Back in 1996, before he he returned to Apple, Steve Jobs had a clear vision of how he would rescue the company he cofounded — “I still think Apple has a future. There are some awfully good people there and there’s tremendous brand loyalty to that company. The way out is not to slash and burn, but it is to innovate.”

Not one of his more memorable interviews, but Jobs delivered the message that defined his first five years back at Apple. Yes, plenty of products did get slashed — Newton, printers, cameras, etc — in the late ’90s, but he left the lean and built an empire…

What’s your take?

via Fortune