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Shoe Dog book cover

Cover: Open Library

BusinessBeginner

Shoe Dog

by Phil Knight

★★★★★ 5/5 · Poornadnyan rating

The big idea

The founder of Nike tells the messy, nerve-racking true story of building a company – the debts, the near-failures and the people who made it possible.

Read it if…

Anyone who dreams of starting something – it reads like a novel.

Skip it if…

You want a how-to guide rather than a personal story.

Key ideas in 2 minutes

  1. Early years of a business are full of chaos – that is normal.
  2. Cash flow problems can threaten even a fast-growing company.
  3. Loyal, unusual people often build great companies.

Our review

One of the most honest founder memoirs ever written. Knight does not pretend he had a master plan – he shows the fear, luck and stubbornness behind the brand.

If business books bore you, start with this one. You will not want to put it down.

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