“Focus on the vital few” is a principle often used in business and personal productivity that originates from the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. The principle states that 80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes. Applied to a business context, this might mean that 80% of a company’s profits come from 20% of its customers or that 80% of problems are caused by 20% of the processes.