Shoe Dog - best read from 2019

Remember your first book, the compilation of page, large or small, that got you initiated into the world of reading? How did it feel when you got through that book? I remember mine, and it was Black Beauty by Anna Sewell; for a fourth-grade kid the story of a horse, narrated from the perspective of one, was beyond imagination. There was no looking back. 

Over the years, I’ve come to read a great many books, but none have come close to giving me the inspiration like Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, founder and CEO of Nike. there’s a reason why this book stands out and is in a class of its own; it has a lot to do with the fine intersect between an autobiography and a novel. Phil’s a great storyteller, as is evident from reading the book; but he’s also a great CEO, who takes on an elusive approach by CEO standards. He’s also quite harsh on himself and often obsesses over minute shortcomings that would otherwise be overlooked by the average lot.

“”” When deciding on a book to read, the opinion of people whose reading habits are admirable, often go a long way in making the case. “””

I’ve read a few reviews on the book while waiting for my copy to arrive. Among them, Bill Gates’ stands out as a blunt review. Not surprising, coming from a man who consumes knowledge like no one else. 

“”” Shoe Dog, Phil Knight’s memoir about creating Nike, is a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like. It’s a messy, perilous, and chaotic journey riddled with mistakes, endless struggles, and sacrifice. In fact, the only thing that seems inevitable in page after page of Knight’s story is that his company will end in failure.”””

The book is an honest reminder for all young entrepreneurs and professionals looking at getting their branding right; the path to success is littered with failure, perilous, disheartening and often deterring. These happen to be the pillars for success and in Phil’s world, there is no alternative. 

It would be a transgress to give out everything in the book, as the book is one that everyone must read. Instead, what I will endeavour to do is touch base on some these pillars that form Phil’s convictions, and which resonate with me. When you read the book, you might find a different set of pillars altogether, and that is the beauty of Shoe Dog; it resonates individually with the reader. 

How it all began

On a foggy morning of 1962, Phil was out for his morning run, and as he deliberated the concept of running, from an abstract definition to intricate art that it is, and idea took shape in his head. He realized, and later would form his belief, that running united people.

“The average person takes seventy-five hundred steps a day, 274 million steps over the course of a long life, the equivalent of six times around the globs – shoe dogs, it seemed to me, simply wanted to be part of the journey. Shoes were their way of connecting with humanity. What better way of connecting, shoe dogs thought, than by refining the hinge that joins each person to the world’s surface?”

So inspiring was this thought that admitted itself into his mind, that he ran faster and faster, in an effort to keep up with the pace of his though-train perhaps. But it shows a mind that was active and susceptible to the aftermath of a vivid imagination. According to Phil, few ideas could be crazier than what he loves the most - running. 

But it begs, the question why would someone love running so much, that they would want to start a company from it? Well, the answer is simple, and Phil answers it with elegance, almost poetic. 

“‘’ You tell yourself that you are running towards some goal, chasing some rush, but really you run because the alternative, stopping, scares you to death.”’’

And that is the first pillar of the book -

Idea

Have you ever felt the overwhelming, all-encompassing and liberating power of an idea? But an idea is only a spark, and it requires firewood to catch hold of and grow. Without the fuel to help it take shape an idea in itself is merely a despicable fantasy.

Back in 2010, as I lay undecided on my bed in my accommodation on campus; a tiny enclosure for a room, but which seemed luxurious in its own appeal, I was seeking alternatives to copying movies from a pen-drive. What if, I thought, there was a way to take pen-drive out of the equation and instead download/ stream/ transfer files wirelessly? Then it struck me, what if one could attach a hard disk to a wi-fi router? Making content from the hard drive accessible to anyone who was on the wifi?

Over-simplified perhaps, but no one had thought of it. No one who stayed in the on-campus accommodation bothered to try it out, so I did. Took a bit of research, but soon I found the router and the type of hard drive that would bring my idea to fruition. It didn’t come cheap, so during the next General Body session of the cabinet, I proposed this as part of the budget, people liked the idea so they were more than glad to pass it. In less than a week, we had our wireless file transfer infrastructure in place. 

I didn’t realize it then, but this idea I implemented, was, in fact, the “cloud”. A basic one of course, but a cloud none the less. 

In the case of Phil Knight, however, the idea came at a very weird time. It wasn’t a great time to be selling shoes. The idea of a sports shoe as a lifestyle had not yet become popular. You could be ridiculed for coming up with a harebrained thought such as this.

And this brings forth a very pertinent reality. The world isn’t always a conducive place; it does not encourage nor promote niche creativity. But if you believe in something, you have to make it work. Period.

Which begs the question - WHY did Phil want to SELL shoes at this time?

The answer as stated by Phil in the book - “Because, I realised, it wasn’t selling. I believed in running. I believed that if people got out and ran a few miles every day, the world would be a better place, and I believed these shoes were better to run in. People sensing my belief wanted some of that belief for themselves. Belief, I decided. Belief is irresistible.”

Belief

A very powerful this it is this belief. Possessing the power to change the world. We’re a testament to how this belief played out, and if you’ve got doubts; check out NIKE stock on the exchange. That should help.

A discernible reality that fluxes through his book, is how lean and cash strapped the business always was. All the profits were poured back into the business for acquiring more shoes. The business grew at an astounding rate of 2 every year; and yet Phil could not get a loan from the bank. Apparently, they did not have any physical assets for collateral.

And yet, the business flourished. 

But how did Phil achieve this?

It’s simple. He surrounded himself with “Shoe-Dogs”.

“Shoe dogs were people who devoted themselves wholly to the making, selling, buying, or designing of shoes. […] It was an all-consuming mania, a recognisable psychological disorder, to care so much about insoles and outsoles, linings and welts, rivets and vamps. But I understood.”

The founder, Phil Knight’s approach, is divinely inspirational. 

“I no longer simply made Nikes; Nikes were making me. If I saw anyone choose another shoe, it wasn’t just a rejection of the brand alone, but of me.” - Phil Knight

What started with $50 back in the 1960s has grown into an icon that’s north of $30 billion in sales today!

Hard Work

Make no mistake, the crux of NIKE’s success comes from the hard work that the founding team put in. It’s a word that’s been repeated one time too many, and yet, bears no alternative.

“I was putting in 6 days a week at Price Waterhouse, spending early mornings and late nights and all weekends at Blue Ribbon. No friends, no exercise, no social life-and wholly content. My life was out of balance, sure, but I didn’t care. In fact, I wanted even more imbalance. Or a different kind of imbalance.” -Phil Knight

In a world of 140 characters and instant gratification, Phil begs us to consider some harsh realities that come with being an entrepreneur and building a brand.

“”Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that.””

-Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass