When pitching a disruptive solution to an established industry, frame the conversation by questioning why, with all their resources, they haven't already solved a known, critical problem. This shifts the burden of proof and highlights their inertia, creating urgency for your alternative.

A core strategy for policy impact is to make it as easy as possible for busy decision-makers to act on your ideas. This involves doing their follow-up work, aligning stakeholders, and presenting a clear path to get a decision over the finish line.

Structure your problem statement as a three-part narrative to create urgency. First, anchor it to a recent "change" the company is undergoing. Then, present your solution as the logical "response." Finally, "contrast" the negative outcome of inaction with the positive outcome of your approach.

Government officials are drowning in information but starved for "clean ideas"—proposals that are clearly formulated to answer key questions (what, why, how) and are ready to be inserted into a speech or budget. Think tanks often fail to translate their research into this actionable format.

Instead of pitching a new idea in a vacuum, connect it directly to a leader's existing priorities, such as market disruption or a specific annual goal. This reframes your idea as a way to achieve their vision, increasing the likelihood of approval.

If influencing leaders feels manipulative, you're framing it incorrectly. Don't see it as politics for personal gain. Instead, view it as a learning opportunity by treating stakeholder conversations like discovery interviews. Your goal is not to manipulate, but to genuinely improve your ideas with their input.

While conventional wisdom says to bring solutions, a fully-baked solution can feel narrow and exclusionary. Presenting the core problem and inviting key stakeholders to brainstorm a solution together can lead to a more robust outcome and stronger buy-in from co-authors.

Jamer Hunt proposes "scalar framing" to tackle wicked problems by analyzing them at different magnitudes. For example, urban cycling can be a product design problem, an urban planning problem, or a policy problem. Shifting scales reveals new intervention points, creative solutions, and unexpected collaborators.

To avoid appearing self-serving or political, anchor every decision and debate to a specific customer problem. This shifts the focus from defending your idea to collectively solving a shared challenge. It frames your advocacy as being on behalf of the user, not your ego or career.