In this open and captivating autobiography, Nike’s founder and CEO, Phil Knight, unveils the untold narrative of the company’s initial stages as a bold startup and its transformation into one of the globe’s most emblematic, game-altering, and lucrative brands.
Back in 1962, freshly graduated from business school, Phil Knight secured a $50 loan from his father and established a venture with a straightforward goal: to import top-notch, cost-effective athletic footwear from Japan. Commencing with the sale of these shoes from the trunk of his vibrant lime green Plymouth Valiant, Knight generated a modest $8,000 in his debut year. Fast-forward to today, and Nike’s annual revenue has surpassed $30 billion. In an era rife with startups, Nike reigns as the ultimate prototype, and its iconic swoosh has metamorphosed into a revolutionary, globally recognized emblem—one of the most universally acknowledged symbols in existence.
However, Phil Knight, the enigmatic force behind the swoosh, has always remained an enigma. Now, marking a groundbreaking shift, he takes center stage with a candid, unassuming, audacious, and lighthearted memoir that unfurls his journey, beginning with his pivotal crossroads moment. At the age of 24, after traversing the world with a backpack, he chose the atypical path—to venture into his own enterprise, one that would radiate innovation.
Knight narrates the myriad risks and formidable setbacks that lay between him and his aspiration, along with his early triumphs. Foremost, he delves into the influential connections with his initial collaborators and employees—a disparate group of visionaries and explorers who solidified into a closely-knit fraternity. United by the powerful force of a common mission and a profound belief in the essence of sports, they constructed a brand that instigated a paradigm shift.
