From LBJ to Steve Jobs and Back Again

We need to think different to solve problems like gun violence

Lyndon Johnson’s political genius was creative not merely in the lower, technical aspects of politics but on much higher levels. And if there was a single aspect of his creativity that had been, throughout his career, most impressive, it was a capacity to look at an institution that possessed only limited political power–an institution that no one else thought of as having the potential for any more than limited political power–and to see in that institution the potential for substantial political power; to transform that institution so that it possessed such power; and, in the process of transforming it, to reap from the transformation substantial personal power for himself. Lyndon Johnson had done that with the White Stars. He had done it with the Little Congress. He had done it with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. And now the eyes of Lyndon Johnson were focused on another institution: the Senate of the United States.

- Robert Caro, Master of the Senate

Robert Caro’s Master of the Senate is one of the best books ever written about entrepreneurship.

Caro tells the story of a creative, ambitious leader named Lyndon Johnson, who is elected to the Senate at the age of 40, becomes assistant leader of the Senate Democrats at age 42, minority leader at 44, and majority leader at 46.

And as Caro tells the story:

Everyone believed the Senate could not really be led. And the minute [Johnson] takes that leadership, he starts to do things. Everyone said, "the seniority system will never be changed." He changes it in two weeks to… watch him doing things in the Senate with this mixture of ruthlessness, I mean, absolute ruthlessness and charm and brilliance. You say, when he sets out to pass that first civil rights bill in 1957, you… said no one can get this passed.

[Southern chairmen of Senate committees] basically have all the power in the Senate. And they stopped every civil rights bill since reconstruction.

Johnson sets out to pass this bill, and to watch him almost do it vote by vote is to see I said legislative power a minute ago, it's really legislative genius.

America’s challenges with gun safety are top of mind in the aftermath of another terrible shooting. However, gun violence likely won’t be curtailed by throwing additional money at the same tactics. It will be solved with an innovative, perhaps counterintuitive approach, led by people who are just as creative as they are dedicated. They will deeply understand the problems and the players, see an angle that the rest of us miss, and execute relentlessly.

The best entrepreneurs see untapped technologies, resources, and channels that others aren’t paying attention to. They find ways to tap them, they bring others along, and they get stuff done.

Steve Jobs famously brought together multi-touch technology, cellphones, and the iPod to create the iPhone in 2007.

Reid Hoffman used his exceptional understanding of professional relationships, and combined it with an understanding of viral growth and human networks to launch LinkedIn in 2003.

Lyndon Johnson repeatedly used his understanding of political institutions, his skill at redesigning those same institutions for both power and effectiveness, and an unmatched ability to use both carrots and sticks to pass two Civil Rights bills.

Steve Jobs was a great entrepreneur who built physical products; Reid Hoffman is a great entrepreneur who builds software products; Lyndon B. Johnson was a great entrepreneur who built political structures.

Here in Silicon Valley, we extol the entrepreneurs who craft a brilliant vision, convince others to join them, and execute relentlessly.

The Founders, The Hard Thing About Hard Things, High Growth Handbook, and many other books, podcasts, and blogs tell compelling tales of success in Silicon Valley.

Most stories from Washington, D.C. and American state capitals are mostly less inspirational than Johnson’s. The more common story is that of the Senate before Johnson arrived: a seniority-driven system where creativity was rare, very little got done, and most of the people in power were fine with that.

Many legislative bodies in the U.S. today look very much like the Senate in the 1940s: stagnant and slow to solve real problems. In Washington, both Democrats and Republicans make noise about supporting or opposing legislation with no chance of passing, while pragmatism takes a back seat. Here in wealthy, liberal California, far more needs to get done on vital issues like housing, climate, and fire prevention.

The lack of innovation creates an opportunity for entrepreneurially minded people willing to apply their skills to major societal problems. And the leverage on these problems is massive.

California YIMBY has had an outsized impact on the multi-trillion dollar California housing market with a team of just a dozen people. The legislation that they have been involved in will positively affect millions of Californians in the years to come.

I have spent the past five years building a public opinion polling company, where I’ve been able to learn about a new field, apply my Silicon Valley startup and data science skills, and make a real difference in hundreds of political campaigns.

The U.S. – and California in particular – needs robust political entrepreneurship. Inspired ideas and relentless execution in the public sector are needed to help push our state and country forward.

A Call To Political Entrepreneurs in California

Modern Power, a publication of Effective Government California (EGC), aims to help turn California into the global model for liberal democracy. We believe our state has the values, resources, and ingenuity to achieve abundance for our residents over the next 10-20 years. But to do that we’ll need at least a few political entrepreneurs at the Lyndon Johnson level of mastery, and hundreds of others at some levels below that. 

Paul Graham and Y Combinator helped inspire, recruit, and support a generation of entrepreneurs; we hope EGC and Modern Power can help do the same for political entrepreneurs. 

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Abundance-aligned candidates of any experience level: please get in touch to collaborate. candidate@effectivegovernment.org

If you have tales of political entrepreneurship, we’d love to help you share your knowledge broadly. story@effectivegovernment.org