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.

Unlike specialized non-profits, Far.AI covers the entire AI safety value chain from research to policy. This structure is designed to prevent promising safety ideas from being "dropped" between the research and deployment phases, a common failure point where specialized organizations struggle to hand off work.

For its American Dynamism fund, Andreessen Horowitz provides more than capital; it fields a dedicated policy team in Washington D.C. This team works to change structural government problems, like defense procurement, creating a more favorable market for its portfolio and the broader startup ecosystem.

Recognizing that policy change is difficult, IFP adopts a venture capital mindset. They maximize their "shots on goal" on high-expected-value policies, accepting a low success rate. The few major wins they achieve are impactful enough to justify the entire portfolio of attempts.

Engaging in polarized debates is like joining a massive tug-of-war with minimal marginal impact. IFP's strategy is to find important, orthogonal issues without a strong partisan valence, like science funding mechanisms, where they can achieve significant change.

Bipartisanship often results in a "mushy middle" compromise nobody loves. The Institute for Progress's "cross-partisanship" strategy finds ways for both parties to earnestly support the same policy for their own distinct reasons, creating more durable legislation.

Large, established think tanks are losing relevance due to political polarization and their slow pace. Smaller, agile think tanks with niche expertise are gaining influence by focusing on direct, person-to-person engagement with policymakers to create tangible impact, rather than just publishing books.

ChinaTalk staffs its hybrid think tank/media organization by hiring from a very specific talent pool: 'the most policy focused journalist types and the most... interested in writing and interviewing... think tank analyst folks.' This tight Venn diagram ensures a unique skill set perfectly aligned with their model.

Unlike traditional think tanks that act like "universities without students," newer organizations like IFP and FAI are structured to achieve tangible changes in laws and regulations. Publishing a paper is just the first step in a much longer process.