The Workshop
RuggedU
You leave with an AI co-pilot that knows your business — and works for you every day.
Built over three weeks, live and hands-on, alongside a small group of trades pros with the same problems you have. Not slides. Not theory. The real thing — and it's yours to keep.
Tuesdays · June 23, 30 & July 7 · 10:30am–Noon CT
Lifetime Cohort Access Included
Enroll once and you're in every future RuggedU cohort. The curriculum evolves with AI — and so will you.
What You Walk Away With
Three Weeks. AI That Works for You.
An AI Co-Pilot That Knows Your Business
You leave with a co-pilot that knows your pricing, your service area, your services, and how you talk to customers — so it stops giving generic answers and starts answering like someone who actually works there. Yours to keep.
You Build What Matters to You
No cookie-cutter tool. You pick the work that's actually eating your time — quoting, follow-ups, dispatch, whatever it is — and build AI around that. It's your business, so it's your call what gets built.
You're Not in the Room Alone
You build alongside professionals from HVAC, plumbing, pest control, electrical, and more. Everyone in the room has the same problems. Nobody's doing this alone.
The Curriculum
Learn Claude. Build for Your Business.
This isn't a lecture series. Over three weeks you learn to actually use Claude — Anthropic's AI — and put it to work on the stuff that eats your time. You pick what to build for your own business, and you leave with it running plus the know-how to keep building.
Week 1
Get Comfortable With Claude
Cut through the hype and understand what AI actually does and doesn't do. Learn how to talk to Claude and get real results. Get set up on Claude and start spotting where it could help in your business.
Week 2
Build Your Business Co-Pilot
Teach Claude your business — your services, your pricing, your voice — so it stops giving generic answers and starts working like it actually knows your shop. By the end of this session you have a co-pilot that gets your operation.
Week 3
Put It to Work
Now make it run without you. Set up a routine that works in the background — a morning briefing, lead triage, whatever saves you the most time — so AI is handling real work while you're on the job. Make it reliable enough for your team, learn what's worth building yourself versus paying for, and leave with a roadmap for what to build next.
Every Session is Recorded
The trades don't run on a 9-to-5. Emergency calls, long days, jobs that run over — your schedule isn't always your own. That's why every live session is recorded and available on-demand, and any prep work can be done whenever you've got the time. Join live when you can, catch up when you can't. You won't fall behind.
Who's Running It
Your Instructor
Colin Hirdman
Founder, RuggedAI
Colin has spent over two decades building companies. He co-founded Monkey Island Ventures and built Augurian, a digital marketing agency, and Cloudburst, a custom software studio. RuggedAI is where it all comes together — bringing the marketing, technology, and AI know-how he's built across industries to the trades.
His approach is direct. No fluff. No jargon. Just practical, hands-on work focused on building AI that actually fits how your business runs.
Who This Is For
Built for Businesses That Want to Win.
Right for you if:
- You run a trades business — or help run one
- You're done losing jobs to faster competitors
- You want AI that actually works in your business
- You (or someone on your team) can commit three weeks
- You're tired of tools built for someone else
Not for you if:
- You want theory without practice
- You're not ready to implement
- You want someone else to do all the work
- You're not in the trades
- You're looking for a generic AI course
What's Included
What You'll Get.
What you need to start putting AI to work in your trades business — and keep building after.
3 Live Weekly Sessions
Build live with Colin, three weeks running. Bring the real bottlenecks — estimates, dispatch, after-hours calls — and work on them together, live.
Direct Access to Colin
Hit a wall building something between sessions? Reach Colin directly all three weeks — not just during class.
Set Up on Claude
You leave with Claude set up around your business — your services, your pricing, the way you work. Not a trial you're left to figure out alone.
A Cohort of Peers
Build alongside other trades operators working through the same problems you are. A small group that gets it.
Forever Access to Recordings
Every session recorded. Miss one for an emergency call or a packed schedule? Watch and rewatch anytime, on your schedule.
Templates & Prompts
Prompts and templates to adapt for trades work — quoting, follow-ups, review requests — so you're not starting from a blank page.
AI Tool Comparison Guide
A clear read on the AI tools out there — what's worth paying for, what's hype, and what fits a trades business.
A Repeatable System
A repeatable way to keep building trade-specific AI after the workshop — so as your business changes, you're not starting over.
Plus lifetime access to every future RuggedU cohort — the curriculum evolves with AI, and so do you.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Build?
Join RuggedU
Four weeks. Working systems. No fluff. If you show up to the first session and it's not right for you, full refund — no questions asked.
Reserve Your Spot — $497