In 1997, Apple was making a huge amount of different products, including twelve versions of the Macintosh computer. When Steve Jobs returned that year, he decluttered what Apple was doing by basically killing 70% of Apple’s product lineup.

This was a bold move. There were hundreds of people, including senior management, working on products that were killed. That is not something that will help with your popularity score.

It is really easy to add new features, products, lessons and options. Every option will have some fans, so there is always someone that will be really happy with your choice. It is hard to quit something. People will be disappointed because their favorite product will go away. Some customers will be angry. There might be short term financial loss involved.

My point is not that you should look for something to remove or quit. Focus is good and it worked for Apple at that specific point in time, but it is no silver bullet. My point is that when you’re considering to quit some part of your product line, it is always going to be easier to find people that have good reasons not to. Real leadership does not mean doing the thing that makes everyone like you, but making the tough decisions that will make sure the company survives.