Summary

The story starts with the conception of an idea at dawn. Phil Knight is on an early morning run, reflecting on the Oregonian environment around him. He had already left home after high school and spent a lot of time on his own— he attended the University of Oregon for undergraduate studies, Stanford for a master’s in business, and even joined the army. Despite all this, he had returned to his childhood home at the age of 24 and felt helpless.

In the past, he had briefly entertained a number of fantasies, yet never had a true dream to pursue. Though he loved to run and participated in track as an athlete, he was never good enough to take it on as a career. During these mid-run reflections, Knight suddenly has an idea. He dubs this idea his “Crazy Idea,” and decides to...