Podcast Summary: "Sunday Pick: Why You Should Get Good at Being Bad | Fixable"

TED Talks Daily presents an insightful episode from the Fixable series, hosted by business leaders Anne Morris and Frances Fry. Released on June 15, 2025, this episode delves into the unconventional yet powerful concept of embracing mediocrity in certain areas to achieve excellence where it truly matters. Through compelling examples and thoughtful discussions, Anne and Frances challenge traditional notions of perfectionism in both organizational and personal contexts.

1. Introduction to the Concept

The episode opens with Anne Morris and Frances Fry introducing the central theme: the courage to be bad. They posit that deliberately underperforming in specific aspects can free up resources and focus to excel in areas that align more closely with one’s core objectives and values.

2. Embracing Strategic Mediocrity

A. The MacBook Air Example ([08:18] - [10:10])

Frances Fry recounts the iconic launch of Apple’s MacBook Air by Steve Jobs:

“I still remember when, about 20 years ago, Steve Jobs strode across the stage carrying a manila envelope... and nobody had any idea what he had in that manila envelope. None of us dared to think that he was going to slide out a computer from that manila envelope. It was just unprecedented at that time. And he presented to us the MacBook Air, as thin as an envelope.” ([08:18])

To achieve the MacBook Air's groundbreaking thinness, Apple made deliberate sacrifices in other areas:

“To be best in class at weight, he had to be worst in class at physical features. So to be the lightest weight laptop on the market, he couldn't have an internal CD ROM drive.” ([09:16])

This example underscores the importance of strategic trade-offs—choosing what to excel at while accepting mediocrity in less critical areas.

B. The Impossible Triangle: Cost, Quality, Speed ([10:53] - [12:29])

Anne Morris introduces the Impossible Triangle—a construction industry principle that you can only excel in two out of three areas: cost, quality, and speed.

“If you want to speed up the project at the same quality, it's going to cost more.” ([11:04])

Frances elaborates that this concept is not just limited to physical products but equally applicable to services, where organizations often mistakenly believe they can be great in all aspects without compromise.

3. Organizational Application: The Southwest Airlines Case Study ([12:43] - [16:46])

Frances Fry shares a poignant story about Herb Kelleher, the founder of Southwest Airlines, to illustrate effective strategic trade-offs:

“He responds very thoughtfully. It's basically like we've built an airline that is profitable and doesn't make you sad. Right. We're the only ones. But in return, we're going to ask you to make some of these sacrifices.” ([13:44])

When faced with a customer’s request to transfer bags—a service standard in the industry—Kelleher maintains Southwest’s operational model by politely declining, thus protecting the company's strategic advantages such as faster turnaround times and lower costs. This decision was communicated company-wide, highlighting the importance of leadership in modeling strategic discipline.

“This was an empathetic no. And that is the key on Dare to be bad.” ([16:24])

4. Implementing the Strategy in Organizations ([17:01] - [24:19])

A. Prioritizing Customer Values ([17:01] - [20:32])

Anne and Frances emphasize starting with a clear understanding of what customers value most. Frances advises:

“When the customer is thinking of giving you a dollar, who else are they thinking of giving that dollar to? That's your competitive set.” ([17:01])

By mapping out customer priorities, organizations can determine where to invest and where to concede, ensuring that excellence is achieved in areas that genuinely impact customer satisfaction and business success.

B. Overcoming Internal Biases ([23:25] - [24:19])

The speakers caution against common pitfalls such as overestimating one's strengths and underestimating the competition's capabilities. Frances notes:

“We tend to be a generous grader to ourselves and a really harsh grader to the competition.” ([23:53])

Conducting objective market research is crucial to align internal perceptions with external realities, preventing misguided strategies based on flawed assumptions.

5. Personal Application: The Working Mom Dilemma ([24:27] - [32:29])

Transitioning from organizational strategies to personal development, Anne and Frances discuss how individuals, particularly working mothers, can benefit from embracing strategic mediocrity.

“Working moms that were killing it were actually internalizing this lesson and they were choosing to be best in class at a few aspects, a few aspects at work, and a few aspects at home.” ([25:44])

They highlight the emotional and practical challenges of prioritizing roles and responsibilities, advocating for:

• Selective Excellence: Focusing on key areas that align with personal values and where one can make the most significant impact.

• Letting Go of Non-Essentials: Accepting lesser performance in areas that do not contribute directly to one's primary goals.

Anne shares a personal anecdote about realizing the importance of being fully present at home by reducing time spent on less critical activities like meal prep or PTA meetings.

“We can spend time finishing our work at the office and not bring it home. And so we were, when we were home, be totally present.” ([28:21])

6. Key Takeaways and Future Directions

Anne and Frances underscore that embracing strategic mediocrity is not about slacking off but about making informed, intentional choices to allocate resources where they matter most. They reference their publications—Uncommon Service, Unleashed, and Move Fast and Fix Things—as resources that further explore these concepts.

Looking ahead, they tease their upcoming book, Secret Memos, aiming to delve deeper into these strategies and make the concept more digestible for a broader audience.

“And it's so important in this semester, in this season, we're gonna take a swing at trying to make sure that our fixers understand that in order to be great, you have to be bad and we have to be equally unapologetic about both.” ([30:42])

7. Conclusion

This episode of Fixable offers a thought-provoking perspective on achieving excellence through strategic compromise. By shedding the unrealistic expectation of being great in all areas, both organizations and individuals can focus their efforts where they truly count, leading to more meaningful and sustainable success.

Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their priorities, make conscious trade-offs, and embrace the liberating concept of being intentionally "bad" in selected facets to thrive in others.

Notable Quotes:

• Frances Fry: “The truth is we need to make sacrifice in one area in order to make progress in another.” ([04:47])

• Anne Morris: “What am I not going to do? That is like a famous definition of strategy.” ([10:20])

• Frances Fry: “If you can finally get through the gatekeepers to get there [CEO], that’s really bad posturing.” ([15:24])

• Anne Morris: “It's a strategic no.” ([15:48])

This episode serves as a compelling guide for leaders and individuals alike, advocating for a balanced approach to success by prioritizing what truly matters and accepting limitations elsewhere.