Steve Jobs Asked One Profound Question That Took Apple From Near Bankruptcy To $1 Trillion

Author: Carmine Gallo / Source: Forbes

It’s easy to forget that Apple’s path to its $1 trillion valuation was nearly derailed when the company was running out of cash. Steve Jobs asked one profound question that got it back on track.

In my keynotes about inspirational leadership, I often show a grainy video clip of Steve Jobs holding a small staff meeting in 1997.

Jobs had returned to Apple about eight weeks earlier (he had been fired in 1985). Apple had 90 days of cash left in the bank. The future looked bleak and few people gave it a chance to survive, let alone go on to become America’s first publicly-traded company to hit $1 trillion in market value.

The video shows Jobs dressed in his trademark black turtleneck, but wearing shorts instead of blue jeans. He’s delivering an intense and passionate message to a small group of employees. The passion he showed and the question he raised would inspire his team to dig their way out of the hole.

Focus on the gems

On September 23, 1997, Jobs told his staff that Apple had eliminated some 70% of its product line. “It’s way too much stuff,” he said. “Apple has drifted away from doing the basics really well. We’ve focused on 30 percent of the gems.”

Then, Jobs explained why he had chosen to slash the product offerings. It all started with a profound question: “Who is Apple…

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