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You’re Remembered for the Rules You Break. Methods of Prosperity newsletter no. 70. Phil Knight (continued). TL;DR In 1969, Phil Knight left his teaching job to focus on Blue Ribbon Sports. By 1972 they launched the Nike shoe at a trade show. Despite imperfections in the product, it sold well. Blue Ribbon had a reputation for telling the truth. Their relationship soured with Onitsuka, their Japanese supplier. When Blue Ribbon launched Nike, Onitsuka ended their contract, claiming damages. Phil pushed for independence. He recognized the opportunity to launch Nike. His company secured credit to survive, but struggled to maintain liquidity. In 1975, Blue Ribbon faced a severe cash shortfall, resulting in bounced paychecks. Desperate, they took a loan from a local box company, to cover payroll. It was the same vendor which depended on Blue Ribbon to stay in business. That’s when the Bank of California severed ties. Phil couldn’t pay the $1 million he owed to his equity partner, Nissho. He asked ...
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The Origin of Nike’s Swoosh Methods of Prosperity newsletter no. 69. Phil Knight (continued). TL;DR Kidami, Onitsuka’s export manager, wasn’t satisfied with Blue Ribbon. He visited Phil in Portland. Phil discovered that Onitsuka was looking for new US distributors. Phil’s bank cancelled him. Phil made a deal with a Japanese trading company named Nissho Iwai. He gave away no equity. Phil found a factory in Guadalajara to import a new brand of athletic shoe. He hired Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University. She designed the “swoosh” that would become recognizable. Jeff Johnson came up with the Nike name. Not depending on only Nissho for funding, Blue Ribbon raised capital through debentures. The shoes manufactured in Guadalajara fell apart. Phil found a more reliable manufacturer in Tokyo. While visiting Japan, he paid a visit to Onitsuka, who didn’t know about his deal with Nissho. It was the beginning of the Nike brand. To be continued...
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