Iowas head coach calls, angry that Nike had incorrectly claimed a partnership that didn't existbut then asks to sign with Nike too. You travel the next 18 years with Phil Knight, through continuous adversity, self-doubt, and never-ending financial uncertainty. Today, Nike's annual sales top $30 billion. Phil Knight chose the latter, something he learned from General Patton: Dont tell people how to do things. But its finicky and requires an exacting stride to avoid injury. Johnson sends advertising ideas (Phil doesnt believe in advertising), shoe designs (Phil already has enough to deal with Bowerman), and his insistence on opening a retail shop in Los Angeles. There are few brands as recognizable as Nike. In the meantime, he needs a job. ", 955 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA 02139, idea of a Big Hairy Audacious Goal, or a BHAG, entrepreneurs often follow the advice of fake it till you make it, Elizabeth Holmes lied about her companys blood testing technology, try being forthright about the issue and offering a detailed plan. Read in: 4 minutes Favorite quote from the author: Table of Contents Video Summary Shoe Dog Summary Shoe Dog Review Audio Summary But theyre still skating on such thin ice that Phil cant afford to draw a salary. How did they go from being a little-known shoe brand to a coveted designer item? His first successful athlete signing was with Steve Prefontaine, one of the most popular runners of the time, and who boosted Nikes shoes into the public consciousness. In the early stages of importing his shoes, there were often times they struggled to receive their orders on schedule. There, in Kobe, he discovered the Tiger brand, made by Onitsuka (you know, the ones Uma Thurman wears in Kill Bill), and fell in love with it. When they receive the shoes, the boxes look great, but the shoes inside are terrible they look cheap and shiny, and logos are crooked. A history of shoes - timeline Discover a history of shoe design spanning more than 3,000 years with our interactive timeline, showing chronological progression of shoe height, heel shape and materials, from Roman sandals to sculpted stilettos and the classic wellington boot. Whats going on? He felt Adidas was arrogant and had a negative view of them, but that did not stop him from learning from them. So Blue Ribbon is still selling the Onitsuka shoes primarily to student athletes popular as they were, they appeal to just a small niche of the population. He had graduated from University of Oregon and then got an MBA from Stanford. Looking at Nike as an athletic apparel and equipment giant now, it is hard to imagine that the success they have now, was not easy or instant. #2 The Goal Was Always Quality Possibly one of the biggest ways in which Nike beat the rest of the competition was the constant focus on quality and innovation. As expected, Onitsuka files a suit for breach of contract in Japan. He went to track meet ups across the country and grossed $8,000 in 1963. Word travels to Japan, and Kitami from Onitsuka shows up two weeks later. Phil always wanted to let people be themselves. Eventually, they settle on a final number - $9 million. #1 Things Were Tough at the Beginning Despite Nikes current success, the earlier decades of the company were rife with financial struggle. In this book, he provides a wealth of useful information. He managed these victories by acting as though he was successful and he eventually became so. This resulted in Knight hiring people with passion and ability and allowing them to solve problems on their own. If youre young and dont have much to lose, its best to go for broke. Knight has said in the past that if he had failed, he would have just tried again with more wisdom. Shoe Dog is the memoir of one of the founders of Nike. #14 Have a Galvanizing Higher Purpose Your brand cannot clearly be just a push for money. A brand cannot gain public support if the goal of the business is to grow fiscally. It was an all-consuming mania, a recognizable psychological disorder, to care so much about insoles and outsoles, linings and welts, rivets and vamps. So, as we can see from this definition, Phils role as Blue Ribbons shoe dog played a significant part in his life and identity! Most people couldnt see a need for this type of product and his businessschool professors thought it would be impossible to develop such a niche market. Paperback - 26 April 2016. Having his mentor now as a partner andseeing that he too believed in Phils idea was one of the things that gave Phil the confidence to create the company exactly as he saw fit and thats what made it the honest, hard-working, caring brand we know today. They did not tell people how to do things, they would tell them what to do, and trust them to get it done. He sends a letter to Onitsuka, and they reply, promising the shoes will come in a couple of days. In general, adults dogs have . "Shoe dogs were people who devoted themselves wholly to the making, selling, buying, or designing of shoes. In his guide, he summarizes a BHAG by affirming that: a BHAG is a long-term goal that everyone in a company can understand and rally behind. The first commercial Nike shoe was a variation of the 'Moon Shoe' with a more refined design. And, most importantly, it invokes the can-do spirit of a winner who knows they can accomplish their goals. Say goodbye., Dont tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results., When you see only problems, youre not seeing clearly., Put it this way. The quality of a product is irrelevant if your customers can not trust you to deliver it on time consistently. Nike has 5,000 stores and 10,000 employees worldwide. The rest, as they say, is history. Shes shy but is a star student, scoring at the top of her class, and she asks Phil to be her adviser. In Built to Last, Collins and Porras argue that BHAGs typically take 10 to 30 years to achieve and have a 50 to 70 percent chance of success. 4. Knight was very well-read and enjoyed learning about leadership. So, he turned to his employees for advice and thats when one of them a man named Jeff Johnson came up with the perfect solution. Let them do their thing. In fact, before the brand Nike ever existed, there was a little store called Blue Ribbon Sports that was opened by one man with a dream. From Disabled and $500k in Debt to a Pro Blogger with 5 Million Monthly Visitors, Shoe Dog 3 Minute Summary: 15 Lessons Learned + PDF, Never Eat Alone Speed Summary: 15 Core Principles in, Made to Stick 3 Minute Summary: 15 Lessons Learned + PDF, Deep Work Speed Summary: 15 Lessons Learned + PDF, "From Disabled and $500k in Debt to a Pro Blogger with 5 Million Monthly Visitors. In addition to the challenges related to building a company, Knight also reflects on the challenges and triumphs he faced as a son, as a young man searching for his identity, as a husband, and as a father. Phil was in the US Army for a year. Phil Knight opens up in ways few CEOs are willing to do.[5], In July 2018, Netflix announced a biopic adaptation, written by Ed Wood writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski and produced by Knight and 5-time Oscar nominee Frank Marshall.[6]. He felt that failure would gain him wisdom, and wisdom is an intangible asset. 6 Months and Older: By the time, your puppy is about six months old or so, all of his puppy teeth should have fallen out, and his adult teeth should have grown in. Even when Nike began to benefit from large-scale ad campaigns, Knight did not fully endorse those ideas and didnt see the return on investment for large advertisements. 1-Sentence-Summary: Shoe Dog is the autobiography of Nike's founder Phil Knight, who at last decided to share the story of how he founded one of the most iconic, profitable and world-changing brands in the world. Its hard to believe today, but in the 1960s, jogging to get exercise was something only maniacs would do. Just one late payment to Blue Ribbon, and the whole tower might crumble. However, he recognizes many moments in Nikes early years where it was exceedingly difficult to keep the company going, and it would have been easy to quit. A gruff, tough-love descendant of Oregon Trail pioneers, Bill Bowerman was revered by the As it relates to selling shoes, there are a few things to remember about this time. Personality Types Theres a funny story about how in a press release they misspelled Iona as Iowa. But they also have something else in common: a simple acronym. He quits and takes up a teaching position at Portland State University, paying $700 a month. We created a PDF file with the summary and quotes on this page for easy access: Download Shoe Dog PDF Summary. Filming Timeline . I read Shortform nearly every day. And because everyone felt free to be real and genuine, co-workers were able to appreciate the qualities that made each other unique. Knights focus was always on the quality and performance of his products, however, delivering his orders on time was more important to him. I". For their debut, Phil wants to package shoes in bright orange boxes to stand out. This hands-off management style would continue to add to Blue Ribbon and then Nikes success. Explore our shoes timeline Find out more about our shoes collection. Knight openly acknowledged that starting a business was risky, and he was willing to face that risk. Small businesses got their startup cash from banks, but banks had very different priorities from todays venture capital firms. Dont tell people how to do things. Our referral links allow us to earn commissions (at no extra cost to you) and keep the site running. Inspirational Quotes As a kid heonce had a summer job tabulating the days sports scores for a newspaper during the night shift, which would then be published in the next days paper. He pursued his idea, and eventually found great success. 5. So Nike signs him as a National Director of Public Affairs, or a celebrity endorser, paying $5000 a year. Knight valued publicity and focused on signing popular athletes to become brand representatives for Nike. Knight himself spent many days tearing apart and putting together shoes himself to figure out what worked. Today, Nike is a household name in sportswear. And Bill? #7 Make a Great Team Knight describes that a lot of his success came from the excellence of his team. And he definitely wasnt always a just do it kind of guy. By using their own shoe as the comparable, they might reduce the claim. The spy is Fujimoto, the man whose bicycle he replaced. Every rejection of Nike is a rejection of himself. Soon the image of Buster Brown and his dog were appearing inside each pair of . Phil was a big fan of Japanese footwear and he was especially interested in a sneaker brand called Tiger that was made by Japanese company Onitsuka. But Kitami causes trouble. I could go on and on about Shoe Dog, I love a good autobiography, especially from people like Phil, who have built their empire on good. Knight and his team were always looking at ways to improve the quality of their product rather than turning out lots of subpar shoes at rock-bottom prices. He shoots down Phils Japanese trading company idea, fearing that these companies make investments only to research companies, learn their trade secrets, and compete directly with them. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight is a memoir of his time building Nike. Home Books Shoe Dog Summary (5 Minutes): 20 Lessons Learned & PDF Download. But he eventually gets his fire back, and hes wearing Nikes while winning. Converse (/ k n v r s /) is an American lifestyle brand that markets, distributes, and licenses footwear, apparel, and accessories.Founded in 1908 as the Converse Rubber Shoe Company, it has been acquired by several companies before becoming a subsidiary of Nike, Inc. in 2003.. Converse initially produced winterized rubber-soled shoes and boots. He wanted to be Onitsukas distributor in America, and he believed it would be a profitable venturehe told Onitsuka that they could surpass Adidas, the dominant shoe brand at the time. #12 Be a Storyteller Many of Nikes most famous ad campaigns and marketing victories have come from an emphasis on storytelling. Phil thinks theyre beautiful. Bill didnt just help with encouragement though. Phil feels smothered and rarely replies to Johnsons letters. If the answers to these questions trend toward the affirmative, you may have a potential BHAG. Kentons guide does an admirable job of helping us identify a BHAG and it also provides a solid map for developing one for yourself. When introspecting about what the ultimate goal of Nike is, Phil comes up with a single word: winning. Phil feels personally affronted when runners are wearing shoes other than Nikes. A 3 Minute Summary of the 15 Core Lessons #1 Things Were Tough at the Beginning Most importantly, Phil starts to doubt Kitamis sincerity from recent wires and letters. Shunryu, He was easy to talk to, and easy not to talk to-equally important qualities in a friend. Bowermans designs influenced many of Nikes iconic styles, including its waffle trainers. He is 24. It motivates you to reject hesitation and embrace action. In Shoe Dog, Knight goes into great detail about how his world travels expanded his knowledge and viewpoints. His accounting job at Price Waterhouse takes up 6 days a week, and Phil wants more time for Blue Ribbon than just weekends and late nights. (Shortform note: As Bowerman did for Knight, a good co-founder can complement your skills and create a more manageable workload. Phil feels its finally safe to pay himself a salary ($18,000 a year), and he quits Portland State to go full time at Blue Ribbon. Despite not yet having a company, he told them Blue Ribbon, inspired by his childhood wall, decorated with blue ribbons from track. In response to Knights new shoes, the Tigers, Bowerman approves. Because US Olympic athletes at the time couldnt collect endorsement money, Pre is also destitute. Buster Brown had a sweetheart named Mary Jane, so the Brown Shoe Company also bought licensing rights for "Mary Jane" for their line of girls' strap shoes. In his last days on campus, he meets an artist, Carolyn Davidson, who complains about not being able to find work. Accounting is not his thing. This Shoe Dog summary reveals valuable lessons that Knight learned through his experiences during his captivating and interesting personal journey. Mallory Baise Prof. J. Stack S.E.E. But Phil felt certain that he was right. When youre launching a new business, finding the right employees is critical. This is the year they announce Nike at the National Sporting Goods Association Show in Chicago. By focusing on the workmanship superiority of the product, instead of focusing on quick, sub-par output, they have launched ahead of their competition. Immediately, he sends two pairs to his old track coach at U of Oregon, Bill Bowerman. And when the CEO asked what company they would be partnering with, Phil had to think on his feet. Second, venture capital the way we understand it today didnt really exist. She agrees. Phil's dad would have preferred his son worked in a respectable career and company, rather than starting a risky new shoe business. They wanted new companies to get profitable quickly and to never let sales exceed their cash balance. So, when he finished his presentation and the CEO of Onitsuka said it sounded like a great idea, Phil was blown away! After all, they are the embodiment of his future. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight in Biography & Memoir Learn about the man who made Nike what it is today. By offering his personal experience as a testament to the power of hard work and creativity, Knight aims to inspire other entrepreneurs, artists, and people trying to find their way in life. . "You are remembered, he said, prophetically, for the rules you break. The shoes were exactly what he envisioned and sent two of the sample pairs to his old track coach at Oregon, Bill Bowerman. Keep setting more BHAGs: To avoid complacency, continue setting goals even after youve achieved your initial BHAG. With this popularity, Nike needs to find new manufacturers who can handle scale, and they finally turn to Taiwan. They initiate settlement talks, starting at $20 million, then $15 million. Writers! After a few years, Phil reached a point where he felt that the name and vibe of Blue Ribbon had ceased to serve their company well. Instead of lying about qualifications or product updates to investors or business partners, try being forthright about the issue and offering a detailed plan to show that youve already thought ahead about the problem.). Ambitious entrepreneurs often follow the advice of fake it till you make it: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes lied about her companys blood testing technology, and Reddit created fake user accounts to populate its site. Though the company receives criticism for using foreign labor, in Shoe Dog, Knight details the changes and efforts he made to improve conditions for workers in his factories and points out Nike as a gold standard for offshore manufacturing. And, of course, it also played a big part in Blue Ribbons success! Just a few months later, their fledgling company sold out of their shoes and ordered another shipment of 300 shoes. But now that we know a little moreabout what a BHAG is, its time to take a closer look at Phil Knights very own personal BHAG. 3. Penny readily completes miscellaneous operational tasks for Blue Ribbon bookkeeping, typing, scheduling with an enthusiasm that lightens the air in their small worn-down office. 4 - 5 months of age - Dogs start to lose their deciduous teeth around this age - this is the stage of teething that you are most likely to notice. 2018 - August: The film was set to Development status. He offers an honest perspective about the imperfect process of building a successful company. This crazy idea was the first step towards Nike shoes. My impression of Shoe Dog is mixed. #8 Never Give Up Knight knows that this piece of advice is overstated, but he himself struggled quite a lot early on and felt that keeping a business alive was very, almost impossibly, hard. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. His best lead is a final paper he wrote on shoes. In Shoe Dog, Phil Knight said, Life if growth. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. Engaging your audience will have a profound effect on your marketing and brand. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Published in 2016, Shoe Dog is a guide to starting a business, following your crazy ideas, and overcoming obstacles. Shoe Dog 's timeline is from 1962 to 1980 when Nike went public, alongside Apple that same year. Hed written his thesis on this topic in college, and he was passionate about both shoes and running. Knight acknowledges that never give up is an overstated piece of advice. She reminds him of Cleopatra and Julie Christie.