Colin Robertson
From Burning Out to
Building Up
I spent years researching the science of willpower and pushing myself to the breaking point. Now I'm using AI to help experts scale their impact, without paying the price I did.
The Obsession That Changed Everything
I've always believed that the human brain is the most marvelous tool in the known universe. There's greatness at the center of every human mind, just waiting to be unlocked.
In 2011, I became obsessed with understanding how we unlock that potential. I read everything I could find on neuroscience, decision making, habit formation, and the psychology of achievement.
The common thread? Willpower. The ability to do what needs to be done, even when you don't feel like it.
After four years of research, I launched Willpowered: a blog dedicated to sharing the science of perseverance. Within a year, over 1,000,000 people from around the world visited to strengthen their willpower.
Why I Build
“Build the tools that help genuinely good ideas, people, and organizations make an extraordinary impact on the world.”
The Will of Heroes
In 2015, I ran a Kickstarter campaign to publish my first book. With only 10 days left and less than half my goal raised, I refused to give up. More time at the keyboard. Less sleep. Repeat.
By some miracle, I raised $13,000. I moved to Florida, eliminated all distractions, and wrote 140,000 words in three months.
The book shares the stories of 12 extraordinary individuals, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Temple Grandin, and the science behind how they willed themselves to greatness.
The Dark Side of Willpower
Success came at a terrible cost, one I didn't see coming until it was too late.
“I'm in my 30s and I can no longer use my hands to navigate my phone, drive a car, or type the words you are reading now.”
I applied the science of willpower to push through fatigue, pain, and every signal my body sent me to slow down. I told myself that the discomfort was just my brain being conservative, that I could push through like the heroes I studied.
I was wrong. Willpower without wisdom is dangerous.
The damage accumulated over years of 14 hour days at the keyboard. Writing, editing, promoting, building online courses. All while ignoring the pain creeping through my wrists and hands.
When I finally sought medical help, the specialists delivered devastating news: I would likely never be able to type on a keyboard or tap on a phone again.
Finding Hope in Technology
As I looked at braces on both my hands, a thought occurred to me: I am truly lucky to be living in this time.
The human hand is a marvelous tool. But it is not as marvelous as the human brain. I had the wealth of all human knowledge available on the internet and emerging tools that could help me accomplish work without my hands.
I became an early adopter of voice technology. What started as a necessity became a revelation. In today's world, you do not need the use of your hands to do meaningful work. All you need is your mind.
Every word on this website was created using voice commands. And as AI technology has evolved, I've realized something even more profound...
Why I Build Agents Now
I spent years learning the hard way. I pushed myself to the breaking point, made countless mistakes, and paid a permanent physical price.
What if there was a better way?
Agents aren't about replacing experts. They're about removing the grind: the prospecting, the admin, the busywork. That way you can stay in your zone of genius.
My first experiment was Willpowered: an AI coach built on everything I learned from a decade of research and the stories of 12 extraordinary achievers. It proved something important: the right tools can transform what one person is capable of.
That experience changed what I wanted to build next. Not another product for myself, but tools for the people and organizations already making the world better. Nonprofits finding donors. Consultants reaching the clients who need them most. Coaches scaling their impact beyond one on one sessions.
Good ideas don't fail because they're not good enough. They fail because the people behind them are buried in the wrong work. I build agents that fix that.
Why I'm Uniquely Qualified
- 1I've done it myself: turned my book into a working AI product
- 2I understand methodology deeply as an author, not just as an engineer
- 3I was the founding engineer at Steadii, a caregiving platform that changed lives before it ran out of funding. That story is why I build fundraising tools now. [Read the full story →]
- 4I use voice and AI daily, so I understand the technology intimately
How I Work
The principles behind every agent I build
Net Positive
I only work with people and organizations making the world better. Not every client is the right client. I'd rather leave money on the table than spend a single hour on something that doesn't create genuine good.
Greatness Over Growth
I'd rather build 10 extraordinary agents than 100 adequate ones. Small, deliberate, disciplined steps toward something enduringly great. You'll never be one of fifty clients; you'll be one of a few.
Empathetic Honesty
Hard truths are necessary to succeed in business. But that doesn't mean we, or the agents we build, should be blunt and tactless. The feedback we actually listen to comes from a place of genuine care and a real desire to help. That's how I work with clients, and it's how I build agents: honest, direct, and always rooted in wanting the best outcome for the people they serve.
Ready to turn your expertise into impact?
If you've built a methodology that transforms lives, let's talk about how AI can help you scale it.
Get in Touch