BlogNotes from building Savvy
- What you want insteadA lower pricePluely, HedyOpen sourcePluely, SavvyAnswers from your filesSavvySay: the price on our sheetAvoid: an unapproved discountpricing-sheet.pdf
· 4 min read
Cluely alternatives for work meetings
Cluely alternatives for live help in sales, client and negotiation calls: open source, cheaper, or grounded in your own documents. With prices and limits.
- One page, glance during15 + 5 minPurpose in one sentenceWho, and what they wantPromises from last timeFacts, each with its sourceYour questionsWhat you must not say
· 4 min read
Meeting prep: how to prepare for a meeting in 20 minutes
A meeting preparation checklist that fits in 20 minutes: purpose, people, the facts you may need, your questions, and what you must not say.
- After the callDuring itBot joinsOtterFirefliesFathomOtterlive transcriptNo botGranolaSavvycites your files
· 5 min read
The best AI note taker depends on one question: bot or no bot
An honest comparison of AI note takers and meeting assistants in 2026, grouped by architecture rather than feature count: bot or bot-free, post-call or in-call, vendor model or your own.
- $claude -p "…"Ask across a folderdeal/*.pdfExtract to JSONinvoices/Rename and reconcilescans/Power a meeting assistantSavvy
· 5 min read
Claude Code and Codex CLI use cases that are not coding
A coding CLI signed in on your machine is a general-purpose local model runtime with a shell interface. What that unlocks outside the editor, and what we learned using one as a meeting assistant's engine.
- Transcription keyDeepgramnova-3~$0.46/hrAssemblyAIuniversal-streaming$0.15/hr5 hours of calls$0.75 to $2.30Switch later in Settings
· 4 min read
Deepgram or AssemblyAI: picking a transcription provider for live meetings
Savvy needs one streaming transcription key and supports both providers. How the two compare on latency, streaming price, model choice and language handling for meeting audio.
- Shared team recorda botPlatform or languagehard constraintRead the codeMIT, freeDuring the callnot after itWhat to say, what to avoidpricing-sheet.pdf
· 6 min read
Granola AI alternatives, by what you actually need
Granola AI alternatives grouped by the reason you are leaving: a team archive, a different platform, live in-call help, or an open-source app. With prices.
- Live captions→ Keep OtterTeam archive→ Fireflies, FathomPost-call summaries→ GranolaA fourth jobHelp during the call→ SavvyGuidance cards, not a transcript
· 6 min read
Otter.ai alternatives: pick by what you are replacing
Otter does three jobs: live captions, a searchable archive, and post-call summaries. Pick an alternative by the one you use. With prices for each.
- Live transcript“twenty five percent”Live summaryPricing was discussedGeneric coachAnchor high, ask timelineGrounded in your files94%Cap is 15%. Beyond that, finance signs.pricing-sheet.pdf · p.3
· 4 min read
What "real-time meeting assistant" actually means
Four different products are sold as real-time meeting assistants: live transcripts, live summaries, generic conversation coaching, and guidance grounded in your own documents. They are not substitutes.
- ParticipantsYouThe clientNotetaker botnot joiningOn your MacYour files stay where they aremic + system audio
· 5 min read
Local-first meeting assistants vs bots that join the call
How a local-first, bring-your-own-model assistant like Savvy differs from a meeting bot: who is in the call, where audio goes, who pays, and what you give up.
- Savvyclaude · codexYour planOne request carriesBrief and red linesUp to six excerptsRecent transcript turnsFull documentsAudio or your keys
· 5 min read
Bring your own model, with the CLI you already pay for
Savvy has no model of its own; it shells out to Claude Code or the Codex CLI on your Mac. What that means for cost, terms, rate limits and what leaves your Mac.
- 1They asked a question2Someone touched a red line3You pressed AdviceEverything elseSkip. Silence is the default.
· 6 min read
How Savvy decides when to speak
How triggers, background scans, skip rules and grounding scores decide whether Savvy shows a card during a call.
- 40-page proposalfolder of PDFsNegotiation brief1 pageObjectiveone sentencePrioritiesrankedConcessionseach with a conditionRed linesfew and real
· 5 min read
What to prepare before a negotiation call
A one-page brief for a negotiation call: objective, both positions, priorities, questions, concessions, red lines, prohibited claims, and how Savvy reads it.
- No bot in the callNo hidden modeVisible panelFirst minute of the call00:00“I use a notes assistant. Is that all right with you?”✓Said out loud, not buried
· 5 min read
Recording a meeting: consent, etiquette, and why Savvy has no hidden mode
One-party and all-party consent for recording calls, what to tell the other side before you transcribe, and why Savvy has no hidden mode.