A product can be successful in sales but still be detrimental to the business. Fly by Jing cut its popular frozen dumplings because they diverted focus and had worse margins than their core sauces. Success isn't the only metric for a product's value.

Contrary to the 'diversify revenue' mantra, having too many offers increases complexity in marketing, systems, and support, which erodes profit margins. Focusing on fewer, well-promoted offers almost always outperforms a scattered product suite.

It's difficult to eliminate an offer that generates revenue. However, if a product doesn't clearly lead into or follow your signature offer, it competes for resources and confuses customers. Retiring it allows your team to fully commit to what matters most, sharpening your brand message and growth trajectory.

For a new, bootstrapped D2C brand deciding between more products or more marketing, the advice is to emulate In-N-Out Burger. By limiting SKUs and focusing cash on marketing proven winners, a brand can build momentum more effectively than by diluting its efforts on unproven product extensions.

When a business is struggling with multiple revenue streams, the best strategy is to simplify. By cutting underperforming or noisy channels, you can amplify your focus on the one or two profitable areas. This distillation creates the clarity needed to stabilize and eventually rebuild the business.

Many founders become too attached to what they've built. The ability to unemotionally kill products that aren't working—even core parts of the business—is a superpower. This prevents wasting resources and allows for the rapid pivots necessary to find true product-market fit.

Eliminating a popular and profitable product line can be a wise long-term strategy. If a product, even a bestseller, creates brand confusion or pulls focus from your core vision, cutting it can strengthen your primary brand's identity and lead to more dedicated growth.

Numi launched a line of silk blouses that developed its own cult following. However, it created a second, competing brand identity and diverted focus. They phased it out to double down on their core competency—women's undershirts—where they were the undisputed market leader.

The strategy of eliminating the "worst 20%" applies across the business. Beyond firing unprofitable customers, analyze your product lines and even your team. Discontinuing low-margin, high-hassle products or removing toxic employees can free up immense resources and improve overall business health just as effectively.