Big news this week. So big that I held off on publishing this journal until now (breaking my usual, self-imposed biweekly cadence).
Welcome to my public journal, where I share my journey of building, general thoughts, and ideas I find useful.
Why you’re reading this: In some way, our paths have crossed. I write this to stay connected. If you find it useful, interesting, or funny, feel free to forward it or leave a reply. This newsletter only grows with your support.
Flowline Health
So much to update here, but I’ll keep it brief.
New website!
It features our AI Care Companion Flo.
You can check it out at flowlinehealth.com, and I’d love to hear what you think. If you’re the critical type, leave a comment or email me feedback at gabe@flowlinehealth.com
Project Snorlax
We just passed IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval for our weight loss care companion! Since this is being piloted within a large academic medical center, the review process was stringent. All in all, it took about 2 months—which, believe it or not, is on the shorter side for these approval cycles. Patients will start using the tool in October!
Project Charmander
This is the big news I waited for. Thanks to an introduction from one of our all-star advisors (shoutout Stephanie Rogers), we signed a pilot with a telehealth provider to handle some of their non-clinical calls. Due to NDAs and respect for their business, I can’t go into too much detail, but this is a significant win for improving patients’ access to healthcare providers as they recover from hospital stays.
And remember that long sales cycle I mentioned in the last newsletter? Turns out, if you come with the right offer at the right time to an organization that moves fast, you can get things done. Even in a slow-moving industry like healthcare.
Working with this client completely redefined my understanding of how fast providers can move, and I’m thrilled to collaborate with them as we refine Flo for their use case.
Advisory Board
We’ve continued to expand our advisory board with a mix of permanent and interim advisors. Some highlights include:
Stephanie Rogers, Chair of Readmissions at UCSF
Corinna B. Clark, COO of Gardner Health Systems
Luke Sorrell, Internist and PCP (and now longevity expert!)
Pranav Gaurav, former Chief of Staff at Assort Health
Each brings a diverse background and network, and I’m incredibly grateful to lean on them and grow with them as we navigate this industry.
Story of the Week
I write this section because I believe that more than ideas and numbers, people connect with stories.
To back up this belief, I have a daily habit, “Homework for Life” (popularized by one of my intellectual role models, Matthew Dicks). It’s simple: I jot down a story from each day, and through reps and reflection, become a better storyteller.
Not all stories get retold, but I log them nonetheless. Here’s one from the past couple of weeks:
I recently found a flannel while passing a thrift store. From the moment I saw the shirt, I knew it was meant to be mine.
But a week later, I pulled my flannel from the dryer and realized I had shrunk the arms. I was devastated.
Laying in bed, I kept thinking, “This stinks. Guess I’ll just roll up the sleeves every time I wear it.”
But then another thought popped into my mind: “How do I expect to build a company if I’m the kind of person who wouldn’t even try to fix the shrunken arms on my favorite flannel?” Low agency. George Mack would be ashamed.
Ten minutes later, I was massaging conditioner into the sleeves and had built a contraption to gently stretch the fibers overnight (hint: it involved a clothing hanger, and a 16oz sweathshirt).
Thanks to my contraption and the belief that I can change my circumstances, I woke up to my favorite flannel restored.
P.S. This story is not about the flannel.
AI Side Builds
As a man selling AI solutions, I try to use it for most rote tasks in my life. For almost all of these, I use Lindy.ai (DM me for a refferal link baby!)
I always find it interesting to hear how others use their automations, so here’s a list of mine:
My Workout Coach: This writes me workout plans every Sunday, ensuring progress each week with my weights and efforts. I used to pay for a trainer, but now that I’m balling on a budget, I created a system to write them for me.
My Sales Coach: This goes through all my customer calls and emails me feedback on how I can improve. It’s helped me actively listen more, learn to quantify pain points, and get better at guiding questions.
My Get Sh*t Done Agent: This is a personal favorite, despite the name being a bit raunchy. It creates a checklist for me to fill out every day, along with an interesting quote about life. Other than the custom quotes, there’s not really much AI incorporated. I just like having my checklists made for me.
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Flannel = your sign to start an AI clothing unshrinking business