Earlier this week I went to see Quiksilver CEO Bob McKnight speak at the Galen Center. Below are some excerpts that stood out to me.

Interesting story on starting up:
Bob McKnight partnered with surfer Jeff Hakman to convince Quiksilver founders, Australian surfers Alan Green and John Law, to grant them rights to Quiksilver in the US. They were finally able to convince them after a dinner of heavy drinking, contingent on one condition - Jeff had to eat the paper doily underneath his plate. Jeff crumpled it up, ate it, and Quiksilver, USA was started.

Reasons for going public:
The main reason Bob decided to take Quiksilver public was to get away from the responsibilities of having financial partners. He clearly warned the audience of potential issues in having such partners, and to avoid the situation if possible.

Acquisitions:
Nike offered to buy Quiksilver, which Bob rejected. Nike then went on to acquire Hurley.

Final nuggets of advice:
Be wary of partners
Stay the course, remain focused on your core products (boardshorts for Quicksilver)
Find a balance between work and family