Anne Morriss

So tell us about the impossible triangle.

I remember this from when we renovated our kitchen.

And that's intuitive because I got to hire more people and get them to work after hours and that shit is not free.

Right.

And it's our shorthand for saying you think delusionally that you can be great at everything.

And we know from the science that that is physically impossible.

Yes.

So the moment of truth that I think about a lot is Herb Kelleher, the iconic founder of Southwest Airlines.

And he had built this company that was deeply aware of the strategic trade-offs embedded in its model.

You know, in the beginning, you didn't get an assigned seat and you didn't get a full meal.

But in return, you got cheaper prices and you got more frequent flights.

And there's a whole bunch of operational reasons why those two things.

trade-off.

So at one point, Herb gets this letter from a very frustrated grandmother, and she is like a very sympathetic customer, and she's describing how she travels to see her grandkids frequently, and this is a huge part of her life.

She has to transfer airlines, and Southwest has a policy where they won't transfer bags to

And this was a very big decision because— This is a moment of truth.

This is a poignant moment of truth.

Totally, because they're in this cutthroat game with all these other airlines, and all the other airlines are providing the service.

All the other airlines are going to transfer your bags.

So he gets this letter, and he responds very thoughtfully.