Shoe Dog

Finally got around to reading this highly recommended book (in one day). It's a riveting memoir that tells the story of Nike from idea to IPO.

Very much Phil's personal story, struggles and all, it wasn't an attempt to sell Nike until the last chapter, which was something of an epilogue. It felt like an honest accounting of the stress and drive to build that are the hallmarks of entrepreneurship (money matters, but it's not about the money). I think it's also a useful example to those who assume that businesses that handle large amounts of money actually have it.

Also interesting was that he built this company before the days of VC money or even startup-friendly banks. It's easy forget that the programs and incubators available now are still fairly new.