importantly anyone can make a long-lasting impact in the business world even without financial support. For example, Phil was continuously begging banks for monetary help to help kickstart his business in times of financial crisis that he was experiencing.
Hi Matt.
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you, too, read Shoe Dog. It sounds like you enjoyed learning about Nike's history too. I like how you mentioned the impact on athletic apparel culture and it is obvious the company was/is a trendsetter. I think your post was thought provoking and I really enjoyed reading your perspective. While we have different thoughts, I think we shared a lot of feelings about this entrepreneur and his tenacious spirit. I also liked what you said about Phil Knight's attitude about his own insecurity but I do think he used that to his advantage meaning his perceived weakness propelled his success. Great work on this post!