FTI strategy – Sanjeev Sabhlok's blog

23rd May 2011

Understanding FTI’s strategy in three simple steps

Three simple steps of "gap analysis" underpin FTI's strategy:

First gap: Bad policy is the cause of India's problems. This is the policy gap.

How can we address this gap? Well, policy can't be changed except through the democratic process. Hence we need a majority of seats in parliament to start the ball rolling. That explains FTI's goal of winning at least 300 parliamentary seats – OR NOTHING.

[Note that this gap states clearly implies that India's problem is NOT bad implementation of good policy; it is policy itself that is bad; bad policy simply can't be implemented well, anyway]

Second gap: Good people (who are ethical, and understand good policy) often avoid politics in India. This is the leadership gap.

Hence we need to identify and bring together good people who are willing to contest elections. Hence FTI's focus on finding at least 1500 outstanding leaders who are committed to contest parliamentary elections.

Third gap: If we do find a few good people willing to contest elections, these people seem to be lone rangers and rush in to contest elections without preparation. This is the credibility gap.

By not working together closely in a systematic manner as a single team, these few good people blow their electoral chances, being overwhelmed by the organised force of bigger, corrupt parties. Hence FTI's strategy of pursuing a systematic path – of policy agreement, fund raising, and building grassroots support.

Conclusion

Gap analysis easily shows why FTI's path is well-chosen, and its strategy robust. It therefore has an almost project-managed approach, with critical milestones to be met without which certain next steps can't be undertaken.

The problem, of course, is that this simple approach seems to be just too hard for most people to understand! Fortunately, most good people do ultimately get it, when they realise there are no shortcuts. That is why FTI has by now got some truly outstanding leaders, and is following a path that is GUARANTEED to change India.

If you can understand what I'm saying, then you might be ready to join FTI! That's good news for everyone. So please apply.

15th May 2011

FTI’s unique selling proposition and target ‘market’

What is FTI's USP (unique selling proposition) and market?

a) To those who vote Congress but are uncomfortable with its corruption and extreme socialism, with hundreds of wasteful "schemes", FTI offers a corruption-free and socialism-free WORLD-CLASS government.

b) To those who vote BJP but are uncomfortable with its corruption and tactical tendency to mix religion and politics, FTI offers a corruption-free WORLD-CLASS government that treats all religions equally, and insists on basic standards (and discipline) from all.

FTI offers justice, law and order and infrastructure. And poverty elimination.

I don't think any political force in India can match that.

I would like to suggest that about half the voters of Congress and half the voters of BJP will be persuaded to vote for FTI members – ONCE IT IS READY TO LAUNCH – thus creating a huge national political force (of course, at the moment FTI is not a credible force given the paucity of enough HIGH QUALITY leaders). In my view, that should be enough, in the first-past-the-post system, to comfortably win 300 parliamentary seats.

The market has already changed. The mood in India has shifted against socialism.

FTI is now not an outlier but is pitching for the median voter who is SICK of corruption, socialism and religious meddling in politics.

I am certain that should the right number of leaders assemble, FTI has a reasonable chance of winning even in 2014 (although 2019 sounds more plausible).

This is one more reason for young high quality leaders to join FTI. The country beckons.