How can you launch a new brand when you’re facing serious competition?
That’s what Jaylen Brown thinks. NBA fans know him as this year’s reigning Finals MVP, who recently led the Boston Celtics to their 18th championship. But shoe hounds know him as a rebel – the star player who turned down $50 million in endorsement deals, was publicly fired at Nike, and in September, revealed his big move: He launched his shoe and sports brand called 741, and plans. signing other athletes with generous competitive deals, thus undercutting the big shoe brands.
To help Brown get started, we put him in touch with Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor — a marketing veteran whose platform has helped founders raise more than $8 billion. The meeting was part of a new series called The Playbookcreated by A businessman again Sports Illustratedwhere we bring together athletes who are entrepreneurs and leaders who can help. Here, you’ll learn Brown’s philosophy on playing the long game, and Taylor’s formula for successful pitching.
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Everette Taylor: You are living the dream right now. I’m impressed by how you realize that, no matter how successful you are now, you have a long life and the NBA is just one part of your career. Where did that recognition come from?
Jaylen Brown: I got that from growing up playing chess, because there are three parts to a chess game: opening, middle, and endgame. As you approach your strategy, you must know all three at the same time. Your opening action determines how you end the game.
So when I translate that into life, I put my pieces in place. That’s why I started thinking about the end of my career in the beginning. I know this is a game.
Taylor: Yes, I always have that in my head. I was homeless in high school, and I would go to the local library to find shelter, and that’s where I read about people like Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey, and I was like, Wow. I didn’t have enough skill to be an NBA player, but this technical thing seemed like something I could do. I’m grateful for tech, because it gave me opportunities that my mother didn’t have, and opportunities that my ancestors and people around us didn’t have when we were growing up. Technology gave me no excuse. It was truly a platform to learn, grow, and build a career around.
Now, in terms of seeing the whole game at once, I have an idea of what I want for my life, and I’m actually working backwards from that. It’s not about specific achievements; It’s not about having a certain amount of money. It’s about, This is what I want my life to look like. Every move I make, every work I do, everything I do is intentional to get to that path.
Brown: And that is a human war! Because, yes, you have a mission, you have a purpose that leads you every day, but you still have feelings, you have bad habits, you have things you want to do. That is why you need discipline and understanding. I’m 28, still thinking. But I have a clear vision for my future.
Taylor: So let’s talk about one of those things you build — your brand. What led you to launch it?
Brown: Honestly, I got the idea from Kobe [Bryant]rest in peace. Before he died, he was planning to launch his brand of shoes, sign athletes, and give them better deals and percentages. I remember reading an article about that, and I thought it was dope.
I have gone through my experience, dealing with big companies and how they value your creativity, and how they value you. I came across all the brands and none of them stood out. They all look at things the same way. I was looking for the future version, not the old version. And I couldn’t find it, so I had to start it.
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Photo Credit: Courtesy of Everette Taylor & Jaylen Brown
Taylor: That is brave. It is something that many people do not do, because they are willing to take credit that other people give them. What do you think most differentiates your product compared to others?
Brown: The design. I designed everything myself. I was in the factory in South Korea, on the line, making sure things were done the way I saw fit. I’ve handled close to $50 million in deals [from other brands] to start something on my own. And it’s not because I didn’t like the money they were giving me. It’s because those deals drained me, and didn’t allow for creativity.
Taylor: Man, you lit up when you started talking about design. You are a creative person. I know that sometimes it is difficult to use that word for us, but I think that true art does not want to be bound by anything. They don’t want infrastructures that stop their creativity. So, yes, money is important, and we want to be able to take care of our families, but when someone shows up to be an artist, they need to be able to put their art out into the world as they see fit.
Brown: Yes, and storytelling is very important here. There’s a lot of meaning and purpose and intent that I put into every aspect of the product, and I want to let things breathe, and bring it out as people start asking more questions. I don’t want to force anything. It doesn’t have to be the hottest brand on the street tomorrow.
Taylor: I’m glad you have a marathon mentality, because there are no big shoe companies or clothing companies that started with big growth. It happens over time. I think your brand is going to make a person’s authenticity, and people want to see and feel that – especially with Gen Z and new types of consumers. They buy things in a completely different way. They want to feel that the brand cares about people, that it is in line with their interests and on the side of good.
If you look at some of the biggest companies in the space, I feel like they’ve lost that vision. Not to call anyone out, but many big companies built their companies on the back of great product and great storytelling, then threw billions of dollars into performance marketing instead of creativity, storytelling, and authenticity.
Brown: That’s the cycle of life. When you become big and successful, you try save. You’re just trying to protect what you’ve already built. Then you lose the ability to move forward and keep breaking barriers.
Taylor: That’s why my biggest advice to you is: Focus on growth and innovation and design, consistently. The moment you get comfortable – and you don’t seem like the type of person to get comfortable, but still – is when growth stops. I think about that all the time with Kickstarter. The moment we are free, that is when the company is dead. You may still be making money, you may still be making millions or billions of dollars, but if you’re not creating, if you’re not innovating, then you’re not growing.
But I think you have a good idea. I’m excited to see what you do.
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