About RuggedAI
Built for the People Who Do the Real Work.
You get up early. You run a crew. You bid jobs, deal with customers, and keep it all together. The businesses pulling ahead right now aren't working harder — they've figured out how to put AI to work on the stuff that eats your day: the follow-ups that slip, the quotes that sit, the busywork that piles up after a long day. You can do the same — you just need someone to show you how without the jargon.
That's what RuggedAI is for: helping you put AI to work in your own business, built around how you actually run it, so you get your time back.
The Mission
Close the Gap.
You're not competing with Fortune 500 companies. You're competing with the HVAC guy down the street who got a head start on AI. The plumber who's not drowning in admin after a 12-hour day. The pest control company doing more without adding office staff.
That gap is closeable — and we close it together. No tech team required, no big budget, no learning a new industry. Just AI built around the way you already operate.
Who We Serve
The Trades.
- HVAC
- Pest Control
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Garage Doors
- Landscaping
- And others!
Why We Exist
The Gap Is Real. And It's Getting Wider.
88%
of contractors haven't fully embedded AI — only 12% have
66%
expect AI to meaningfully transform the trades within 1–3 years
60%
reduction in missed calls for trades using AI-powered call handling
Source: ServiceTitan State of AI in the Trades, 2026
The AI We Use
We Build on Claude.
Every system we build runs on Claude — Anthropic's AI. Not because it's the most hyped. Because it's the best tool for what trades businesses actually need: it remembers what you've already told it instead of making you repeat yourself, it follows directions the way a sharp employee would, and it connects to the software you already use.
We're certified in Claude. That means when you work with us, you're not getting someone figuring it out on your dime. You're getting someone who knows exactly how to configure it, prompt it, and connect it to your phone system, CRM, and scheduling software.
Built on Claude
Every participant gets set up on Claude — Anthropic's AI. Skills, connectors, and custom workflows built around how your operation actually runs.
Certified & Current
We stay ahead of what Claude can do so you don't have to. When new capabilities drop, we know how to apply them to your business first.
Built to Last
The systems we build don't depend on us to run. You own them. You can operate them. And when you need more, we're here.
Certifications
Earned directly through Anthropic Education — verifiable, not self-awarded. Click any to confirm it.
Issued by Anthropic Education
The Founder
Colin Hirdman
Co-Founder, RuggedAI
I started my first company a week after graduating from college and I've been an entrepreneur ever since. Everything I've built since then has been through Monkey Island Ventures — a company I co-founded with two of my best friends, Josh and Zack. We named it after a park we played at together since we were five years old.
Over the years the three of us have built over a dozen software and service businesses. Along the way we built Augurian, a digital marketing agency, and Cloudburst, a custom software studio. The mission behind all of it has always been the same: share what we know and help create as many successful entrepreneurs as we can.
RuggedAI is the next chapter. The trades are full of serious operators — real crews, real revenue — getting outpaced by competitors who figured out how to use AI first. Not because they're smarter. Because they moved faster. That gap is closeable, and closing it is what RuggedAI is built to do.
My approach is direct. We sit down with your operation, find the highest-leverage places AI can help, and build them together. No jargon. No theory. No wasted time.
Work With Colin →The Companies Behind It
Where the Experience Comes From.
RuggedAI didn't come out of nowhere. It's backed by companies we own and operate — across marketing, software, and operations. That's the experience behind everything we do.
The Venture Platform
The holding company behind RuggedAI. Founded by Colin, Josh, and Zack — three childhood friends committed to building as many successful companies as they can in their lifetimes.
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Digital Marketing
A full-service digital marketing agency we own and operate — years of learning what actually drives leads and revenue for real businesses.
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Custom Software
A custom software studio we own and operate — the technical muscle behind RuggedAI, and proof we know how to turn ideas into working product.
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