Harness AI Power
Without the Hype

Practical AI guidance, smart automation, and lightweight tools that make LLMs actually useful. From education to full-stack development, I meet you where you are and build what you need.

Start Your AI Journey

About

Ernie Hsiung

I'm Ernie Hsiung—developer, educator, and lifelong explainer of complicated things. My career has taken me from coding at startups and civic tech projects to teaching hundreds of new developers how to build their first web apps—and now, helping people understand and actually use AI without needing a PhD or a VC check.

I've built journaling tools powered by Large Language Models (LLMs), created custom GPT workflows, and trained everyone from individual entrepreneurs to nonprofit operations teams on practical AI implementation. I combine full-stack development skills with UX design intuition, plus extensive experience explaining complex concepts through digital communication and in-person collaboration.

People say I'm especially good at translating technical ideas for non-technical people. I say I'm just obsessed with making sure things make sense and work well. If you're unsure about AI, curious but overwhelmed, or want to test something fast, I'd love to help.

I'm based in the Bay Area, but work remotely with clients everywhere. You can reach out directly via the contact form or book a free call to figure out if AI can solve your particular headache.

Services Tailored to Your AI Journey

Entry-Level — Start Here

🎓AI Literacy & Advisory

Demystify AI for your team or organization

Perfect for: AI beginners, leaders, and educators
  • Live sessions explaining how LLMs work
  • Team-wide Q&A and tool context
  • Clear explanations without hype or fluff
Story Snapshot: When friends or former students ask me, "What even is AI?" I've learned that analogies and real-world demos work better than technical definitions. That's the spirit behind my advisory sessions—no hype, no fluff, just clarity.

🛠️AI Training & Enablement

Hands-on upskilling in real tools and workflows

Ideal for: Ops teams, marketers, educators, curious individuals
  • Prompting and AI tool best practices
  • Role-based workflow training
  • Live or async formats available
Story Snapshot: In my teaching work, I've helped dozens of students get over their fear of using AI tools. What unlocked it? Giving them prompt templates for their actual workflows, not hypothetical ones. That insight now powers my workshops.

Core — Apply & Integrate

⚡AI Workflow Automation

Save time by automating repetitive work with LLMs

Ideal for: Solopreneurs, ops leads, and busy teams
  • Automate content, tagging, reports, and more
  • n8n, GPT APIs, and no-code flows
  • Practical setups focused on reducing friction
Story Snapshot: I once had to clean up a web team's onboarding process that spanned Slack, email, and Trello. We used GPT to auto-fill checklists, summarize updates, and cut handoffs by half. The bottleneck wasn't tech—it was friction.

🔗AI Tool & Platform Integration

Add LLM power to the tools you already use

Ideal for: Teams using Airtable, Obsidian, Notion, CRMs
  • Embed GPT into Airtable, Obsidian, Notion, CRMs
  • API-based integrations + light custom code
  • Enhance without replacing existing systems
Story Snapshot: For my own note-taking system in Obsidian, I built a local plugin that summarizes daily reflections and surfaces recurring themes—powered by GPT-4. The same architecture works for teams who use Notion, Airtable, or even spreadsheets.

🗺️AI Readiness & Roadmapping

Find the high-impact, low-risk AI opportunities in your org

Ideal for: Team leads, founders, department heads
  • Workflow audit + interviews
  • Use case discovery + rollout plan
  • Clear, strategic, LLM-first recommendations
Story Snapshot: A former team lead once told me, "I know I should use AI, I just don't want to waste time on the wrong thing." That's what this service is for: mapping real workflows, finding low-risk wins, and building a phased plan based on what's actually useful—not what's trending.

Advanced — Build & Optimize

🚀Custom AI Solution Development

Prototype and build AI-powered tools from scratch

Ideal for: Startups, innovation teams, internal tools
  • Apps, copilots, chatbots, summarizers, etc.
  • Full-stack builds with OpenAI, LangChain, TypeScript
  • PoC or Production-tier development
Story Snapshot: Most clients don't need a giant AI system. What they need is a prototype they can test in real workflows. My builds often start with a simple LLM + front-end setup, then grow based on real usage. That's what I did for my journaling plugin—and it's how I work with clients, too.

🔍AI Process Audits & Optimization

Identify inefficiencies and improve them with AI

Ideal for: Time-strapped teams and ops managers
  • Process review and automation opportunities
  • Implementation roadmap and follow-up options
  • Focus on reducing friction, not just adding tech
Story Snapshot: I once had to clean up a web team's onboarding process that spanned Slack, email, and Trello. We used GPT to auto-fill checklists, summarize updates, and cut handoffs by half. The bottleneck wasn't tech—it was friction. That's what these audits uncover.

🛡️AI Ethics & Responsible Use Consulting

Make sure your AI usage is safe and values-aligned

Ideal for: Education, healthcare, nonprofits, mission-driven orgs
  • Privacy, fairness, human-in-the-loop design
  • Support for sensitive sectors and compliance
  • Build trust with your users and team
Story Snapshot: Working in civic tech and education taught me how easy it is to "move fast and break trust." With AI, that risk multiplies. I help clients think through privacy, transparency, and what not to automate—so you build tools your users can believe in.

Not sure where to start? Let's talk.

I offer free 30-minute consultations to help you figure out if AI is a fit—and if I'm the right person to help.

Send me a message

Or schedule a call

Book a Free Consultation Email Me

30-minute intro calls • No sales pitch • Just practical advice

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