Day One Strategy: the journey so far and what’s next

By Hannah Mann, Founding Partner

I was recently lucky enough to get the opportunity to sit down for a podcast interview to reflect on the journey of Day One Strategy – how we started, how we’ve evolved, and where we’re headed. From our early vision of combining technology with human intelligence to our latest AI-driven innovations, it’s been an exciting ride. Here are some of the key insights from our conversation.

From idea to impact: the origins of Day One Strategy

Day One Strategy is a global healthcare insight and strategy agency. We help pharmaceutical companies develop, position, and market their products more effectively by understanding customer needs. But from the beginning, we knew we wanted to do things differently. We weren’t just building another market research agency—we wanted to blend technology and human intelligence to push the boundaries of traditional research.

That meant:

• Horizon scanning – Always looking ahead to what’s next in healthcare and technology
• Experimentation and piloting – Testing new methodologies to see what really works
• A culture of innovation – Ensuring that every project leverages tech to drive better insights

Early on, we approached things differently—for example, we embraced Zoom interviews for all our research before it became the norm and used voice technology to better understand emotion. At the time, it was just another way to challenge traditional methods, though looking back now, it seems almost laughable how novel it once felt. The key is that we’ve never been afraid to rethink how research is done.

How AI is transforming market research

One of the biggest game-changers in our field has been Generative AI. We’ve seen first-hand how it’s reshaping decision-making for our clients. A few standout examples include:

• Using AI Agents for one of our clients to fuel ideation and innovation in dermatology
• Applying AI-powered research to develop counter-competitive strategies in HIV treatment
• Helping clients with complex, multi-indication product portfolios build clearer, more compelling messaging

By embedding AI into our processes, we’re making research faster and more efficient, as well as enabling deeper, more strategic insights that help our clients stay ahead.

Building a culture of innovation and empowerment

Innovation isn’t just about technology—it’s about people. A huge part of Day One Strategy’s success comes from fostering an empowering and supportive workplace. Three key principles drive our culture:

1. Encouraging a learning mindset – We invest in training and professional growth to keep our team ahead in an AI-driven world
2. Leveraging AI to elevate human intelligence – By automating repetitive tasks, we allow our team to focus on high-value strategic work
3. Creating a culture of collaboration and psychological safety – Ensuring that every team member feels valued and heard, which fuels creativity and breakthrough thinking

As a women-owned business, I believe we bring a different cultural approach—one that is more nurturing, more flexible, and deeply committed to making work better for everyone. We regularly check in on our team’s well-being and make changes where needed, ensuring that innovation is embedded into our DNA—not just as a department, but as a mindset.

What’s next for Day One Strategy?

We don’t sit still. Our three-year plan is ambitious—we’re aiming to double in size while scaling our AI-driven solutions. The biggest area of growth? Bespoke AI-powered market research models. These models will:

• Function as enterprise-level AI systems with multiple agents interacting dynamically
• Be tailored to specific client brands, helping them unlock value from existing data
• Continuously evolve with new research, ensuring they remain relevant and impactful

We’ve already seen incredible demand for these solutions, and we’re excited to push the boundaries even further.

Challenges and lessons along the way

Like any growing business, we’ve faced our fair share of challenges:

• Finding the right talent – It’s no longer enough to be a great researcher; our team members need to be consultants, AI prompt engineers, and strategic thinkers all in one
• Keeping up the pace – As we grow, maintaining our agility and fast-moving culture is tough. Not everyone wants to move at the same speed, and that’s something we have to balance given it is key to staying ahead
• Staying focused – With so many AI possibilities, it’s easy to get distracted. Keeping aligned with our core mission is key

Final thoughts: the future is exciting

Even though we are 6 years old we still feel like we are just getting started. The future of market ressearch and what is to come is more exciting than ever with real change on the horizon. We look forward to the next 6 years!

Link to podcast:
https://lnkd.in/dY6s5dWj