After everything that didn't work, you chose Yellow. Here's how we intend to do it differently.

We start with your full story and context

Most women first took their symptoms to a gynaecologist. One of the first things we learned is how little time a consultation gives a doctor. 8 out of 10 gynaecologists we met told us they spend about 20-35 minutes with each woman. And, one of them also mentioned that they struggle to play both roles - of a clinician and of a counsellor. Because symptoms of perimenopause, for instance, are not just about what shows up on a report. But about what life looks like, emotionally and mentally.

In some cases, we also found out that women don't share details without being asked. And that means, better health demands spending the time and headspace to ask questions. And build context.

So before you meet anyone at Yellow, you first tell us about your cycle, symptoms, history of health, food, work, home, and even your mother's menopause.

This goes into your health snapshot that our panel of clinicians and practitioners review.

Every doctor on your case reads all details, not just what is "relevant" to their expertise.

When the first appointment did not give them all answers, many women went on to more doctors. We learned how often symptoms get split up this way. A hot flush can send women to a cardiologist, and low mood to a psychiatrist. And that means, many doctors were writing prescriptions for the part they treat, without reading full context.

At Yellow, we keep one record for each woman. And, your care team only responds after they've read all of it. From gynaecologists, to nutritionists, and everyone in between.

Your plan has to fit the day you already live, with gradual changes (on both sides)

Alongside the doctors, most women we spoke to had tried a nutritionist or a programme. And the thing is, each one had some method that has shown them outcomes. For no fault of theirs, these practitioners take the same method to the next woman they consult.

That's where it perhaps fails. For example, a diet plan that recommends two meals, one at 10 and one at 4, may be very useful for most cases. But, doesn't work for the working mother who's up at 6 AM.

So our intake asks who cooks, when you leave for work and what you already do, and the plan is built on top of it.

The disclaimer here is that - for life to look and feel different, there needs to be a lifestyle change. However, in our case, we want the starting point to not be overwhelming.

A normal report might be a reason to keep asking questions and not settle

Women told me about reports that came back normal in the same months they could not sleep through the night, and about scans that did not change what the doctor did next.

The test is useful. Especially with perimenopause, where a lot of other reasons can mimic the same symptoms. However, a blood draw doesn't fully understand the hormonal fluctuations.

And that means, apart from a customised, comprehensive panel, we ask questions. We understand the symptom science. And, see both together to draw any kind of conclusion.

Most of the work happens between appointments

Even if a plan was written, the next appointment was often weeks away. Most women I spoke to knew what to do. We learned that what they did not have was someone checking in during the weeks. Some even told us about the yoga and exercise equipment at home, kept unused.

So at Yellow, a care concierge checks in every week. On the easy and tough days. Works with you to find solutions and nudge you.

In fact, this was also our learning in working with founders building in health and pursuing our personal goals. That good health means sticking through the lowest points. When there hasn't been progress for days. And to do that, we often need someone on our side.

You hear every option before you choose one

When it came to treatment, a few women told me the programmes they looked at started with HRT or they were prescribed medicines with little lifestyle intervention.

Some even experienced side effects to the medicines and decided to stop taking them altogether. We learned that women want to understand their options before one is chosen for them.

And that means, we don't just need to follow traditional methods of care, but work with clinicians who are at the frontier of science. Who come with a large dataset of cases they've worked on. And then, get context about the woman before designing the protocol.