ChinaTalk The Think Tank New Breed (IFP + FAI)
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Apr 16, 2026 
Max Bodach, EVP at the Foundation for American Innovation, builds conservative tech-policy networks. Caleb Watney, co-founder of the Institute for Progress, runs applied, cross-partisan policy work. They debate why counterfactual policy impact beats white papers. They discuss vertical integration, fundraising models, events and relationships, recruiting young policy entrepreneurs, and how AI reshapes think tank workflows.
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Make Researchers Do Their Own Comms And Outreach
- Build vertically integrated teams: the person who researches should also do comms and outreach to preserve relationship capital.
- Caleb argues staff who wrote the brief are more persuasive to Hill staffers and journalists.
Use End‑to‑End Case Studies To Prove Impact
- Demonstrate impact with detailed case studies linking messages, introductions, emails and timing rather than counting outputs.
- Caleb compares this to a VC approach: many shots on goal, then show specific wins that paid for the portfolio.
Track Surrogate Endpoints For Long Term Policy Goals
- Use surrogate endpoints to measure intermediate policy progress when final outcomes take years.
- Caleb compares policy surrogate endpoints to clinical trial surrogates to justify tracking persuasive milestones like persuading key pipeline actors.