January 16, 2026
Google Analytics Isn't the Only Option
I fought GA4 for years before discovering there's another way. The real lesson isn't about analytics—it's about questioning defaults.
Professor of Emergency Medicine at UCSF · founder of ALiEM · AI tinkererdirects AI systems(the words "AI tinkerer" are crossed out in red pen and corrected to "directs AI systems")
the old site really did call me a "tinkerer." corrected, June 2026.
I spent 25 years becoming a professor of emergency medicine. Then I learned to build. I don't write code. I direct it, the way an attending directs a resuscitation: clear intent, constant verification, no pretending to know things I don't. These days I'm building AI systems for academic clinicians and writing down what I learn, mistakes included.
Flowsheet· career vitals · checked June 2026
Active problems
January 16, 2026
I fought GA4 for years before discovering there's another way. The real lesson isn't about analytics—it's about questioning defaults.
I spent years building one-off tools that unraveled quickly. I then discovered the thread that could stitch them all together - me and my memories.
The terminal was too intimidating. Then I hit a wall with copy-pasting, asked Claude for help, and discovered a workflow I didn't know I needed.
WordPress launched my blog and powered it for a decade. But for solo creators, the middleman CMS is becoming optional.
For years, my ideas outpaced my ability to build them. Then I discovered what happens when a non-coder partners with AI.
Two systems in daily use, three IRB-approved studies in progress, one planned.
| System | Status | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Faculty Promotion Letter Automation | In daily use | n8n workflow that curates faculty documents and generates first-draft promotion letters with transparent audit trails and flags for human review. Currently in use by UCSF EM promotion committee. |
| PAIA: Executive AI Assistant | In daily use | Personal AI assistant built with Claude's Agent SDK featuring memory, journaling, board of directors advisory sessions, CRM, YouTube video analyzer, and growing skill library. |
| Base Hospital Radio Call Analysis | IRB-approved QI · in progress | AI-powered transcription and QI analysis of base hospital radio calls between paramedics and physicians. |
| California Poison Center Call Analysis | IRB-approved QI · in progress | Using AI to transcribe and analyze poison center calls for quality improvement insights. |
| SF EMS Medical Record QI Analysis | IRB-approved QI · in progress | AI-driven quality improvement analysis of San Francisco EMS Agency patient care records. |
| ALiEMU Analytics via Natural Language | Planned | REST API integration with LearnDash LMS to enable natural language queries for ALiEMU course statistics and learner analytics. |
Tricks of the Trade in Emergency Medicine - 50 clinical tricks from 38 experts, 100+ photos, expert authors, real-world tips. Buy a copy or read about it.