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The Case for Doing Less, Better

The Case for Doing Less, Better

The 80/20 rule at scale

Jack Carr
March 16, 2026

Welcome to the JackQuisitions newsletter,

Ford made one of the smartest business moves in the last 20 years when it killed most of its car lineup and focused on trucks, SUVs, and commercial vehicles that actually made money.

The decision is a perfect example of the 80/20 rule in action, and a reminder that real growth often comes from cutting low-margin work and doubling down on what drives profit.

Ready For Your Next Acquisition?

Check out these acquisition opportunities that caught my eye this week:

Eastern Shore MD/DE luxury landscaping & outdoor living company — $1.8M revenue, $477K cash flow, $760K equipment fleet, 10 FT employees, asking $1.295M with financing available.
DFW HVAC business (est. 2015) — $2.5M revenue, $590K SDE, lean 1099 contractor model, owner willing to stay, asking $2.5M with seller financing available.
Waukesha County, WI residential electrical contractor (10+ years) — $315K revenue, referral-driven with demand regularly turned away, asking $195K.

Leave $5M in the Past

Every year, I look forward to hosting the “Breaking $5 Million” workshop with John Wilson at his headquarters in Akron, Ohio. And this year is no exception.

Running from May 5-7, this hands-on workshop is built for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical owners ready to scale past $5M (and leave it in the past once and for all).

You'll get a deep dive into the proven $5M flywheel, sit in on Wilson’s live sales huddle, tour the shop, and spend three days networking with owners who are building at your level.

The agenda covers pricing, infrastructure, recruitment, org charts, fleet acquisition, and marketing, plus all meals and transportation once you arrive at the hotel are included. We host two networking dinners and build in plenty of time throughout the event to make meaningful connections.

All four previous Breaking $5M events have sold out, and this one will be no different. Attendance is intentionally kept small so you can connect with everyone in the room. Don’t wait to grab your seat.

Less is More: A Lesson

One of the smartest business decisions in the last 20 years had nothing to do with launching a new product.

It came from killing the wrong ones.

In 2018, Ford announced it was eliminating almost every sedan in North America.

No more Fusion. No more Focus. No more Taurus. No more Fiesta. They kept the Mustang, but everything else got cut.

At the time, it looked crazy.

In reality, it was a masterclass in understanding where profit actually comes from.

The Margin Problem Nobody Wants To Admit

Sedans were competitive, crowded, and low margin.

Profit on a small car: about $1K–$3K
Profit on a truck or large SUV: about $10K+
Sedan market share was falling
Manufacturing complexity was rising
Billions were tied up in platforms that barely made money

Ford was fighting Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai in a race to the bottom.

Meanwhile, their trucks were printing cash.

The F-Series alone generates tens of billions per year.
By itself, that product line would rank like a Fortune 50 company.

So Ford made a decision most businesses are too scared to make.

They cut the legacy products.

The Pivot: Focus On What Actually Pays

Instead of trying to win every category, Ford doubled down on three things:

Trucks (F-150 / Super Duty)
SUVs (Explorer, Bronco, Expedition)
Commercial vehicles (Transit / Ford Pro)

The commercial move was especially smart.

Contractors, fleets, plumbers, electricians, HVAC companies, delivery services — all need vehicles (and not those old fleet trucks).

And they buy them over and over again.

That division now runs higher margins than the old car lines ever did.

Ford also reduced operational complexity.

Fewer platforms.
Fewer factories.
Less tooling.
More capital behind the winners.

They didn’t grow by adding products.

They grew by removing them.

The Real Lesson For Acquirers

Most operators think growth means expansion.

More services
More locations
More SKUs
More customers
More everything

But the best companies often grow by subtraction.

Ask yourself:

Which service line has the worst margin?
Which customers create the most headaches?
Which offerings only exist because “we’ve always done it”?
Which parts of the business tie up the most capital with the least return?

Ford didn’t try to become a better car company.

They became a better truck company.

And that focus made them more profitable than trying to be everything to everyone.

Sometimes the biggest growth move you can make is killing the wrong part of your business.

Tell Me What You’re Thinking

Sometimes the fastest way to grow a business isn’t by adding more, it’s by cutting the parts that make the least money and doubling down on the ones that actually drive profit.

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Disclosure: Some of the content and links in this newsletter are sponsored or affiliate links, which means we may receive payment or earn a commission if you click through or purchase. However, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.