1) You read about an entrepreneur: Shoe
Dog by Phil Knight
·
What surprised you the most?
I
didn’t know that Nike was first inspired by Japanese company called Onitsuka (which
made me a little proud because I’m from Japan). And Onitsuka betrayed Nike but
another Japanese company called Nissho Iwai helped Nike.
·
What about the entrepreneur did you
most admire?
Knight’s
indomitable spirit. He never gave up whatever the situation is, even though
Onitsuka was about to abandon Blue Ribbon.
·
What about the entrepreneur did
you least admire?
He
was a little arrogant and full of jealousy, but he hated to lose and loves his friends
and family.
·
Did the entrepreneur encounter
adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?
Yes,
he encountered adversity and failure. However, people who helped him was his
unique friends. Especially, his co-founder Bowerman and Japanese company Nissho
Iwai. Everyone around him was inspired by his spirit to succeed. He never gave
up his dream.
2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur
exhibited?
His
mentality was very strong. He was not scared of failing and he never gave up.
He keeps trying until he succeeds.
3) Identify at least one part of
the reading that was confusing to you.
Why
Onitsuka approved to partner up with American company even though Phil did not
have any actual results in business and he was from America which Japan fought
in WW2.
4) If you were able to ask
two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
What regrets do you have? I want to
know this so I will not do the same thing.
5) For fun: what do you think the
entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?
He said that business is not all about making money. He was
not looking for money he just had ideas and passion to do it. I totally agree
that business is not all about making money. I think what you want to do and what
you can do for customers are very important.
Hey there Kaito.
ReplyDeleteYour reflection made me re-think my selection for my reading reflection. Your post made the book sound very interesting. Right in the beginning you surprised me with the name change for Nike. The most interesting part was learning the adversity and failure that and then having to be help by his “unique” friend. I can see that your entrepreneur was strong minded and driven.
Kaito,
ReplyDeleteDo you think Knight's arrogance is what caused him to not give up in his endeavors? I thought it was interesting that Knight had the idea to add grooved tread to the bottom of running shoes from a experience of making waffles with his wife. It reminds me of how Howard Schultz gathered the idea for Starbucks from just perceiving the world around him. I don't believe life gives us many eureka moments but if we are diligent we can find them all around us. In conclusion, I have to agree with Knight that business should not be only about making money. Yes, money can be important but other aspects of life carry greater value.
Best Regards,
Suzanna