The AI Gap That Keeps Me Up at Night (And It’s Not Where You Think)
- Catherine Del Vecchio Fitz
- May 7, 2025
- 4 min read
Why I’m thinking about bringing AI clarity to small businesses—and what’s holding me back.
TL;DR:
Savvyn was built for life sciences. But lately, I’ve been thinking about the small businesses outside that world—the ones who want to use AI but don’t know where to start. This post explores the gap they face, the tension I feel as a founder, and the question I haven’t been able to shake: Should I stay in my niche—or step outside the lines?
The Backstory
When I first launched Savvyn, I actually didn’t intend to limit myself to life sciences. I’ve always been drawn to complex systems and messy workflows, and I believed the value of AI-powered clarity could apply in nearly any industry. But I also knew that trust matters—especially when it comes to new technology. And the fastest path to trust was to start where I already had credibility.
So I focused on life sciences. I built Savvyn for early-stage biotech companies, diagnostics teams, and precision health startups navigating the clinical, scientific, and regulatory maze. It’s a space I know deeply, and the kind of work where judgment matters, time is tight, and AI—when used well—can be transformative.
That’s still true. That’s still my focus. But lately, I’ve found my thoughts drifting elsewhere.
Not toward the big players with AI labs and innovation budgets. But toward the small ones. The ones outside life sciences. The local ones.
They’re not ignoring AI. They just don’t know where to begin.
Over the past few months, I’ve had a number of quiet, candid conversations with small business owners across industries—education, events, professional services, even trades.
Most of them aren’t dismissing AI. In fact, many have dabbled with it. They’ve opened up ChatGPT, typed in a question, and been surprised at what came back. They’ve seen glimpses of the power. They know it could make a difference.
But that’s where it stops.
It’s not a lack of interest. It’s a lack of knowing where to do from here. The tools feel like black boxes. The headlines are loud, but often disconnected from reality. And most “solutions” assume you have a tech team, an innovation lead, or just more time than most small businesses do.
These are people wearing every hat in their business. They’re focused on staying afloat—managing cash flow, serving clients, hiring staff, and putting out daily fires. They don’t need another shiny tool or a productivity hack. They need something that works. Something that moves the needle. Something that fits.
It’s a different kind of chaos. But it’s still chaos.
And that’s where I keep coming back to Savvyn’s core.
At its heart, Savvyn was built to bring clarity to chaos. That might look like clinical studies, data pipelines, or strategy decks in biotech—but the need isn’t unique to that sector. The same overwhelm shows up in local offices, community orgs, and solo-run teams. Different context, same struggle: too many tools, too little time, and no clear path forward.
The AI technology is already here. But the translation is missing. And for small businesses, that translation gap can be paralyzing.
So here’s the question I’m sitting with:
Should I keep Savvyn tightly focused on life sciences, where I have deep expertise and existing traction?Or is there room—maybe even a responsibility—to serve more broadly?
To be clear, I’m not talking about walking away from the science. That work is still in my bones. But I do wonder if the same systems-thinking, AI-powered clarity that works for diagnostics teams could also help:
A small-town law firm trying to streamline documentation
A solo therapist juggling admin tasks and client care
A local nonprofit buried in spreadsheets and grant deadlines
An education startup managing operations on a shoestring
A family-run logistics company drowning in workflows and forms
The budgets might be smaller. The margins tighter. But the impact? That could be enormous.
What I’m exploring now
I don’t have the answer yet. But here’s what I’m thinking about:
Could I offer a limited track—something like Founders Outside the Lines—just for small, non–life sciences teams who want to apply AI in a way that actually makes sense for them?
Could it live within Savvyn Foundations, the part of the business built for individual professionals and early-stage teams?
Could I design lightweight sprints that deliver real results without requiring hours of client time or a full-scale implementation?
Maybe. Maybe not. But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.
Part of it is personal. I’ve gone back and forth—over and over—between staying focused on life sciences and opening the door a bit wider. The truth is, there aren’t many life sciences companies in my immediate community. And while I’ll always serve that space, I also know how much joy it would bring me to support the small businesses around me. To help grow the local ecosystem in whatever way I can. To bring clarity and impact not just to high-growth startups, but to the people running mission-driven, real-world businesses just down the street.
So I’m saying it out loud.
If you’re a small business leader who’s curious about AI but overwhelmed by the noise, reach out. No pitch. No pressure. Just a real conversation about where you are and what might help.
And if you’ve ever wrestled with this same kind of decision—whether to double down or broaden your reach—I’d love to hear how you navigated it.
Because maybe the biggest AI gap isn’t technical.
Maybe it’s not about models or tools at all.
Maybe it’s about support. About translation.
About helping people build just enough momentum to get started.
Up Next
In my last post, I mentioned I’d be walking through how Savvyn supports Docs, Data, and Strategy. That’s still on deck—but this felt like the more honest place to go first.
Because what sets Savvyn apart isn’t just what we deliver. It’s how we build the systems behind it—durable, domain-informed, agent-powered systems designed to scale judgment without sacrificing scientific rigor.
Thanks for reading,
—Savvyn (your partner in ruthless efficiency)
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From Chaos to Clarity. Amplify Your Impact.
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