Shoe Dog

A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

The founder of Nike tells how a shoe importer run from a car boot grew into its own brand, and why cash was a constant worry along the way.

Who should read this

Read it if you are building something, or thinking about it, and you want to see what a company's early years can look like when told by the founder. It suits founders, freelancers, creators and employees who work near a founder. It is a memoir, not a manual, so it also suits anyone who likes a good story about people and work.

You do not need to care about shoes or sport. The book is more about starting small, trusting people and not quitting than about running.

The problem it solves

Most business writing shows companies after they have won. The plan looks clear and growth looks like a straight line. Real beginnings are messier. This book gives the founder's version of that messier start, and it gives you a picture to compare with your own situation. It will not give you a formula.

Why it matters

Plenty of owners learn about cash flow the hard way. A business can sell more every year and still be under pressure, because the money to buy stock or pay staff goes out before the money from customers comes in. Knight's account is a vivid way into that idea.

Key ideas

• A fast-growing business needs cash to grow, and sales alone do not supply it.
• Relying on a single supplier puts part of your future in their hands.
• Early people matter. Knight worked with his former coach, a first employee and a small team who cared about the product.
• A name and a simple mark can become valuable over time, even if they look ordinary at first.
• A memoir is one person's view, written years later, so treat it as a story and not as a full record.