The Most Amazing Book I Have Ever Read
I just finished the most amazing book I have ever read. The book is a memoir written by an ultimate Shoe Dog, a wannabe athlete from Oregon that had a crazy idea that worked out and changed sports forever.
I am talking about the co-founder of Nike, Phil Knight.
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From Crazy Idea to Reality
He wanted to leave a mark on the world, he wanted to win.
His final project in Stanford was a presentation of how Japanese cameras overtook German cameras and how the same might happen in the shoe industry. He got a good grade in that project but nobody really cared about his presentation.
Let everyone else call your idea crazy... just keep going. Don't stop. Don't even think about stopping until you get there.
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— Phil Knight
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The Trip Around the World
During his trip, he went to Hawaii, Tokyo, Kobe, Hong Kong, Philippines, Bangkok, Vietnam, Calcutta, the Himalayas, Bombay, Kenya, Cairo, Athens, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice, Paris, East and West Berlin, Munich, Vienna, London, and then back to Oregon.
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The Birth of Nike
Nike's name was not decided until the very end. A plant in Mexico was just waiting for the brand's name to start building the very first Nike's.
Yes, the very first Nike's were manufactured in Mexico.
Employee number one, Jeff Johnson, came up with the name asleep, in his dreams. Nike was the goddess of victory.
The Swoosh
The Swoosh was some $35 job of a student of Phil while he gave classes in Oregon State.
The hell's a Swoosh?
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It's the sound of someone going past you.
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Financial Rollercoaster
Nike had almost no equity, but a huge Cash Flow. Bank of California someday decided to abruptly freeze Nike's account thinking that it was a fraud.
Finally, they were saved by Nissho Iwai, a Japanese trading company.
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Conclusion
Phil Knight's experience was simply awesome. He never stopped until his company was selling more than Adidas, and he found joy in what he worked and believed in.
*Angel Escamilla*
