7 ms·

I worked in that space for seven years. To put it plainly, we were paid to create ideas by entities and individuals who wanted a certain frame or perspective to

by Rhodee 16y ago

I worked in that space for seven years. To put it plainly, we were paid to create ideas by entities and individuals who wanted a certain frame or perspective to emerge or persist in the wild.

noodle 16y ago
i understand generally what you're talking about, but could you elaborate or provide an example? i've always been kind of curious, myself
- jellicle 16y ago
  CEO selects appropriate thinktank, says, "I run an oil and gas company. I need you to produce articles that are critical of global warming. Here's one million dollars." Thinktank goes and hires a couple of global warming "skeptics" for $50K/year. They produce writings and speakings, which the thinktank personnel shop around to appropriate outlets for minimal fees. Op-Eds are distributed to newspapers. Pre-edited 5-minute segments are distributed to TV news programs. The media outlets are happy to receive ready-to-publish content for cheap. You the viewer receive all this information against global warming from a "neutral, non-partisan" thinktank. You are likely to believe it. The name of the CEO's oil and gas corporation is never mentioned. Money laundering is taking money from illegal sources and turning it into clean, usable money. Thinktanks are engaged in the practice of idea laundering.
  - Rhodee 16y ago
    Harsh. But not wholly inaccurate. I think it really depends on who you work for. There are some think tanks that do policy and some that do politics. Policy is about the analytical development of rules and procedures. Politics is exactly what Jellicle described.
  - maukdaddy 16y ago
    1. Harsh, but that is the most accurate description I've seen. 2. This is mostly how Gartner, Forrester, et. al. work.
  - mbesto 16y ago
    Aren't these just PR firms then?
    - ohashi 16y ago
      It's pronounced 'think tank.'
      - Rhodee 16y ago
        I prefer advocacy organization or research outfit. Think tank implies inaction. If you live in the western world moving policy is literally like moving mountains the higher the scale or wealthier the opposition. "Action Tank" anyone?
    - GHFigs 16y ago
      Think tanks: are they just PR firms? This person with important title from important-sounding organization says yes. Critics like this other guy say no. The more important person says the critics are wrong. The only thing that is certain is that the debate about whether think tanks are just PR firms continues.
      - iuguy 16y ago
        Tom Logan from the Institute For Studies says that Think Tanks are an "Invaluable source of impartial opinion that help reflect the thoughts, movements and science that drives the world." Ribena de-Farquhar-Toss from the Policy Research (PR) Think Tank disagrees, suggesting that Think Tanks form "part of the process by which corporations and governments brain wash us into spending money we haven't earned on shit we don't need."
  - easyfrag 16y ago
    I have always referred to them as "Spin Factories", they provide the content that are used in PR and media to spin issues in a manner that is favorable to the sponsor(s).
- Rhodee 16y ago
  Sure. Take for example clean energy (NOTE: I policy wonk'd in this area). There are some folks who want to 'disrupt' the field with technology. Some support this (most consumers should) and some don't (the more vertically integrated legacy suppliers). My job was to determine talking points to get attention from the powers that be in key parts of government (DoD, WH, States) and communicate a value proposition in support of the disruptive technology elements. Without calling them disruptive-we needed to learn what they valued. So my job was to use geospatial, market data, academic and legal to support policy recommendations. Then get people to hop on board. Clear(er)?
  - roel_v 16y ago
    Where does one hire people like that?
    - Rhodee 16y ago
      Law schools. But I guess it depends on what you are trying to accomplish?
      - roel_v 16y ago
        Can I contact you directly?
        Rhodee 16y ago
        sure. Sorry for the delay.
zackattack 16y ago
I would love to hear something about: - how much you can make working for a think tank - what kind of skills you need, specifically. for example, if you're doing research, i suppose PhD credential would be necessary - what made you decide to leave the industry
- Rhodee 16y ago
  - How much: Industry specific and tenure. I would say the expected start salary undergrad in one of the major cities is 38-42, master's level candidate start in the 50s and with tenure you tap out in mid six-figures. Or you go work for the government, lobby shop (don't) or for an elected official. You can head to the undying lands and teach. Lots of flexibility, but very hard to pin down what exactly it is 'you do.' - Skills: PhDs are not required-you will find more JDs in the fold than one might expect. These shops are often very small and run by older guard and don't have access to HN-audiences, so they are not technically advanced or pay exorbitant rates for graphic design and web presence (arbitrage alert). But what they are good at is proposing ways to change rules. Politicians, rarely, rarely, write laws-this community does. Politicians pull language from us and write bills. Then there office turns those bills into legal language. So the skills you would need to support those outcomes at any level IMO: Statistics, hitting the phones and a business development acumen. You can be the smartest person in the room, but if you can't move people to do something (hint: statistics is not 'it') you will be like those people who build the perfect product that no one buys. There needs to be an MVP for policy. Too many perfect bills, too few changes in our lives. -Why I left: I have a very impatient mind. Well sort of impatient-I did work in the field for seven years. I realized that the field adapts to politiking in ways I was uncomfortable with and without a lot of what we would call 'validation.' Ideas would be dropped wholesale given regime change or funding-which was not connected to reality. I worked at an org that was 'policy effective' they knew how to resist such changes (i.e. funding) and hired smart people. But I realize I was the only talking about rapid iteration, validation and business development-which got me strange looks. I've always loved coding, and wanted to start a social enterprise-so I walked out and am doing just that. If I were giving tips to me in my twenties I would say: Steer clear of small shops that don't want to support projects in the field. If they think small does not equal nimble (i.e. they just want to put out reports or convene meetings), its not worth your time. In fact if someone tells you they want to convene a meeting-always follow up with...then what? If its another meeting...head for the hills. Meetings are important but if all they do is create additional meetings-you know you are dealing with the old guard and change will be slow. Think tanks are all wishing to become, at least in part, communications firms. Too many organization's chasing too few minutes in the day to influence you-message inflation. If your organization begins to show signs of leaping into the bubble, leave. Work on policy that can be practised. Some might think that means work at a large scale. Wrong. Find a shop willing to test its ideas in the wild-you will not regret this policy entrepreneurship experience. Rhodee
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]

by Rhodee 16y ago

I worked in that space for seven years. To put it plainly, we were paid to create ideas by entities and individuals who wanted a certain frame or perspective to emerge or persist in the wild.

noodle 16y ago

i understand generally what you're talking about, but could you elaborate or provide an example? i've always been kind of curious, myself

jellicle 16y ago
CEO selects appropriate thinktank, says, "I run an oil and gas company. I need you to produce articles that are critical of global warming. Here's one million dollars." Thinktank goes and hires a couple of global warming "skeptics" for $50K/year. They produce writings and speakings, which the thinktank personnel shop around to appropriate outlets for minimal fees. Op-Eds are distributed to newspapers. Pre-edited 5-minute segments are distributed to TV news programs. The media outlets are happy to receive ready-to-publish content for cheap. You the viewer receive all this information against global warming from a "neutral, non-partisan" thinktank. You are likely to believe it. The name of the CEO's oil and gas corporation is never mentioned. Money laundering is taking money from illegal sources and turning it into clean, usable money. Thinktanks are engaged in the practice of idea laundering.
- Rhodee 16y ago
  Harsh. But not wholly inaccurate. I think it really depends on who you work for. There are some think tanks that do policy and some that do politics. Policy is about the analytical development of rules and procedures. Politics is exactly what Jellicle described.
- maukdaddy 16y ago
  1. Harsh, but that is the most accurate description I've seen. 2. This is mostly how Gartner, Forrester, et. al. work.
- mbesto 16y ago
  Aren't these just PR firms then?
  - ohashi 16y ago
    It's pronounced 'think tank.'
    - Rhodee 16y ago
      I prefer advocacy organization or research outfit. Think tank implies inaction. If you live in the western world moving policy is literally like moving mountains the higher the scale or wealthier the opposition. "Action Tank" anyone?
  - GHFigs 16y ago
    Think tanks: are they just PR firms? This person with important title from important-sounding organization says yes. Critics like this other guy say no. The more important person says the critics are wrong. The only thing that is certain is that the debate about whether think tanks are just PR firms continues.
    - iuguy 16y ago
      Tom Logan from the Institute For Studies says that Think Tanks are an "Invaluable source of impartial opinion that help reflect the thoughts, movements and science that drives the world." Ribena de-Farquhar-Toss from the Policy Research (PR) Think Tank disagrees, suggesting that Think Tanks form "part of the process by which corporations and governments brain wash us into spending money we haven't earned on shit we don't need."
- easyfrag 16y ago
  I have always referred to them as "Spin Factories", they provide the content that are used in PR and media to spin issues in a manner that is favorable to the sponsor(s).
Rhodee 16y ago
Sure. Take for example clean energy (NOTE: I policy wonk'd in this area). There are some folks who want to 'disrupt' the field with technology. Some support this (most consumers should) and some don't (the more vertically integrated legacy suppliers). My job was to determine talking points to get attention from the powers that be in key parts of government (DoD, WH, States) and communicate a value proposition in support of the disruptive technology elements. Without calling them disruptive-we needed to learn what they valued. So my job was to use geospatial, market data, academic and legal to support policy recommendations. Then get people to hop on board. Clear(er)?
- roel_v 16y ago
  Where does one hire people like that?
  - Rhodee 16y ago
    Law schools. But I guess it depends on what you are trying to accomplish?
    - roel_v 16y ago
      Can I contact you directly?
      - Rhodee 16y ago
        sure. Sorry for the delay.

zackattack 16y ago

I would love to hear something about: - how much you can make working for a think tank - what kind of skills you need, specifically. for example, if you're doing research, i suppose PhD credential would be necessary - what made you decide to leave the industry

Rhodee 16y ago
- How much: Industry specific and tenure. I would say the expected start salary undergrad in one of the major cities is 38-42, master's level candidate start in the 50s and with tenure you tap out in mid six-figures. Or you go work for the government, lobby shop (don't) or for an elected official. You can head to the undying lands and teach. Lots of flexibility, but very hard to pin down what exactly it is 'you do.' - Skills: PhDs are not required-you will find more JDs in the fold than one might expect. These shops are often very small and run by older guard and don't have access to HN-audiences, so they are not technically advanced or pay exorbitant rates for graphic design and web presence (arbitrage alert). But what they are good at is proposing ways to change rules. Politicians, rarely, rarely, write laws-this community does. Politicians pull language from us and write bills. Then there office turns those bills into legal language. So the skills you would need to support those outcomes at any level IMO: Statistics, hitting the phones and a business development acumen. You can be the smartest person in the room, but if you can't move people to do something (hint: statistics is not 'it') you will be like those people who build the perfect product that no one buys. There needs to be an MVP for policy. Too many perfect bills, too few changes in our lives. -Why I left: I have a very impatient mind. Well sort of impatient-I did work in the field for seven years. I realized that the field adapts to politiking in ways I was uncomfortable with and without a lot of what we would call 'validation.' Ideas would be dropped wholesale given regime change or funding-which was not connected to reality. I worked at an org that was 'policy effective' they knew how to resist such changes (i.e. funding) and hired smart people. But I realize I was the only talking about rapid iteration, validation and business development-which got me strange looks. I've always loved coding, and wanted to start a social enterprise-so I walked out and am doing just that. If I were giving tips to me in my twenties I would say: Steer clear of small shops that don't want to support projects in the field. If they think small does not equal nimble (i.e. they just want to put out reports or convene meetings), its not worth your time. In fact if someone tells you they want to convene a meeting-always follow up with...then what? If its another meeting...head for the hills. Meetings are important but if all they do is create additional meetings-you know you are dealing with the old guard and change will be slow. Think tanks are all wishing to become, at least in part, communications firms. Too many organization's chasing too few minutes in the day to influence you-message inflation. If your organization begins to show signs of leaping into the bubble, leave. Work on policy that can be practised. Some might think that means work at a large scale. Wrong. Find a shop willing to test its ideas in the wild-you will not regret this policy entrepreneurship experience. Rhodee

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]