Shane Parrish

He never praised them and often ignored them, but he trusted them completely, and they rewarded that trust by giving everything they had.

shoe dog is one of the best business books ever written because it tells the truth about what building something actually feels like let's start with some of the lessons lesson one belief is irresistible phil knight was a terrible salesman he tried encyclopedias door to door and hated every moment he was an introvert he tried mutual funds next and while he was slightly better

It was a job.

And then he started selling Japanese running shoes out of the trunk of his car.

And something strange happened.

He couldn't stop selling them.

Here's how he explained it.

So why was selling shoes so different?

Because I realized it wasn't selling.

I believed in running.

I believed that if people got out and ran a few miles every day, the world would be a better place.

And I believe these shoes are better to run in.

People sensing my belief wanted some of that belief for themselves.

And then he writes a line I keep turning over for the rest of the book.

Belief, I decided.

Belief is irresistible.

You can learn all the sales techniques in the world.

You can study persuasion.

You can read every negotiation book, listen to every podcast.

But if you don't genuinely believe in what you're building, people will sense it instantly.