HerSay Whitepaper: Revolutionizing Women’s Healthcare Navigation
A woman uses HerSay - an AI-powered doctor visit companion.
Executive Summary
Women’s healthcare today faces a profound gap between patient needs and the support provided by traditional tools and systems. HerSay is a femtech startup addressing this gap with an AI-powered digital assistant that helps women+, non-binary individuals, and people assigned female at birth navigate their healthcare journeys – from preparing for doctor appointments to tracking symptoms and post-visit outcomes. This whitepaper presents HerSay’s vision and early research, demonstrating the scale of the problem, the uniqueness of our solution, and the opportunity for impact and growth.
HerSay’s methodology centers on user-driven design. We surveyed hundreds of women+ globally and conducted in-depth interviews to ground our product in real experiences. The findings are striking: delays and dismissals in diagnoses are common, most people feel underprepared to advocate for themselves in medical visits, and existing symptom trackers are largely inadequate . These insights inform HerSay’s feature set and value proposition. In parallel, market analysis reveals a booming digital women’s health market (projected $12.8B globally by 2030 ), yet also rampant dissatisfaction with the status quo of care – nearly 1 in 4 women report unfair or disrespectful treatment by healthcare providers . This disconnect signals both a critical need and a business opportunity for solutions like HerSay.
HerSay’s product vision directly tackles these pain points. Our platform offers a medically-savvy digital assistant that uses artificial intelligence to help users prepare for appointments, analyze symptom patterns, and journal post-visitactions and outcomes. Unlike existing femtech apps that focus narrowly on period tracking or fertility, HerSay provides comprehensive advocacy support – guiding users on what questions to ask, how to describe symptoms, and how to follow up. Early traction has been encouraging: hundreds of users joined our waitlist within weeks, many sharing testimonials of relief that “someone finally gets it” . This whitepaper will delve into the research behind these claims, compare HerSay to current solutions, outline our market opportunity, and describe how HerSay’s innovative features work together to make women’s healthcare more human, data-driven, and effective.
By clearly articulating the scale of the problem and the strength of HerSay’s solution, we aim to demonstrate why investing in HerSay is not only a promising business move but also a chance to transform women’s health outcomes at scale. The following sections provide a detailed analysis, supported by data, user voices, and industry research.
Market Research Analysis: Insights from Women’s Health Experiences
HerSay’s product is informed by extensive user research. In 2025, we launched the “Let’s Change Women’s Healthcare Together” survey and gathered responses from hundreds of women+, non-binary folks, and those assigned female at birth across North America and beyond . We also conducted qualitative interviews with individuals spanning different ages, backgrounds, and health conditions. The research uncovered pervasive pain points and unmet needs in the healthcare journey of these individuals. Key findings include:
Delayed or Missed Diagnoses: A significant share of respondents described long quests for answers. One in threesurvey participants reported they still do not have a diagnosis for their chronic symptoms . Even among those who eventually received a diagnosis, roughly 45% waited over six months to a year for that diagnosis . Many respondents felt their concerns were dismissed as stress or weight-related rather than properly investigated. As one person noted, “Normal tests don’t mean everything is OK. They’re not designed for female biology.” This highlights a pattern of medical gaslighting and the need for tools that help patients press for answers. (Indeed, in the broader landscape, endometriosis – a common women’s health condition – takes an average of 7 years from symptom onset to diagnosis , illustrating the systemic delays women face.)
Lack of Appointment Preparation and Confidence: The majority of our respondents struggle with doctor visits. 70% said they did not know what questions to ask or how to effectively communicate during medical appointments . Many admitted to forgetting key symptoms in the moment or leaving the clinic feeling confused and invalidated . In interviews, we heard phrases like “I wish I had written down what I wanted to ask” and “I didn’t feel confident enough to advocate for myself.” These admissions underscore a critical unmet need: patients want help in organizing their thoughts and priorities before seeing the doctor. They desire coaching in self-advocacy – to ensure their voice is heard and their concerns are addressed. Currently, most navigate this alone, often with suboptimal results.
Inadequacy of Current Tracking Tools: While many individuals attempt to track their health, they find existing tools lacking. Respondents reported using a patchwork of period apps, generic symptom trackers, phone notes, or paper journals. However, only 12% found their tracking methods extremely helpful . The rest indicated that these tools fall short – they record data but don’t yield insights. “I track my symptoms across three apps — it’s exhausting,” one user lamented . There is a clear appetite for a smarter, integrated solution that can connect the dots between symptoms, highlight patterns, and even suggest what those patterns might mean or what to ask the doctor. In other words, users want an analytic partner, not just a digital logbook.
Desire for Community and Shared Experiences: Dozens of participants voiced feelings of isolation in their health journeys. Given the prevalence of being dismissed or not taken seriously, respondents expressed that connecting with others in similar situations would be empowering. They want a private, safe community to exchange stories and learn from each other’s experiences . “I thought I was the only one,” was a common refrain as women learned of peers facing similar struggles . Survey participants specifically suggested that a community “like Reddit – but science-backed” would be valuable . In interviews, too, early adopters highlighted that finding solidarity can validate one’s concerns and provide emotional support. Any solution in this space should therefore consider peer-to-peer connection as a component, while also ensuring medical reliability (to avoid the spread of misinformation that plagues many online forums).
Beyond the quantitative data, user testimonials convey the emotional resonance of these issues. “I cried reading the survey questions — someone finally gets it,” wrote one early community member . Another shared, “I feel like this is the app I’ve needed for a decade.” Such feedback underlines that HerSay is tapping into long-unmet needs. Women+ are eager for a solution that validates their experiences instead of dismissing them. They are tired of being told symptoms are “just in your head” and are ready to take their health into their own hands – with the right support.
In summary, our research revealed a clear mandate: HerSay must help users where the system currently fails them – in finding answers faster, communicating better with providers, analyzing personal health data intelligently, and connecting with others for support. These insights form the foundation for HerSay’s product features (detailed in the Product Vision section). They also illustrate the significant user demand and social impact potential: by addressing these pain points, HerSay can change healthcare experiences for millions who have so far been underserved.
Competitive Landscape: Femtech Solutions and the Gaps HerSay Fills
The femtech space has grown rapidly in recent years, producing a variety of women’s health apps and platforms. However, no existing solution fully addresses the end-to-end journey of appointment preparation, patient advocacy, and post-care tracking that HerSay focuses on. Below is an analysis of current solution categories and how HerSay differentiates:
Menstrual and Fertility Trackers (Flo, Clue, etc.): Cycle tracking apps like Flo and Clue are among the most popular femtech products, with large user bases and proven financial success. Flo, for example, has over 240 million downloads and a valuation above $1B after a $200M Series C funding , and Clue has raised over $70M . These apps excel at logging menstrual cycles, predicting ovulation, and sometimes tracking related symptoms. They empower users with data about periods and fertility. However, their scope is mostly limited to reproductive health metrics. While Clue has recently added features like a health record and educational content (e.g. to help users discuss conditions like PCOS with doctors) , these apps generally do not provide personalized guidance for medical appointments or general symptom management beyond the menstrual cycle. For instance, Clue users often show their logged data to doctors as a record , but it is largely up to the user to interpret the patterns and formulate questions. HerSay builds on the foundation these trackers laid – comprehensive logging – and goes further by translating data into actionable insights and preparation for visits. Moreover, HerSay is condition-agnostic: we track more than just cycles, encompassing pain, mood, medications, and any symptoms the user chooses, across all body systems.
General Symptom Checkers and Health Trackers: A variety of apps and online tools (WebMD’s symptom checker, Ada Health, Google’s symptom search, etc.) let users input symptoms to get possible diagnoses or advice. Meanwhile, general wellness trackers (such as Apple Health or Fitbit, or journaling apps) allow collection of health data like steps, sleep, or symptoms. These tools can be useful for information gathering or lifestyle tracking, but they have critical gaps. Symptom checkers use AI to suggest what condition you might have, but they are not personalized to an individual’s medical history and often give generic results; importantly, they do not assist with how to communicate those symptoms to a human doctor. On the other hand, pure tracking apps record data but lack analysis and context – users end up with logs that they must themselves interpret. Neither type provides advocacy support: Ada or WebMD won’t coach you on asking your doctor about a second opinion, and a Fitbit won’t alert you that a pattern in your headaches warrants asking about, say, migraines. HerSay’s opportunity is to bridge these extremes: by combining robust symptom tracking with intelligent analytics, our assistant not only can recognize patterns (like a symptom that consistently flares before menstruation or under stress) but also suggest what that pattern could mean and what questions to ask during a healthcare visit. This is a unique value proposition not offered by generic tools.
Digital Health Clinics and Coaching (e.g. Maven Clinic, Tia, One Medical Women’s Health): A number of startups and clinics provide concierge medicine or telehealth specifically for women. For example, Maven Clinic offers virtual appointments with OB/GYNs, nutritionists, and other specialists; Tia Clinics provide in-person and virtual integrated care for women, and companies like Elektra Health focus on menopause coaching. These services typically connect patients directly to clinicians or health coaches and often come as subscription models. They address the gap in women-specific care by providing expert guidance and medical services. However, they can be costly and are structured around medical visits with their own professionals, not around empowering the patient in any healthcare setting. HerSay is distinct in that it is provider-agnostic and patient-centric: we aren’t offering our own doctors, but rather equipping users to get the most out of any doctor they see. HerSay can actually complement services like Maven or Tia – for instance, a user might prepare for a specialist appointment using HerSay, ensuring she asks all the right questions whether the appointment is virtual or in-person. Unlike a concierge clinic, HerSay scales as a direct-to-consumer digital product, focusing on education, organization, and support rather than clinical service delivery.
Community Forums and Social Platforms: Many women have turned to online communities (Reddit threads on health conditions, Facebook groups, specific forums like Endometriosis support groups, or platforms like PatientsLikeMe) to find answers and camaraderie. The popularity of these communities underscores the human need to share experiences. PatientsLikeMe, a large health network, recently launched Ella, an AI assistant for women’s wellness on its platform – showing recognition that women seek personalized guidance. Community platforms are invaluable for emotional support and anecdotal tips, but they suffer issues of quality control and privacy. Medical misinformation can be rife, and not everyone is comfortable sharing sensitive health details on open forums. HerSay’s approach is to provide a curated, secure community space integrated into the app, where users can learn from others’ stories with the confidence that content is vetted or accompanied by expert input. By weaving community features into our solution, we fill the gap between isolated tracking and social support, all within a trusted environment. In short, HerSay aims to be “Reddit meets Harvard Health” – combining peer support with evidence-based guidance.
In light of the above, HerSay’s differentiation becomes clear. We are pioneering a new category of femtech that bridges the silos: symptom tracking, personalized analytics, appointment preparation, and follow-up support, all in one platform. Where other tools address fragments of the journey, HerSay delivers continuity:
Before the appointment: HerSay helps users compile their symptoms and concerns into a concise overview, suggests tailored questions to ask (based on those symptoms and any relevant medical guidelines), and even provides tips for effective communication (for example, reminding someone to mention how symptoms impact daily life, which can prompt doctors to take them more seriously).
During the appointment: While HerSay is primarily a preparation tool, our digital assistant can also function in real-time as an appointment aide. For instance, users can utilize a voice recording feature (with advanced transcription) to capture the conversation with their doctor (always with consent), ensuring they don’t miss any instructions. This transcription is tuned to understand female voices across different accents and tones – a feature rarely emphasized elsewhere – which means more accurate records of the visit for the patient to review later.
After the appointment: HerSay encourages post-visit journaling and tracking. This could include logging any new treatments or advice given, tracking how symptoms evolve after starting a medication, and noting follow-up questions. The app’s AI can parse the doctor’s recommendations from the transcript or user notes and create reminders (e.g., “Schedule recommended blood test in 2 weeks” or “Did the doctor suggest consulting a specialist? Here’s how to find one…”). Competitors generally stop once the appointment is over – but HerSay recognizes that care is an ongoing process.
In summary, current femtech solutions validate that women are seeking tech support for their health (tens of millions use these apps), but significant gaps remain in advocacy and comprehensive support. HerSay occupies this white space. By focusing on appointment prep, in-visit support, and after-visit follow-through – all tailored for women’s health contexts – we offer something truly novel. This holistic approach not only differentiates HerSay in the market but also creates higher user engagement (since the app is relevant throughout the healthcare journey, not just on period days or when symptoms flare).
Market Sizing and Opportunity
Women’s health is both a large global market and an area of pressing unmet need, making it a ripe opportunity for innovation. HerSay operates at the intersection of several market trends – femtech growth, digital health adoption, and consumer dissatisfaction with traditional healthcare – each of which underscores a significant opportunity.
Size of the Women’s Health App Market: The market for women’s health applications is expanding rapidly. Globally, the women’s health app market (spanning fertility, pregnancy, wellness, etc.) was estimated at $4.85 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $12.87 billion by 2030, growing at ~17.8% CAGR . Some analyses put the 2030+ projections even higher; for instance, one report forecasts ~$23 billion by 2034 . This growth is driven by factors such as increasing awareness of women’s health issues, rising smartphone adoption, and demand for personalized healthcare solutions . In North America alone – currently the largest market region – women’s health apps generated about $1.8 billion in 2024, representing roughly 37.7% of the global market . North America is expected to continue leading in revenue through 2030, even as other regions like Asia-Pacific see faster growth . These figures indicate a substantial and growing user base willing to use technology for managing health. HerSay’s addressable market fits within these numbers but also extends them: many of our target users are not just looking for cycle tracking, but for tools to navigate healthcare encounters – a need that spans beyond the current definition of “women’s health apps.” By solving a broader problem (healthcare navigation and self-advocacy), HerSay taps into general digital health and patient engagement markets as well, which are also booming (the global Health market across genders was ~$50B in 2022 ).
User Adoption of Digital Health Tools: Consumers are more ready than ever to embrace digital health. In the United States, about 40% of adults were using a health or wellness app by 2023, a significant increase from a few years prior . Younger demographics lead the way (nearly half of 18–34 year-olds use health apps ), but even older adults are adopting these tools. Women in particular are often power users of health apps – surveys show women are more likely than men to track health metrics and to seek health information online. This high adoption rate de-risks HerSay’s proposition: our potential users are already on their phones tracking periods or steps; converting them to an app that offers deeper value is a logical next step. Furthermore, the everyday usage frequency of health apps is high – 50% of health app users engage with them daily – indicating that if we build a tool that meaningfully helps with their health, we can expect frequent engagement (which correlates with higher lifetime value per user). In essence, the habit of using apps for health is established; HerSay will leverage and extend this habit to the critical moments of the healthcare journey that currently aren’t well-served by apps (like preparing for a doctor’s visit).
Healthcare Dissatisfaction and Demand for Advocacy Tools: On the flip side of the tech growth is a sobering reality: women are not satisfied with the healthcare status quo. Numerous studies and surveys highlight that women experience more barriers and frustrations in health care than men. For example, a Deloitte survey found women are 35% more likely than men to have skipped or delayed care in the past year, often citing frustrations like cost, time, or feeling that the process wasn’t worth the hassle . Importantly, women often report not feeling heard by their providers. The Kaiser Family Foundation’s 2024 Women’s Health Survey found that nearly 1 in 4 women (23%) felt they had been treated unfairly or with disrespect by a healthcare provider in the past two years . Reasons ranged from providers dismissing their pain to biases about weight or age. Such negative experiences lead to mistrust and avoidance of care . This context creates a strong demand for HerSay’s solution: an assistant that empowers women in clinical conversations can directly address the feeling of not being heard. If a woman comes to an appointment with a clear list of concerns and data to back them up, it shifts the dynamic – it’s harder for a provider to dismiss concrete tracked evidence or a well-organized set of questions. HerSay, by facilitating this, effectively serves as a countermeasure to medical gaslighting. The sheer number of women who have felt gaslit or dismissed (in one poll, over 70% of millennial women said they felt a doctor had dismissed their concerns at some point ) implies a large population ready for a tool that helps them be taken seriously.
Trend: Investment in Femtech and Digital Health AI: Investors and industry leaders are recognizing the opportunity in women’s health and AI-driven healthtech. Beyond the big funding rounds of Flo and Clue, we see new entrants gaining attention – for example, PatientsLikeMe’s Ella assistant launch in late 2024 was covered widely as a sign that AI can personalize women’s health guidance . McKinsey & Company has highlighted the “women’s health gap” as a trillion-dollar economic opportunity, noting that women spend 25% more years in poor health compared to men, in part due to unmet health needs . Closing this gap through better interventions, diagnostics, and support could add $1 trillion to global GDP by 2040 – a powerful call to action for innovators and investors alike. HerSay’s mission aligns with this macro-trend: by improving women’s health experiences and outcomes (even incrementally, through better communication and earlier action on symptoms), we contribute to a larger movement of health equity and economic gains. Early interest in HerSay from accelerators and digital health funds indicates that stakeholders see both the market viability and the social impact. In short, the timing is ideal: femtech is at an inflection point where proven demand meets advanced technology (AI, natural language processing, etc.) that can finally deliver the personalized solutions users want.
In quantifiable terms, if HerSay captures even a modest fraction of the women’s health app market and related health engagement market, the business can scale rapidly. For example, targeting English-speaking markets first (North America’s ~38% share of the global market ) gives a serviceable obtainable market of potentially $2B+ in the near term. Furthermore, by offering a novel value proposition, HerSay could unlock new user segments who haven’t been reached by period trackers – such as women with chronic but undiagnosed conditions in their 30s-50s, or non-binary individuals alienated by gender-specific apps – expanding the overall user base of femtech.
Finally, we note that user willingness to pay for meaningful health solutions is rising. While many femtech apps use freemium models, those that offer real medical value (for instance, fertility solutions, menopause support, etc.) have seen users convert to paid plans for premium features. HerSay’s potential to save users time, money, and emotional distress in their healthcare journey can justify subscription-based revenue or B2B2C models (e.g. employers or insurers paying for licenses to improve patient outcomes). The market opportunity thus includes consumer and enterprise angles. For instance, an employer might sponsor HerSay for female employees to reduce missed work days and improve health engagement, similar to how mental health apps are being adopted in workplaces.
In summary, the market context is highly favorable: a growing base of tech-enabled users, a clear dissatisfaction with current healthcare experiences among women, and strong momentum (and investment) in AI and women’s health innovation. HerSay sits at the convergence of these trends with a chance to capture value by delivering what the market lacks – a tool that truly champions the patient’s voice in healthcare. Our go-to-market will leverage this climate, positioning HerSay not just as another health app, but as part of a movement to change women’s healthcare outcomes(a positioning already resonating with our early community, as seen by the enthusiastic uptake and word-of-mouth referrals).
Product Vision: HerSay’s Solution and Differentiation
HerSay’s product is designed as a comprehensive companion for a woman’s healthcare journey, distinguished by its intelligent features and empathetic design. At its core, HerSay is a mobile (and web-integrated) application powered by AI, with the following core features:
Medically-Savvy Digital Assistant (AI Chat & Voice): The HerSay assistant is an AI trained on medical knowledge (with a focus on women’s health) and conversational prowess. Users can interact with it in natural language – by typing or speaking – to discuss their health concerns. What sets this assistant apart is its context-awareness: it understands female-specific issues and can parse the nuances of symptoms often overlooked. For example, if a user mentions “feeling tired and cold all the time,” the assistant might ask follow-up questions about thyroid function or menstrual changes to gather a fuller picture. It’s also tuned to women’s communication styles and voices. This is not a generic chatbot – it has a custom NLP layer that has learned from female patient narratives, so it recognizes colloquialisms or descriptors women often use for symptoms (like “brain fog” or “sharp twinge in my lower belly”) and maps them to medical context appropriately. This assistant functions across the app, underpinning the other features: it can summarize data, generate suggestions, and even simulate a Q&A that a doctor might have, so the user can practice or anticipate how to articulate her issues.
AI-Powered Appointment Prep: This feature is one of HerSay’s flagship offerings. Users can enter the date of an upcoming doctor’s appointment and then follow a guided preparation flow. The app will prompt the user to input or select key information: what symptoms or issues do you want to discuss? For each symptom, it may ask duration, severity, triggers – effectively creating a quick report. The AI then analyzes these inputs alongside the user’s tracked data history. For example, if the user has been tracking fatigue, headaches, and irregular periods, HerSay will compile trends (perhaps noting, “Your headaches occur mostly in the week before your period”). It then produces an “Appointment Briefing”: a succinct summary the user can reference or even show the doctor. This briefing might say: “Main concerns: 3-month history of fatigue and headaches; Irregular menstrual cycles (25–40 days) with missed periods. Possible correlations: headaches cluster pre-menstrually; fatigue worsened after starting new job (stress?).” It will list 3-5 suggested questions for the user to ask the doctor, such as “Could these symptoms indicate a thyroid issue or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?” or “What tests can we do to investigate hormone levels or anemia?” – tailored to the data provided . It may also remind the user of any red-flag symptomsthat should be mentioned (leveraging medical guidelines – e.g., “Be sure to tell the doctor about your sudden weight loss”). This preparation not only boosts the user’s confidence but also makes the appointment more efficient and clinically productive. Essentially, HerSay acts as a personal health advocate in your pocket, making sure no concern is forgotten or left unvoiced.
Advanced Symptom Tracking & Analytics: At the foundation, HerSay includes a robust symptom and health tracker. Users can log daily how they feel, across customizable categories (pain, mood, energy, sleep, cycle, etc.), and add journal notes. What’s different is that HerSay doesn’t just store this data – it proactively analyzes it for patterns. The AI looks for correlations over time or against external factors. For instance, it might detect that “Your fatigue consistently spikes around day 21 of your cycle,” or “Your journal notes mention ‘anxiety’ on every day you rated pain above 7 – there might be a link.” The app presents these insights via charts and plain-language summaries. Over time, as the dataset grows, HerSay could even warn users of anomalies: “This month’s cramp severity is higher than usual for you,” prompting a user to seek care if needed. Importantly, these analytics feed back into appointment prep: the system can highlight which patterns to bring up to a doctor (e.g., “Recurring mid-cycle pain could suggest ovulation issues – worth mentioning to your GYN.”). Technically, this feature uses machine learning on the individual’s data (and in the future, aggregated anonymized data from all users) to generate personalized health insights, a functionality that few general health apps provide today . By giving users a data-driven understanding of their bodies, HerSay empowers them to have more informed conversations with providers. It’s like having a personal health analyst who continuously scans your data for meaning.
Post-Visit Journaling & Follow-up Support: After a medical appointment, users often have to digest a lot of information – diagnoses, new medication instructions, next steps. HerSay aids in this phase in two ways. First, using the transcription feature, the app can provide a written record of the visit if the user chose to record it (the transcription is high-quality, tuned for women’s voices, as mentioned earlier). This allows the user to review what the doctor said at her own pace, and share it with family or a caregiver if she wants. Second, HerSay prompts the user with a Post-Visit Check-In: “What was the outcome of your appointment? Did you get a diagnosis, a test ordered, a new treatment? How do you feel about it?” The user can jot down notes (e.g., “Doctor thinks it’s maybe fibromyalgia; ordered blood tests; starting a B12 supplement.”). The app will then update the user’s profile with any new info (like that tentative diagnosis) and add reminders (schedule that blood test, follow up appointment in 6 weeks). In the days and weeks following, HerSay might send gentle prompts: “How are you feeling after starting the supplement? Any side effects?” – so the user can log these. When it’s time for the next appointment, the cycle begins anew with richer information. This continuous journaling ensures continuity of care – nothing falls through the cracks. It’s common that patients forget to follow up or lose track of whether a treatment helped; HerSay provides an external memory and accountability partner for one’s health. Additionally, if the first appointment did not go well (say, the user felt dismissed), the app can offer coaching for what to do next (like, “If you feel your concerns weren’t addressed, consider seeking a second opinion. Here’s how to find a specialist…”). This kind of after-visit support distinguishes HerSay as an advocacy tool rather than just a tracker.
Community & Knowledge Hub (Secure and Evidence-Based): While not explicitly requested in the prompt list, it’s worth noting a key part of our vision influenced by user research: a community forum and knowledge libraryintegrated in the app. Users will be able to join discussion channels (anonymously if desired) based on topics (e.g., “Navigating PCOS,” “Menopause questions,” “General doctor visit tips”). The HerSay assistant will moderate and provide evidence-based input. For example, if someone asks “Has anyone tried asking their doctor about ADHD medication side effects?”, the assistant or a human moderator can chime in with reputable information (maybe summarizing Harvard Health or Mayo Clinic content on that topic). This creates a learning ecosystem where users get both peer advice and expert knowledge. The knowledge hub will also contain articles and quick guides (e.g., “How to read your lab results” or “Questions to ask before a surgery”) curated from trusted sources. In effect, HerSay becomes a one-stop resource: track, plan, discuss, learn – all in one place. Competitors typically offer either community (without robust guidance) or content (without personalization); HerSay fuses them.
Technology and Innovation: HerSay’s platform leverages state-of-the-art technology. The AI components are built on large language models (LLMs) finetuned with medical texts (such as clinical guidelines, Mayo Clinic symptom datasets, etc.) and reinforcement learning from real user interactions to ensure suggestions are relevant and safe. We employ strict guardrails: the assistant will not provide a medical diagnosis (we position it clearly as a guide, not a doctor), and it will frequently suggest users consult a professional for confirmation. Our symptom analytics incorporate both rule-based algorithms (for well-known patterns like PMS-related mood changes) and machine learning (to detect unique patterns in user data). Data privacy and security are paramount: all personal health data is stored encrypted, and any community sharing is user-controlled. Given the sensitivity of women’s health information, HerSay is committed to HIPAA-compliant practices and transparency with users about how their data is used (for example, users can opt in or out of contributing their anonymized data to improve the AI’s pattern recognition). This responsible approach is a competitive advantage in an era where privacy concerns can make or break user trust.
Medically-Vetted Content: Another differentiator is our clinical advisory input. HerSay involves medical experts (from fields like gynecology, endocrinology, psychology) in the development of its question suggestions and educational content. This ensures that the appointment prep questions, for instance, align with what good doctors would want patients to ask or tell. It also means the advice given (e.g., “this symptom might warrant a thyroid test”) is consistent with medical standards. By blending AI with human expert oversight, we maintain a high level of credibility. We intend to seek certifications or endorsements (for instance, seeking to meet guidelines for digital health tool efficacy) to further validate our approach.
User Experience (UX) and Tone: The tone of the app is empathetic, supportive, yet empowering. We understand that many users come to HerSay out of frustration or even trauma from past medical encounters. Thus, the UI is designed to be calming and validating – using inclusive language, offering encouragement (like “It’s good that you’re speaking up about this.”), and celebrating small wins (the app might congratulate a user for completing their first fully prepared appointment). By being women-centric in design, we also pay attention to things like accessibility (adjustable text for those with vision changes in menopause, for example) and inclusivity (options for trans men or non-binary users to customize what terms or health focus areas they want). The value of this UX focus is reflected in early testers’ feedback: words like “finally heard” and “understood” have come up frequently, highlighting that HerSay isn’t just a utility but a source of psychological empowerment.
In sum, HerSay’s product vision is holistic. Each feature reinforces the others in creating a seamless support system. If we were to use an analogy, HerSay is like having a knowledgeable friend who is a doctor, a personal health organizer, and a support group facilitator all in one – available 24/7 on your phone. This positions us uniquely in the market, and importantly, creates multiple engagement points (data tracking, chatting, reading content, posting in community), which drives strong user retention.
Our development roadmap will roll out these features in stages, starting with the appointment prep and symptom tracking (the most demanded features per our research) and layering on community and advanced analytics as our user base grows. The long-term vision extends even further – imagine HerSay eventually integrating with electronic health records or wearables so it can automatically incorporate lab results or fitness data into its analysis, or providing aggregated (anonymous) patient experience data back to healthcare providers to improve how they treat women. The possibilities to scale impact are vast. But at every stage, the guiding principle remains: HerSay is about amplifying the patient’s voice and knowledge. By doing so, we change the power dynamic in healthcare, for the better.
Visualizing HerSay’s Impact: User Persona and Journey
To illustrate how HerSay works in practice, consider a representative user persona and her journey:
Persona: Meet Alex, a 29-year-old marketing professional (she/her pronouns). Alex has been struggling with chronic fatigue and intermittent pelvic pain for over a year. Despite multiple doctor visits, she has no diagnosis – one doctor told her to “stress less,” another suggested it was perhaps IBS without further investigation. Alex often leaves appointments feeling dejected and has started to doubt herself. She tracks her period in a popular app and keeps a notebook of symptoms, but it’s disorganized. She frequently forgets to mention certain episodes to her doctor. Alex also feels alone; none of her close friends have similar issues, and she’s hesitant to share these health worries at work.
User Journey with HerSay:
Discovery & Onboarding: Alex hears about HerSay through a friend on social media who described it as “the app that finally helped me get answers from my doctor.” Upon downloading, Alex is greeted by a warm onboarding that acknowledges women’s health frustrations. She inputs some basics (age, general health concerns like “fatigue, pain”), and the app immediately shows her a few community posts from others with similar struggles – Alex is relieved to see she is not the only one feeling dismissed. This emotional hook increases her engagement from the start.
Tracking Phase: Over the next few weeks, Alex logs her fatigue levels daily and pelvic pain whenever it occurs. HerSay’s interface makes it quick – a few taps for standardized symptom scales, plus voice-to-text for a journal entry if she wants. The AI assistant occasionally checks in: “Noticed you logged ‘high pain’ today. Anything specific you’d like to note?” Alex mentions “sharp pain on lower right side, worse after meals” in a voice note. The assistant converts it to text and saves it. As data accumulates, Alex starts seeing patterns in the analytics section – e.g., a chart indicating her energy is lowest in the late afternoon, and a note that her pelvic pain often coincides with mid-cycle days. These insights intrigue her; no doctor has pointed that out.
Appointment Preparation: Alex finally secures an appointment with a new gynecologist. A week before, HerSay prompts her: “Let’s prepare for your upcoming appointment on Nov 10.” Alex enters the prep module. The app summarizes what she’s logged: “In the last 60 days, you experienced pelvic pain on 5 occasions, typically around day 14-16 of your cycle, described as sharp and correlated with eating. Fatigue: daily, moderate to severe, impacting work performance.” It asks Alex if these sound right and if she wants to add anything. She adds that her mother has a history of thyroid issues (family history detail). With a tap, HerSay generates her Appointment Briefing. Alex reads: “Key concerns to discuss: 1) Chronic fatigue – impacting daily life for 12+ months, unrelieved by rest. 2) Intermittent pelvic pain – sharp pain episodes mid-cycle, possibly ovulatory pain or endometriosis? 3) Mental health – feeling anxious due to these health issues.” It then lists suggested talking points and questions: “Could the fatigue be related to thyroid or anemia? Have we done a full blood panel?; My pelvic pain correlates with my cycle – could it be endometriosis or ovarian cysts? What diagnostic steps should we take?”. Alex feels empowered seeing this concrete plan – she prints it out to bring with her, and also keeps it on the app.
During Appointment: At the doctor’s office, Alex is far more confident and organized than ever before. She refers to her HerSay briefing on her phone. As a result, she communicates all her symptoms clearly and asks the questions the AI suggested. The doctor, somewhat impressed by the detailed tracking, acknowledges that “it’s helpful you’ve been keeping notes.” During the conversation, Alex uses HerSay’s record & transcribe feature (with the doctor’s permission, which HerSay even provided a polite script for requesting). This way, she doesn’t have to furiously jot down everything. The new gynecologist takes Alex’s concerns seriously: they schedule a full blood work panel and a pelvic ultrasound. For the first time, Alex feels heard — as she later reflects, “I finally didn’t get brushed off. I felt like I was talking to the doctor on the same level.”
Post-Visit: After the appointment, Alex is a mix of relieved (better experience) and anxious (awaiting test results). HerSay helps again: it automatically saves the appointment transcript and even highlights the doctor’s answers to her questions. For example, under her question about thyroid, the transcript snippet is highlighted: “We’ll test your TSH, T3, T4 levels to check thyroid function.” The app creates a to-do: “Complete blood tests (requisition attached) before Nov 15.” Alex also writes a quick journal entry about how she felt the visit went. In the community section, she shares a victory post: “Saw a new doctor and she listened! So glad I prepared – it made a huge difference.” Fellow HerSay community members like and comment with support, one saying “Thanks for sharing – gives me courage to do the same!”
Follow-up and Outcome: Two weeks later, Alex gets results: she’s mildly hypothyroid and further, the ultrasound found ovarian cysts that suggest endometriosis as a possibility. With these findings, she has a path forward (thyroid medication and a referral to an endometriosis specialist). Alex continues to use HerSay to track her treatment response and prepare for the specialist appointment. She remains active in the community, now even mentoring newer users with tips on how to insist on certain tests. HerSay, in turning Alex into an empowered patient, has also turned her into an advocate for others – fulfilling the app’s name, giving “her say” in healthcare and helping others have theirs.
This persona story exemplifies the transformation HerSay can enable. It’s not just about the app features in isolation, but the cumulative effect: data + guidance + confidence = better health outcomes. Early pilot users like Alex have shown improved satisfaction and faster routes to answers. As we gather more such case studies, we aim to quantify metrics like reduction in time to diagnosis, increase in patient satisfaction scores, etc., for HerSay users versus baseline. These will further validate our impact.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
HerSay stands at the forefront of a new era in women’s healthcare technology. By focusing on the oft-neglected aspects of care – preparation, communication, and follow-through – we are turning what have historically been passive patients into proactive participants in their health. The implications are far-reaching: more accurate diagnoses, more efficient consultations (saving healthcare system resources), and ultimately healthier outcomes for women and anyone who has felt unheard in a medical setting.
Our early traction is a strong signal. With hundreds on the waitlist and a growing community even before formal launch, it’s clear that HerSay’s value proposition resonates deeply. These are not just sign-ups; they are people eager to share their stories and uplift each other, effectively becoming grassroots ambassadors of our mission. This organic momentum is something we will continue to foster – it is both a competitive advantage and a guiding light to keep us aligned with user needs.
From an investor’s perspective, HerSay offers a compelling blend of impact and scalability. We address a massive market with a scalable AI-driven platform, we have a clear differentiation in a space that’s gathering investor interest, and we have multiple monetization avenues (B2C subscriptions, partnerships with healthcare providers or insurers focusing on patient engagement, etc.). Moreover, our solution has inherent virality: people who have a great doctor visit because of HerSay are likely to tell their friends or healthcare providers about it. Doctors, too, may start recommending the app to patients who show up disorganized – positioning HerSay as a helpful adjunct from the clinician’s viewpoint. This could open B2B opportunities, like clinic partnerships or white-labeling for health systems aiming to improve patient communication (aligning with value-based care incentives).
In terms of future roadmap beyond what’s discussed: we envision HerSay leveraging its growing dataset (with all due privacy) to contribute back to research. Aggregated, anonymized insights from symptom patterns could help identify trends in women’s health (similar to how Clue contributed to cycle research ). We could publish reports on, say, “Top 10 questions women wish they asked their doctors” or “Hidden correlations in women’s health symptoms” – establishing HerSay as a thought leader in the space. This not only reinforces our brand credibility but also furthers our mission to change the conversation around women’s healthcare.
In conclusion, HerSay is more than an app; it’s becoming a movement. It’s fitting to end with the words of one of our early community members: “I don’t want to be gaslit anymore — and I want to help others feel seen too.” This rallying cry encapsulates the dual mission of HerSay: to empower each individual user and to build a collective voice loud enough to influence the healthcare system. With the support of forward-thinking investors and partners, HerSay will scale this vision, ensuring that her health, her voice, and her say are at the center of healthcare innovation.
References
Kaiser Family Foundation (2025). “A Closer Look at Negative Interactions Experienced by Women in Health Settings: Findings from the 2024 Women’s Health Survey.” (Published Mar 12, 2025) – Data on women reporting unfair or disrespectful treatment by providers .
McKinsey & Company (2024). “Closing the women’s health gap: A $1 trillion opportunity to improve lives and economies.” (Published Jan 17, 2024) – Noted women spend 25% more time in poor health and the economic opportunity of addressing women’s health needs .
HerSay (2025). HerSay User Research Survey Results (“Let’s Change Women’s Healthcare Together”). (Blog summary published Jun 22, 2025 by R. Lyons) – Key user findings on diagnostic delays, appointment preparedness, tracking tool usage, and desire for community .
AMA Journal of Ethics (2025). Penzer, A.J. & Schweikart, S.J. “Using Policy and Law to Help Reduce Endometriosis Diagnostic Delay.” (Feb 2025) – Background on average 7-year diagnostic delay in endometriosis and underfunding of women’s health research .
Grand View Research (2024). “Women’s Health App Market Size, 2030 Report.” – Statistics on global market value $4.85B (2024) and forecast $12.87B (2030) at ~17.8% CAGR ; North America segment accounting for ~37.7% of revenue and $1.825B in 2024 .
IdeaUsher / Zion Market Research (2025). Blog: “How to Create an AI Symptom Tracker for Women’s Health App.” – Cites women’s health app market $4.68B (2024) to $23.38B (2034) , and highlights funding successes of Flo ($200M raise, $112M revenue in 2023) and Clue ($73M raised) .
News-Medical (2025). Interview with Clue’s CPO Rhiannon White, “Future of Femtech and PCOS.” – Describes Clue’s features like symptom tracking that users share with doctors and need for research on under-diagnosed conditions (e.g., 70% of women with PCOS are undiagnosed; takes >2 years and 3 doctors for diagnosis) .
TechTarget (2023). “Over a Third of Adults Use Health Apps, Wearables in 2023.” – Reports ~40% of U.S. adults use health apps, with majority of those using them daily .
Deloitte (2024). “Why US women skip or delay health care.” – Survey insight that women are 35% more likely than men to have skipped or delayed care, often due to cost, access, or feeling underserved .
PatientsLikeMe Press (2024). “PatientsLikeMe Launches Ella, an AI Assistant for Women’s Health.” (News, Nov 26, 2024) – Introduction of an AI health assistant in a women’s online patient network, offering personalized guidance and highlighting industry validation of AI for women’s wellness .
Harvard Medicine Magazine (2024). Koven, S. “How Gender Bias in Medicine Has Shaped Women’s Health”(Interview with E. Comen, Autumn 2024) – Context on historical dismissal of women’s symptoms and enduring myths (e.g., tendency to downplay women’s pain) .
HerSay Community Testimonials (2025). Early user statements collected by HerSay – e.g., “I cried reading the survey questions — someone finally gets it” and “I feel like this is the app I’ve needed for a decade.” , reflecting the strong emotional need for HerSay’s solution.