Why I Transitioned from Charity to Business

For over a decade, I worked in patient advocacy organizations, supporting women and children affected by violence and helping people who couldn’t access the medical care they needed. We fought for treatment accessibility, raised funds, and expanded doctor networks. But no matter how much funding we secured or how many doctors we recruited, the core issue remained the same: charitable efforts don’t scale the way they need to.

We could raise money to help hundreds, but millions were still left behind. We could find the best doctors for a few, but the system remained overwhelmed, and quality healthcare was still inaccessible to most. I remember how incredibly exhausting it was to raise millions of euros only to spend them, without having real tools to drive motivation. And every year, it was the same—raise, raise, raise—while knowing that lives depended on it. I realized that traditional methods don’t solve the problem at scale. Now, I am the CEO and Founder of the AI startup Doctorina.

How the Idea for Doctorina Was Born

The idea emerged from the real-world challenges I faced in my work:

1. The demand for medical consultations far exceeds supply. There are not enough doctors, their time is limited, and patient inquiries number in the millions.

2. Medical errors can cost lives. Even skilled doctors sometimes provide inaccurate recommendations due to outdated knowledge or a lack of expertise in specific diseases.

3. The human brain cannot process as much information as AI can. Doctors cannot keep thousands of medical studies in mind, account for all symptom nuances, and instantly analyze vast amounts of data.

I knew this was a critical problem because:

• I managed my mother’s cancer treatment for four years. During that time, I navigated a fragmented healthcare system where patients are forced to search for doctors, interpret test results, and compare different medical opinions on their own. I turned to AI for answers about diagnoses, lab results, and treatment plans, and it became clear that technology could provide real solutions.

• My colleague Anna worked in emerging markets, where people don’t have access to doctors. They rely on YouTube and Google for medical advice, but often don’t even know what to search for. As a result, they either make dangerous medical decisions or give up on seeking care altogether. Patient interviews confirmed a demand for a doctor-like solution available on their smartphones.

Why Business Instead of Charity?

At some point, I realized that the only way to solve this problem was through a scalable, technology-driven productthat could operate autonomously and be accessible to millions. Charity provides immediate relief but doesn’t address the root causes of systemic issues. Business, on the other hand, enables:

• Building a solution that addresses the problem at a systemic level. Instead of raising funds for individual patients, we create a tool that makes quality medical consultations accessible to everyone.

• Scaling the impact. I believe AI ensures healthcare accessibility for millions.

• Creating a sustainable model. Charities rely on donors, grants, and external resources, making them vulnerable to funding gaps. A technology-driven business, however, can grow and evolve independently of charitable funding. This is crucial!

I didn’t transition from charity to business because I stopped wanting to help people. I did it because I understood that if we truly want to solve this problem, we need a different approach—one that is scalable, technological, and sustainable.

We’d love your support on launch day! Set a reminder and be among the first to check it out: https://www.producthunt.com/products/doctorina🚀💙

And of course you can try out beta — https://app.doctorina.com/
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