Reading Reflection No.1
What surprised you the most?
The idea of how he started to join the industry of shoes. How he looked for any way that he could get into this industry and ultimately was way off from the company that he produced. The fact that he would tear down shoes and rebuild them was extremely surprising to me.
What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?
Phil Knight's drive and ability to go broke as a young individual. He told people that his mindset at an early age is to go broke and try to start something crazy and you might actually have some success. I have a business idea for a sports facility in the future and helping less fortunate teenagers/high school students get to college. I also want to push these students to know their worth in our world and community. The ability for Phil Knight to have this determination and have no idea what he was doing but instead try to push at different people and different ideas was something that extremely inspired me.
What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?
I felt like Phil Knight ran over the person who gave him his first opportunity to be a part of the shoe business. He hid a lot of information from Onitsuka, and that is what caused the relationship to become sour. I feel that he needed to have active, effective communication and this was something that he lacked. Obviously, however his cards played out, this company would have felt like he infringed on the rights of the company but the idea of a lawsuit at least would not have been so sloppy.
Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?
Phil Knight came into many adverse situations that he had to deal with during his time to the top of the shoe industry. Phil Knight had to deal with the lawsuit of Onitsuka, which was the old Japanese shoe company that he worked for. Phil Knight experienced some turmoil and friction with this company, so this is what caused him to leave and push towards creating his own company. He ends up motivating his team and motivating them that this is the time that they finally break through and succeed. Phil Knight also had to deal with a lot of financial issues. During those times, banks were not giving out huge loans besides a little bit of cash for the company to start. Nike was expanding and completing their sales, but they used a lot of the money they made to put right back into the production of shoes.
2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?
The entrepreneur never backed down and never took "no" for an answer. Phil Knight had a vision in mind and would not let anyone get in his way or stop him. He experienced a sense of determination that allowed him to lead/guide a team to a common goal within the newly established company.
3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
Phil Knight came into many adverse situations that he had to deal with during his time to the top of the shoe industry. Phil Knight had to deal with the lawsuit of Onitsuka, which was the old Japanese shoe company that he worked for. Phil Knight experienced some turmoil and friction with this company, so this is what caused him to leave and push towards creating his own company. He ends up motivating his team and motivating them that this is the time that they finally break through and succeed. Phil Knight also had to deal with a lot of financial issues. During those times, banks were not giving out huge loans besides a little bit of cash for the company to start. Nike was expanding and completing their sales, but they used a lot of the money they made to put right back into the production of shoes.
2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?
The entrepreneur never backed down and never took "no" for an answer. Phil Knight had a vision in mind and would not let anyone get in his way or stop him. He experienced a sense of determination that allowed him to lead/guide a team to a common goal within the newly established company.
3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
I just do not understand how it all turmoiled down into a lawsuit from the company that he first worked for. I got extremely confused on that piece of information but ultimately understood why he hid Nike.
4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
1. Why not just outright have a partnership with Onitsuka so that you could sell your brand?
2. How has technology impacted the way that Nike has grown, compared to the first innovation of the company?
5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?
4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
1. Why not just outright have a partnership with Onitsuka so that you could sell your brand?
2. How has technology impacted the way that Nike has grown, compared to the first innovation of the company?
5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?
Hard work is going out and "just doing it." You have to be able to stand directly on the frontline and experience shortcomings but also be able to overcome that adversity as well. Hard work is not talking about a situation but ultimately going out and completing that task yourself. You have to have an extra step and an extra ability to move forward compared to Phil Knight. Phil Knight says "you must forget your doubts, your pain, your past." You have to live in the moment and push towards each step to get to the goal you want. I think that is an extremely strong opinion but I also think that hardwork is about aspiring people to want to compete as hard as you do as well.
Hi there! Wow, I had no idea the backstory of Nike started with a single determined person that risked it all to pursue something he believed in. It’s one thing to say you’d make sacrifices for something you believe in, but it’s an entirely different thing to actually do it. That takes courage. I actually chuckled a bit because I now understand where that slogan originated from.
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