December 18, 2024

Carolyn Davidson was a graphic design student at Portland State University. She was expressing concern over not being able to afford a painting class. So she was offered $35 to make a logo for a new sneaker start-up.

Davidson turned in the logo, it was not liked. But there was no time to stress about it. A deadline was set and it had to be met. A deal had already been signed and production of the new shoe was to start on a Friday.

The logo was needed before then and the ink was still wet on the contract. This is the story of Phil Knight and NIKE. It was 1971 and Knight was an accounting professor. "You don't like it?" Asked Knights C0O of the newly minted NIKE and the freshly made logo. "I don't love it," Knight replied, "but we're out of time.

It'll have to do." The NIKE logo we see today was created by Carolyn Davidson, for just $35. In 1980, at the NIKE IPO, Knight gave Carolyn Davidson 500 shares of NIKE. Davidson never sold the stock, and since 1980 there have been some 7 NIKE stock splits and her 500 shares have turned into 64,000 shares, as of today, NIKE stock is priced at $78 per share x 64,000 = $4,992,000

Sometimes, all we need is to set or agree to a deadline and turn in what we have. That is all we need to gain momentum, make progress and create anything.