13A: Reading Reflection

1) For the reading reflection, I chose to read Shoe Dog an autobiography by Phil Knight the founder of Nike. I found the fact that despite Nike seemed almost certain to fail, Phil Knight preserved anyways through countless mistakes, struggles, and tribulations and made Nike into one of the most successful companies this world has ever seen. I admire the fact that he started selling imported Japanese shoes out of the back of his Plymouth Valiant and turned that dream into a reality where you can walk down any street today and are almost guaranteed to see someone wearing something with the iconic Nike swoosh attached. The thing I found least admirable about Phil Knight was the fact that some peers in the industry found that he was hard to truly get to know on a personal level. Now, this fact can be attributed to his dedication to his business, but I feel as if people in a position of power such as the CEO of Nike should be approachable and get along with various types of people. Phil Knight encountered a ton of adversity before he made it big with Nike. He started Nike with 50 dollars from his father and lived in debt for many years. He had to practically beg investors at banks to give him a chance time after time. Finally, after years of struggling and barely keeping Nike afloat, he made it big and became the international success that he is today.

2) I noticed that Phil Knight exhibited a willingness to fail and fail often in order to succeed. I believe that to be his biggest achievement in it of itself. I think that by being so willing to fail, it opened his eyes to what truly would lead to his success since he definitely knew what would NOT lead to it. He exhibited a willingness to work with all kinds of people and put his trust in people that he may not have necessarily done in any other situation. He also displayed an unparalleled humbleness about himself despite his success, detailing in the book his nervous quirks and insecurity.

3) I found Phil Knight’s lack of depth concerning the actual making of the shoes confusing. I do not understand why he did not detail the actual making of the shoes in the factories and what it takes to make a solid product for consumers.

4) I would ask Phil Knight these two questions: Why did you trust a college design student to make your iconic Nike logo? And do you wish you did anything differently/Do you have any regrets? I would ask these questions because I find both of these scenarios very interesting: the fact that he was willing to trust a college student with something so important, and the fact that the CEO of Nike may have some regrets about the way he conducted his business.

5) I think that Phil Knight would say hard work is very important to success, but I think he would say that having no fear of failure is way more important and can teach you what you need in order to succeed in your endeavors. I definitely share this opinion after reading this book.