On this week’s episode, Jana breaks down one of the most consequential decisions in modern business history, and why it still matters today.

In 1997, Steve Jobs returned to Apple when it was just 90 days from running out of cash. Dozens of products, over a billion dollars in losses, and a company executing well on the wrong things.

What he did next wasn’t gradual, it was decisive.

He cut 70% of Apple’s products immediately, reducing the company to just four core offerings. Not to simplify for elegance, but to survive.

Within a year, Apple went from massive losses to profitability.

This episode is a two-act story:

Act one: 1997, where subtraction saved a company.
Act two: 2026, where that same company faces a new version of the same challenge, not survival, but focus.

This episode breaks down:

• Why subtraction is a strategy, not a failure
• How focusing on fewer bets can multiply results
• Why revenue from the wrong things can hold you back
• How the story you tell around hard decisions determines whether people follow

Jana also explores how Apple today is navigating competing priorities like AI, hardware, and new platforms, and why trying to “do it all” can dilute execution.

Because whether in business or life, the real question isn’t what you’re building.

It’s what you’re willing to stop building.

Where to find Jana:

• https://janaaxline.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/janaaxline/
• Instagram: @unstoppableleaders
• TikTok: @jana_axline