Built on Ground Truth: Reality Before Hype
Hello! I'm Jill Heinze. I founded Saddle-Stitch in 2019 after two decades in academic libraries and digital consulting, where I'd seen too many organizations build technology on assumptions instead of reality, then wonder why it failed.
Most AI initiatives fail because teams skipped the critical step of understanding what users actually need in their real-world lived contexts versus what they assumed was important. That gap is where millions of dollars disappear, and also where competitive advantage hides.
When ChatGPT launched in late 2022, I watched organizations rush to adopt AI without asking fundamental questions: Will this actually solve our users' problems? What risks are we introducing? What are competitors missing that we could capitalize on?
I realized my 20 years of user research and competitive intelligence experience positioned me to help product leaders navigate this uncertainty. Not by slowing them down with meaningless compliance checklists, but by giving them the strategic intelligence to make smarter bets. I enable them to see opportunities others overlook and avoid expensive mistakes before they happen.
I've helped organizations across financial services, healthcare, and technology build AI strategies grounded in reality, not wishful thinking.
Some highlights include:
- Built the first executive AI governance function at a major digital consultancy, creating structures that enabled innovation rather than blocked it
- Designed an AI evaluation framework that Fortune 500 clients used to pilot generative AI with confidence in high-stakes industries
- Provided strategic intelligence to product leaders navigating everything from agentic AI to new product development
- Serve as Responsible AI Program Director for The American College of Financial Services
- Host Responsible Tech Talks, a LinkedIn Live series featuring practitioners building production-grade technology with empathy for users
Here's what I've learned: The organizations that win with AI see the nuances of reality most clearly.
Understanding what your users actually experience, what your competitors are missing, and where the real risks and opportunities lie is a competitive advantage you can't replicate by throwing more engineers at the problem.
I'd love to bring this ground truth perspective to your AI strategy. Whether you're evaluating your first AI feature or managing complex deployments, let's make sure you're building on reality, not assumptions.
What's a saddle stitch?
I thought you’d never ask! A saddle stitch is a simple, common type of book binding. Like a binding, I want Saddle-Stitch Consulting to bring together people and technology in beneficial ways. In the same way that a binding can turn loose leaf papers into a book, I can help you turn your individual goals into a cohesive, people-first product strategy.
With my roots in libraries, how could I not turn to books for inspiration?!
