TheBridge profile: Sasha Moss
Name: Sasha Moss
Current city: Washington, DC
Current job: Senior Director, InSight Public Affairs
Past job: Federal Affairs Manager, R Street Institute
Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? Slipstream on 14th
Q. Describe how a skill you learned in a previous job helped you in your current job. I learned how to be patient. For much of my early career, I was used to moving fast and doing so by myself. Academia and Congressional policy are often-times considered slow processes, but it truly is not: you need to be online, available, and always learning or writing.
When I joined my previous gig at R Street as a full-time staff member, I needed to learn how to be patient and work in a collective manner. For so long in my career, I was a bit of a lone wolf, teamwork was not my specialty. When I joined the Tech team at RSI, for the first time, I needed to learn how to listen, be pragmatic, and most importantly, exercise patience.
Q. Job advice in three words? [And I cannot stress this enough] Always be kind.
Q. How are you (or your company, org, nonprofit) currently bridging the gap between innovation and regulation? InSight’s technology policy clients include coalitions of nonprofits, public interest groups, and technology companies. We only work with clients who progress policy for the greater public good. We do everything from public relations and lobbying to helping clients think through legal filings from a broader policy, political, and public relations lens. We are all law and policy experts, but we are not a law firm, which brings a different perspective than others in the market.
A distinctive part of my job is connecting brilliant law professors, private practice attorneys, think tanks and policy wonks with my clients and vice versa. I cannot stress the value of finding an outside organization or expert that supports a position and being able to amplify their ability to tell the story rather than doing it directly yourself. These experts respect the work we do unlike a lot of other firms because they see us as one of them and trust us. I feel this is the best way to "bridge the gap between politics and tech." It achieves tangible and meaningful results as well as long term partnerships.
Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? You do not need to be first, you need to be the best. The most successful policymakers are those who are thoughtful and take time. Accessing harm, deploying safe tools, and working with experts yields the greatest return.
I understand it may not always be easy if you have an investor who needs immediate progress, but having a company, which can last the test of time as opposed to being popular for a moment means a better return on investment, and of course, a stronger portfolio to keep innovating.
Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? Look at the harm and gather all of the information, not only the information to confirm your already held conclusion. Oftentimes, policymakers are tasked with solving a problem through legislative reform. However, especially as of late, they are starting with the solution, and then are working backward from there. This leads to confirmation bias and policy mistakes.
I deeply believe policymakers need to put on the breaks. Do due diligence and research to come to a conclusion of what will work best. Take a moment to speak with innovators one-on-one, visit their warehouses, and get to know them rather than firing first. Oftentimes, legislation is not needed to solve a problem because it is not a problem at all -- it is merely a misinterpretation and what is needed is a clarification.
Of course, this is situation-dependent, but I truly believe if policymakers got to know innovators and theories behind their actions, in addition to their workforce, the policy would function in a far more streamlined manner.
Q. Favorite book/podcast/long-form article you recommend? Podcast - The Fifth Column
Book - Congressional Procedures & the Policy Process (Olsezek, Oleszek, Rybicki, Heniff)
Long-form article - Anything on Caputuredconomy.com or Legbranch.com.
Q. Every day is probably different, but can you describe a "day in the life" of your job? Typically, I have about 5 - 8 meetings a day. Between meetings, I am writing or touching base with friends in the policy space. I am always online and I like spending my free time either flexing my academic muscles or just chatting with pals to see what they are working on because oftentimes, new ideas spur through these conversations. Additionally, I participate in several nonprofits, so my evenings are typically spent working with my fellow volunteers to support women who are just branching out into the tech field. I want to give back; I have some amazing mentors. And I would not be here without them. I just hope I can be half as good a mentor as they are to me.
Q. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself in the beginning of your career? You do not need to always be online! Gosh, the number of important events I have missed because I refused to put my phone on "do not disturb," I am embarrassed to even admit this… but get offline. Trust me, that email does not need to be answered, the important text is not that important, just make your deadlines, the rest can wait. Enjoy the little moments because I sure have missed so many.
Q. Favorite under the radar company? Discord -- It’s not just for gamers! I've used it for connecting with policy experts, hosting debates, and asking questions. It's a great way to connect.
Q. Living person you admire? Nuala O’Connor, which should not come as much of a surprise to anyone who knows me, but I have long been an admirer. Her career path is fascinating and she has found incredible success and respect from politicos, academics, nonprofits, and industry. But most importantly, she has balanced family and professional life to make it appear seamless.
Q. Which Member of Congress/local lawmaker is most tech savvy? Governor Jared Polis (Colorado). He just “gets it” and I was so fortunate to work with his office when he was a Member of Congress. No idea was too crazy so long as the policy was there. I think he’s doing great work for the people of Colorado, but gosh, I miss him in DC!
Q. How do you unwind after work? A perfect cuppa, my mother was right, a good cup of tea can solve just about any problem.
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