logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2020
35m 40s

Nike’s Phil Knight: How to sell without ...

Waitwhat
About this episode

Great branding is about identity – and it’s about matchmaking too. No one knows this better than the legendary co-founder of Nike, Phil Knight. When he and his partner, Hall of Fame track coach Bill Bowerman, started the sneaker company, they never tried to force-feed customers a product just to drive up the bottom line. They focused on one thing: making an excellent product for people who believed in the edgy Nike ethos. Because they knew, when there’s a mismatch between product and market, the bottom usually drops out. Instead, they told the world who the are, and then did everything they could to find their ideal customers. And made history. Cameo appearance: Eddy Lu (GOAT).

Read a transcript of this episode at https://mastersofscale.com

Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter at https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Aug 21
How design drives successful companies, with Sarah Stein Greenberg
Whether you’re building a new product from scratch, growing your team, or trying to find product market fit, every part of scaling a business has one thing in common. It needs to be well designed. That’s why we’re headed back to school this week – and learning from Stanford d.sch ... Show More
34m 19s
Aug 19
Dating is down. So why is Hinge thriving? with CEO Justin McLeod
As young people report feeling lonelier and less connected than ever, the dating app Hinge is driving its users into real life, human experiences. CEO Justin McLeod returns to Rapid Response to share how the platform is combating digital fatigue amongst users, as well as navigati ... Show More
26m 7s
Aug 16
The bromance that rebuilt Detroit: Dan Gilbert and Mayor Mike Duggan
As we gear up for our 2025 Masters of Scale Summit, we’re revisiting one of the stellar on-stage conversations that happened at the 2024 event. Hear Rocket Companies’ Dan Gilbert and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan reveal how their unique public-private partnerships have transformed th ... Show More
24m 24s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2018
Nike vs Adidas - The Defectors | 6
The rivalry between Nike and Adidas has been intense for decades, but always respectful. But with intensity comes… defectors. Just three at the beginning, who set out to create a “Disneyland for designers.” And it worked. For the first time in a long time, the Swoosh was outperfo ... Show More
19m 20s
Apr 2023
Becoming Nike | The Crazy Idea | 1
26-year-old college graduate Phil Knight founds Blue Ribbon Sports and makes a success of his plan to import Japanese running shoes to America. But as the relationship with his only supplier begins to unravel, Phil decides to gamble his company’s future on a fundamental shift in ... Show More
38m 13s
Dec 2019
Steve Madden: Steve Madden (2018)
Steve Madden fell in love with the shoe business in the 1970's, when he sold platform shoes at a neighborhood store in Long Island, New York; that was in high school. About 15 years later, he struck out on his own, designing and selling shoes with a high-end look at affordable pr ... Show More
53m 12s
Mar 2018
Nike vs Adidas - Nike Air | 4
Every new Nike employee gets a list of principles that serves as the company’s philosophy. One: Our business is change. Two: We’re on offense, all the time. With those principles Nike sprinted from $29 million in revenue in 1973 to more than $850 million by 1983. But the biggest ... Show More
26m 40s
Mar 2018
Nike vs Adidas - Rebound | 5
Nike, the late starter struck gold with its “Just Do It” campaign. Launched in 1988, the shoe giant finally had a tagline as good as its shoes. Meanwhile, Adidas, the brand that started and found success long before Nike was even a dream, finds itself as the underdog. The America ... Show More
24m 4s
Jan 2017
Zappos: Tony Hsieh
Computer scientist Tony Hsieh made millions off the dot-com boom. But he didn't make his mark until he built Zappos — a customer service company that "happens to sell shoes." Now Zappos is worth over a billion dollars and known for its completely unorthodox management style. See ... Show More
28m 16s
Nov 2019
Nike vs Adidas - Nike Air | 4
Quand il rejoint Nike, chaque nouvel employé reçoit un exemplaire de la charte de l'entreprise. Premier point : "notre business, c'est le changement." Deuxième point : "Nous devons toujours être en position d'attaque". En appliquant ces principes, Nike est passé de 29 millions de ... Show More
27m 20s