Eden: Work Needed to Improve Mixpanel Implementation
One-pager | Sources: Meeting with Ryon (Feb 9, 2026), 2026 calls with Ryon, Mitesh, Josh Yoon (Mixpanel consultant), and Brainforge internal syncs.
Date: 2026-03-09
Context
- Data flow (already mapped): Channels → web assets → GTM → Segment (HIPAA gateway) → BigQuery → Mixpanel / Tableau / CIO. Northbeam handles attribution; EMR → Segment planned.
- Stated goal (Ryon): Make Mixpanel the single source of truth internally. Today only ~4 active users (Ryon, Joseph, Nick, Gregory); leadership is questioning ROI. Multiple teams use separate platforms (e.g., Facebook agency uses Meta tools)—Eden needs one place to justify continued investment.
1. Fix data quality and identity (Priority 1)
| Problem | What’s needed |
|---|---|
| Conversion tracking broken | Reported conversions (e.g. 1,365) cannot exclude cancellations/refunds. Need server-side order/refund data tied to conversions. |
| Schema / filters broken | “First order” and similar filters return zero due to misconfigured setup. Audit and fix event + property schema. |
| Identity resolution | No reliable link between server-side and client-side data. Resolve so one user = one identity across touchpoints. |
| Duplicate / inconsistent user IDs | Auto-tracking and custom events produce IDs that don’t align; consultant (Josh Yoon) flagged this; severity has led to discussion of starting a fresh Mixpanel instance. Action: Run a UUID audit; either fix identity in place or document the case for a clean reset. |
From Feb 2026 syncs: Ryon’s stated priority was “duplicate IDs in Mixpanel”; Brainforge side asked Ryon to pinpoint where the consultant saw the issue so the fix can be scoped.
2. Control cost and improve adoption
| Issue | What’s needed |
|---|---|
| Cost explosion | Monthly spend jumped after adding BASC intake milestone events (add medication, payment info, shipping, allergies, begin checkout). Needed for funnel/drop-off analysis but drives cost. |
| Low adoption | Only 4 active users; ELT questions ROI. |
| Fragmented usage | Other teams (e.g., Meta agency) use their own tools instead of Mixpanel. |
Work:
- Event taxonomy and tracking plan: One canonical tracking plan that maps every current event, which platforms receive it, and whether it contains PHI/PII (for compliance). Use it to prune or consolidate events and control volume/cost.
- Self-service dashboards: Build dashboards that answer common questions (funnels, drop-off, campaign performance) so more stakeholders use Mixpanel instead of ad-hoc asks.
- Single source of truth narrative: Align reporting (e.g., attribution, channel KPIs) so Mixpanel (and linked BI) is the place ELT and Mitesh look—and so first-touch vs last-touch rules (e.g., Meta) are consistent with internal CAC.
3. Server-side and order-level data
- Add server-side data connections for order details (including refunds/cancellations) so conversion and revenue metrics in Mixpanel are correct and excludable.
- Ensures conversion counts and “first order”–type logic can be trusted and aligned with finance/operations.
4. Compliance and governance (already partly in place)
- Event tracking spreadsheet for legal: documents each GTM event and which platforms get data; PHI/PII flow (e.g. non-GA4) is tracked. Keep it updated as events change.
- OneTrust: Cookie categorization is implemented (past non-compliance led to fines). Improve tracking of custom cookies across properties.
- QA and change control: Ryon is pushing (with Adam Poma, Nick, Surf) for GTM monitoring/QA and a record of changes. Automate where possible so Mixpanel-related GTM changes don’t regress identity or key events.
5. Adjacent (not Mixpanel-only but blocks trust in analytics)
- Catalyst (affiliate): Long-standing issues (first-time order rules, 7-day attribution, duplicate/incorrect conversions). Current client-side setup needs daily manual audits. Migration off Catalyst is under consideration. Until resolved, affiliate numbers will remain noisy and can undermine trust in “one source of truth.”
- Attribution and KPIs: Ryon/Mitesh are behind on attribution report and channel-level KPI doc. Align Meta (and other channels) on last-touch vs first-touch for internal CAC so Mixpanel/BI numbers match what leadership uses for decisions.
Recommended order of work
- Identity and UUIDs: Audit; fix or reset; document.
- Tracking plan: One plan covering all events → Mixpanel (and others); link to compliance spreadsheet.
- Schema and filters: Fix “first order” and other broken filters; align events with tracking plan.
- Server-side order/refund data: Connect to Mixpanel (or to Segment → Mixpanel) so conversions are accurate.
- Self-service dashboards and adoption: Funnel, drop-off, and campaign views; train Ryon/Mitesh/ELT so Mixpanel becomes the default.
- Ongoing: GTM/QA automation and Cookie/OneTrust hygiene so new launches don’t break Mixpanel again.
For 2026 call refs: Ryon–Robert retro (Feb 12); Greg–Zoran event tracking sync (Feb 9); Eden daily standups (Feb 5, 10, 12); Brainforge x Eden project check-in (Feb 6); Marketing analytics sync with Mitesh/Ryon (Feb 12).