Becoming a policy entrepreneur (with Tom Kalil)

1. Cultivate a Sense of Agency

Recognize that many things in the world are potentially changeable through human action or inaction. Adopt a mindset that encourages you to view seemingly fixed problems as solvable, and try to make this sense of possibility contagious to others.

2. Become a Policy Entrepreneur

Identify public policy areas needing improvement (what government should stop/start doing) and learn the skills to translate ideas into action within the political system. This involves understanding government tools and building coalitions to achieve large-scale impact.

3. Use ‘President’s Call’ Thought Experiment

When seeking to influence policy, ask yourself: ‘If the President called anyone on the planet, who should they call and what exactly should they ask them to do?’ This forces concrete thinking about specific actors and actionable steps, moving beyond abstract notions of ’the government.’

4. Build Effective Coalitions

To achieve complex goals, clearly articulate who the coalition members are and the mutually reinforcing steps you want them to take. Explain why the action is in their enlightened self-interest, make it easy for them to agree, and identify the ideal messenger.

5. Leverage Government’s Five Tools

Understand and utilize the executive branch’s key tools: working with Congress on legislation, influencing the president’s budget, employing executive action, using the president’s ‘bully pulpit’ to convene and build movements, and recruiting skilled individuals to government roles.

6. Design Market-Shaping Interventions

For problems markets don’t solve well, influence the demand for innovation by articulating desired outcomes and making financial commitments contingent on success. Examples include advanced market commitments (purchase orders for non-existent products), milestone payments, and incentive prizes.

7. Prioritize Policy Initiatives Strategically

When choosing policy issues, consider the potential upside if successful and the probability of success. Prioritize areas with minimal existing opposition (‘hit ’em where they ain’t’), avoid overly expensive initiatives, and assess the government’s capacity to implement.

8. Define Success with Target Profiles

For specific problems (e.g., medical devices for global health), clearly define the desired innovation’s performance characteristics and affordability requirements, without dictating how to build it. This explicit definition of success helps guide innovators and evaluate progress.

9. Support Focused Research Organizations

Philanthropists should consider funding ‘Focused Research Organizations’ (FROs) for scientific problems that don’t fit traditional startup or university models. These projects are often public goods, require team science, and can pursue ambitious, field-transforming goals without immediate publication pressure or VC-attractive profitability.

10. Address Research System Bottlenecks

Recognize that traditional peer review can stifle high-risk, high-return ideas. Encourage researchers to identify ’transformational datasets’ even if seemingly unfundable, and support these through philanthropic means or by funding tools that lower data collection costs.

11. Consider Government ‘Tour of Duty’

If you care about improving government, consider serving for 3-4 years in roles like DARPA program managers or the U.S. Digital Service. This allows you to apply cutting-edge skills to important problems, bringing fresh perspectives and operational expertise to public service.

12. Advocate for Agency Research Capacity

Promote the establishment of research and innovation capacity within federal agencies that currently lack it (e.g., Department of Labor). This enables agencies to proactively identify and pursue ambitious goals, leveraging science and technology to develop more effective solutions for critical problems.