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December 9, 2025
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- Sun, 14 December 2025
In the sea of business books filled with strategy frameworks, growth hacks, and success stories polished for LinkedIn, Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, Nike’s co-founder stands apart.
When the talk is of building brands, any discussion without Nike is incomplete. The brand dominates globally and has been doing so for decades. But, how did Phil Knight, a fresh graduate from business school, who simply wanted to import high-quality, low-cost running shoes from Japan and only had 50 dollars (that too borrowed from his father) build a brand that’s valued at more than ₹7.611 Trillion today?
Phil explains it all in his book Shoe Dog, but that’s not the only reason why you should read it. The memoir is unfiltered, raw and so incredibly powerful that it will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page. And especially for new-age founders- it will stay with you when you grapple with self-doubts, questions and insecurities in the dead of the night and quietly lend you the strength to be patient.
Moreover, it will teach you how to build real-world relationships with people, how to negotiate like a master and how to hold your ground in the coldest boardrooms.
For founders navigating the uncertain waters of entrepreneurship, Shoe Dog offers something far more valuable than playbooks: it offers truth.
What makes Shoe Dog indispensable for founders is its unflinching honesty.
Knight doesn’t present himself as an all-knowing entrepreneur. In fact, he admits he had no grand vision when he began—just a “Crazy Idea” and a deep love for running. The early chapters show him selling shoes out of his car trunk, juggling side gigs to keep the business alive, and navigating near-constant financial crises. He makes bad decisions, faces lawsuits, and often doesn’t know what to do next.
But that’s the point. Startups are messy. Progress is nonlinear. And doubt is constant.
By laying bare these truths, Shoe Dog offers validation to founders who often feel isolated by the illusion that everyone else has it figured out. For founders navigating the uncertain waters of entrepreneurship, Shoe Dog offers something far more valuable than playbooks: it offers truth.
Nike wasn’t a brand that was built out of a marketing idea or a viral reel potential or even a business that could be social-first. It was a brand created out of sheer passion, authentic storytelling and whole lot of perseverance.
A lot of startups make a grave mistake by investing more time, money and efforts into marketing the product, rather than building the product. A solid product is born out of continuous refinement, feedback and resillience. This cycle is what made Nike’s shoes the best in the market.
There were multiple crashes that Phil navigated when he started Blue Ribbon (later Nike). He fought for quality, sent across designs, fought against competition, tough meetings and tougher Japanese corporate leaders. He was delusional about building and at the end, that delusion carried him past the finish line and into the hall of fame.
Another great takeaway for Founders is team-building.
Knight did not have a team of trailblazers, did not have rockstars who were at the top of their fields working for him- he had a team of misfits who were loyal to the core, a little desperate for success and a whole lot more committed to their work.
Why this is important for new-age entrepreneurs is more often than not, we wait to build the perfect team and keep waiting. Don’t let that be a prerequisite. You would be surprised with what ordinary people can do, if only then believe in themselves and in your vision.
It’s a clear signal to founders: choose people who believe. Skills can be taught, but belief can’t. Your team’s culture, especially in the early days, is the foundation for everything else.
Shoe Dog isn’t a manual for building the next Nike. It’s something better—it’s a mirror. It reflects the internal chaos, the stubborn resilience, and the often silent victories that define a founder’s life.
Every entrepreneur, whether just starting out or well into the journey, should read this book not to find answers but to feel seen. Because in the end, Shoe Dog doesn’t offer a blueprint—it offers belief.
Why should every founder read this? To remember that doubt is normal. That not knowing is part of knowing. That belief is a muscle you build, not something you’re born with.
What else are you waiting for? Buy that book and start reading!
And remember, like Phil said, “It’s never just business. It never will be. If it ever does become just business, that will mean that business is very bad.”
For more such reccomendations, stay tuned to our blog. We promise you- we’ll bring you only the best of the best. #ReadwithGSN
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