Set Your Number

Set Your Target Number
Set Your Target Number A worksheet: how many people is enough — to move THIS decision-maker? Data Activism · The Multiverse School 1 WHO ARE YOU MOVING? Name the ONE person who can say yes — and the exact decision + moment they say it at. Not “the government.” A name and a date. ✎ WORKED ANSWER Chair Ruiz — chair of the Air District Board — at the Nov 14 emissions- reporting vote. 2 HOW COSTLY IS YOUR ASK TO THEM? Cheap, low-controversy asks need FEWER people. Expensive or controversial asks need MORE. So: how hard is it for them to just say yes? ✎ WORKED ANSWER Quarterly reporting is routine + administrative — a low-cost yes. → Aim at the LOWER end of the range. LOW-COST · EASY YES HIGH-COST · CONTROVERSIAL fewer people needed more people needed your ask 3 SET YOUR NUMBER — USE THE TIERS Calibrate against the person-dots below. Pick where THIS ask has to land; that tier is your target headcount. City/county level — scale 5–10× for state · federal. ≈3–5 THEY NOTICE 3 emails · 5 calls · 3 at public comment You land in the staffer’s weekly summary. ≈10–15 THEY FEEL PRESSURE 10 emails · 12–15 in the room at the hearing ★ YOUR TARGET ≈12 “There’s a thing happening out here.” 25+ THEY CAN’T IGNORE 25+ emails · 15+ at the hearing · press shows up It’s politically costly NOT to act. EACH ● = ONE PERSON Find where THIS ask has to land — that tier is your headcount. Count them. A whole “movement” is 25 people ▸ ✎ WORKED Low-cost ask → aim for ≈12 at the Nov 14 hearing — the low end of “feel pressure,” already hard to ignore. 4 PLAN FOR CONSISTENCY 5 people at EVERY meeting for 6 months beats 50 once. Regulars get known by name — that IS the pressure. So: who shows up, every time, no matter what? ✎ WORKED ANSWER The same 6 parents, at EVERY monthly Air District meeting — until they’re known by name. STEADY · the same few, every meeting ✓ known by name ONE-TIME · 50 at once, then gone ✗ forgotten QUALITY CAN BEAT QUANTITY one smoking-gun finding — or one affected person’s story > 100 form emails The goal isn’t “as many people as possible.” It’s enough to move THIS decision-maker at THIS moment — often far fewer than you think.

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