AfterHours Ally · HBS Discovery Phase
The clinic-branded triage console for after-hours veterinary care.
Independent 3–10 DVM small-animal clinics. Rotating on-call. $18–36K/year in uncompensated labor. Zero defensible audit trail. This is the problem we're solving.
Key Discovery Metrics
Discovery Deliverables
Personas
4 persona one-pagers with goals, fears, and buying criteria
Journey Map
End-to-end after-hours journey: 11 steps, 14 friction points
Signal Summary
62 tagged quotes from competitor data, testimonials, and industry patterns
Competitor Matrix
17 competitor and alternative entries with notable gaps
MVP Spec
Thin-slice scope, non-negotiable constraints, and acceptance criteria
MVP Constraints
Five non-negotiables: no PMS, A2P/TCPA, disclaimers, audit trail, ER routing
Triage Demo
Live deterministic triage engine with 5 DVM-reviewed protocols and optional AI assist
Product Elevator
AfterHours Ally answers calls and texts to the clinic number, runs pet owners through board-reviewed, clinic-configurable triage protocols, classifies urgency, and pages the on-call DVM only when defined criteria are met. Non-urgent cases get self-care guidance plus first-available booking. True emergencies are auto-routed to designated ER partners. Every interaction is time-stamped with consent and a defensible audit trail. No phone porting. No PMS integration required. Live in one week.