13A Reading Reflection No. 1

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

1) You read about an entrepreneur:

• What surprised you the most? Although I already knew a little about the waffle iron, reading about how such a random piece of cookware contributed to the creation of one of their most famous shoes in the words of Phil Knight was surprising. 

• What about the entrepreneur did you most admire? I greatly admired his adaptability, tenacity, and determination.

• What about the entrepreneur did you least admire? I found it strange that he expressed his intimate interest for a student.

• Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it? Knight faced a lot of adversity but failure didn't seem like an option for him. He always looked for a solution for whatever problem he or his company faced. He encountered many issues with his suppliers in Japan which he ultimately switched from to Taiwan. Other times when he faced adversity or failure, he borrowed money form his parents, hired new people, or created new products. 

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? Knight was motivated and he wasn't afraid to compete with the other companies in the industry. He demonstrated that he had a real passion for what he was doing. 

3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you. The parts dealing with his issues with Japan and having to travel back and forth.

4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

• Out of all of the shoes Nike has released, which pair would you say is your personal favorite?
• Why: This would be very interesting to know coming from Phil Knight.
• What are your thoughts on the impact Nike has had on "streetwear" culture?
• I buy and wear a lot of streetwear and I almost always have to have a pair of Nike's on so the answer to this would be interesting to me.

5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion? I think Knight undoubtedly valued hard work. Without all the hard work knight and his employees put forth, the business would not have succeeded as much as it has.