Rogue Startups

AI agents are getting a lot more capable, but are they actually making work easier yet? 

Craig and Colin compare their latest experiments with GrokBot, Hermes, OpenClaw, Claude Code, Codex, and other AI tools, including what works, what breaks, and where agents are genuinely reducing cognitive load. 

They dig into open vs. closed systems, shared company agents, local AI, model costs, and the idea of an AI chief of staff that keeps founders focused. 

Plus, Colin shares how he's using AI to overhaul a 15-year-old WordPress site, and they explore what the next generation of AI-powered websites and marketing tools might look like.

Highlights from Craig and Colin’s conversation:

Open vs. closed AI agents for running a business

Why Craig chose Hermes as Castos' shared company agent

The security challenge of giving AI agents real power

Why AI should reduce cognitive load, not create more work

How Colin uses AI for CRM, task management, and daily planning

Claude Code vs. Codex, Cursor, and other AI development tools

Why expensive AI models aren't always the best choice

The case for running AI locally or privately

How cheap AI access encourages founders to experiment

Can an AI chief of staff actually keep you focused?

Using AI to overhaul a 15-year-old content site

How tiny AI-built tools could replace traditional lead magnets

Resources and Links from This Episode:

Produced by Castos Productions: https://castos.com/productions/ 

The Podcast Host: https://www.thepodcasthost.com/ 

Colin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colinmcgray?originalSubdomain=uk 

Castos Free Tools: castos.com/tools

Email me: podcast@roguestartups.com 

Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCraigHewitt 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-hewitt-78386a66/ 

Email: podcast@roguestartups.com

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Intro and topic setup: bots and agents
(00:01:23) - Open vs closed agent platforms
(00:03:35) - Why choosing Hermes for a shared team agent
(00:07:07) - Permissioning and security challenges with Hermes
(00:09:08) - Vision for AI teammates across a company
(00:10:44) - Personal use: Grokbot vs Claude code workflows
(00:12:53) - CRM, task management, and cognitive load reduction
(00:16:09) - Mobile workflows, Notion, and GitHub syncing
(00:19:06) - App preferences: Claude vs Codex vs Cursor vs Antigravity
(00:22:00) - Right-sizing models and cost discipline
(00:22:19) - Golf video workflow and downgrading models to save cost
(00:25:33) - Local and private AI compute considerations
(00:29:35) - Enterprise API costs, subsidies, and sovereignty concerns
(00:32:35) - Value of experimentation under usage limits
(00:33:56) - Chief of staff model and multi-agent orchestration
(00:37:59) - Chief of staff for managing priorities and stale projects
(00:41:25) - Old-school business plans teaser
(00:42:01) - Renovating lawns4u.com with AI agents
(00:45:00) - WordPress vs modern stacks (Astro, Next.js) discussion
(00:47:33) - Building tools and lead magnets beyond WordPress
(00:50:15) - Wrap up and future topics

Do you need a team to build a successful company these days? On this episode of Rogue Startups, host Craig Hewitt (Castos) and co-host Colin Gray (Alitu and The Podcast Host) tackle one of the biggest questions facing founders today: how do you hire in the age of AI agents? 

Craig and Colin chat about what an "ideal" team looks like, which roles are still worth hiring for, and which ones AI agents can take over (to save more important tasks for humans). They dig into how their own hiring processes have changed and evolved, from async video interviews to paid work samples and screen-recorded tasks. They also explain why a candidate's CV matters far less than watching them think through a problem.

Highlights from Craig and Colin’s conversation:

Why you might still want a team, even if you don't need one

What a minimal modern software team looks like

What founders should never fully hand off

How AI agents are changing customer research

The best first hires for growth and partnerships

Why every hire should be an AI power user

How to spot great candidates beyond the CV

Using paid work samples and screen recordings in hiring

The hidden costs and risks of hiring overseas

Why EORs and Merchant of Record services can simplify global hiring and sales

When to hire a human vs. build an AI agent

The trade-offs of staying solo with AI vs. building a team

Resources and Links from This Episode:

Produced by Castos Productions: https://castos.com/productions/ 

The Podcast Host: https://www.thepodcasthost.com/ 

Colin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colinmcgray?originalSubdomain=uk 

Castos Free Tools: castos.com/tools

Email me: podcast@roguestartups.com 

Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCraigHewitt 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-hewitt-78386a66/  

Email: podcast@roguestartups.com

Should you build your next company alone, or find a co-founder?

It's a question that has no easy answer, and AI is making it even more complicated. If one person can now build, market, and operate far more of a business with the help of AI, does having a co-founder still make sense?

Today, Craig and co-host Colin Gray dig into the realities of being a solo founder versus building a company with a partner. They talk about the benefits of having another person to share the load, challenge your thinking, keep you accountable, and be completely honest about the business - along with the risks that come with tying yourself to someone for years.

If you're a solo founder wondering whether you're missing something by going it alone (or maybe you're considering bringing someone into your business), this episode is for you.

Highlights from Craig and Colin’s conversation:

Why having a co-founder can make the entrepreneurial journey dramatically less lonely

How AI is changing the traditional argument for having a co-founder

Why another brain in the business may be more valuable than another specific skill set

The role of accountability, honest feedback, and staying focused

What to consider before choosing a business partner

Why personality, communication style, and problem-solving approach matter so much

The importance of agreeing on what you actually want from the business

How equity splits can create problems when partners join at different stages

Options vs. profit sharing as ways to reward employees

How to build a leadership team that can eventually operate without the founder

The advantages of speed, flexibility, and control as a solo founder

Why AI may be making solo-founded companies more viable than ever

Resources and Links from This Episode:

Produced by Castos Productions: https://castos.com/productions/ 

Sam Paar blog post: https://joinhampton.com/blog/the-template-that-made-sure-my-co-founder-and-i-were-perfect-partners 

The Podcast Host: https://www.thepodcasthost.com/ 

Colin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colinmcgray?originalSubdomain=uk 

Castos Free Tools: castos.com/tools

Email me: podcast@roguestartups.com 

Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCraigHewitt

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-hewitt-78386a66/ 

Email: podcast@roguestartups.com

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Rogue Startups: The Search for a Co-Founder
(00:00:50) - Getting back in the groove of running
(00:03:04) - Talking Business With My Partners
(00:04:35) - Does a Co-Founder Need a Partnership in AI?
(00:09:00) - Craig Menear: Coaching With Single Founders
(00:11:49) - What is a Co-Founder's Decision on Partnering?
(00:13:15) - What kind of areas of consideration did I miss besides equity pay,
(00:17:46) - Ideas for a Good Co-Founder Relationship
(00:19:43) - Have You Ever Shared Options With Your Team?
(00:21:44) - How was the, I don't know, the vibe with the
(00:23:00) - Is Having a Co-Founder Better Than Being a Solo Founder
(00:27:00) - What's The Big Benefit of Starting a Company Solo?
(00:30:01) - Does the Company Have a Co-founder Type Role?
(00:34:21) - Good Hires vs. Bad Hires
(00:36:02) - I love working with a team

What happens to marketing when AI can create almost unlimited content, build software in days, and make it easier than ever for anyone to compete?

In this episode of Rogue Startups, Craig Hewitt and co-host Colin Gray dig into what actually works in marketing today. They explore founder-led marketing, “personal brands” (and why that term makes Craig cringe), content strategy, YouTube, newsletters, podcasts, and the growing importance of creating content that carries a real human voice.

Craig and Colin debate whether blogging still matters, why YouTube may be the strongest starting point for a new brand, and why podcasts are better at building trust than converting cold audiences. They also discuss the marketing FOMO that causes founders to chase every new platform, the value of in-person events, and how to build a content flywheel where one conversation can become videos, newsletters, blog posts, and social content.

The conversation ultimately comes back to a simple question: when AI can produce endless content, what makes yours worth paying attention to? 

Highlights from Craig and Colin’s conversation:

Why the best marketing ultimately has to create a return for the customer

How founders can avoid getting trapped by marketing FOMO

Why founder-led marketing may matter more as AI creates more faceless businesses

How to figure out what makes you genuinely different

Why YouTube may be the best starting point for building a modern personal brand

Whether blogging and SEO still have a place in an AI-generated content world

Why real stories, experiences, and opinions can make content stand out from AI-generated material

How to turn one podcast conversation into a complete content ecosystem

Why podcasts are better at building trust than converting cold audiences

The underrated marketing power of in-person events and relationships

How to build a YouTube and newsletter flywheel

Why paid advertising could become more accessible through AI-powered tools

Resources and Links from This Episode:

Produced by Castos Productions: https://castos.com/productions/ 

The Podcast Host: https://www.thepodcasthost.com/ 

Colin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colinmcgray?originalSubdomain=uk 

Castos Free Tools: castos.com/tools

Email me: podcast@roguestartups.com 

Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCraigHewitt 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-hewitt-78386a66/ 

Email: podcast@roguestartups.com

Chapters

(00:00:00) - The Podcast Is Dead
(00:00:42) - Rogue Startups: More Money, Stupid
(00:02:31) - Podcast Marketing: The Business of Podcasting
(00:07:12) - Likely More Personal Brand than Social Marketing
(00:09:46) - Developing a Personal Brand
(00:13:52) - How to build a personal brand on a platform
(00:17:22) - How to Build a Modern Business on the Web
(00:23:34) - How Long Form Writing Is Made
(00:24:25) - How to Promote Your Podcast and YouTube Videos
(00:30:32) - milo on 'Physics'
(00:30:50) - How to Promote your YouTube Videos on a Podcast?
(00:37:08) - In the World of In-Person Events
(00:38:35) - How to Market Your Podcast at Events
(00:41:24) - Golf Star on His Next Thing
(00:41:41) - How to Build a YouTube Channel and a Podcast
(00:45:28) - What's Your First Channel for AI?
(00:47:16) - Paid Advertising: The Future of AI
(00:48:40) - Episode 1

AI has made building software dramatically easier. But if everyone can build a product, what happens to SaaS?

In this episode of Rogue Startups, Craig Hewitt is joined by co-host Colin Gray for a wide-ranging conversation about what they're building, how AI is changing their businesses, and why the biggest challenge for SaaS founders may no longer be writing the code. Colin and Craig dig into AI-assisted development, content repurposing, YouTube strategy, AI agents, memory and context, and the increasingly blurry line between building a product and simply building something for yourself.

The conversation gets especially interesting as they compare tools like Cursor, Claude, Codex, Grok, OpenClaw, and Hermes, and discuss the idea of having an AI "boss" that can remember your priorities, surface old ideas, manage your tasks, and push information to you instead of making you constantly hunt for it.

Highlights from Craig and Colin’s conversation:

How AI is making software dramatically easier to build - and why that creates a new challenge for SaaS founders

Why AI tools become much more powerful when they're customized to your specific workflows

Is "anyone can build this" becoming a real problem for SaaS companies?

Why the hardest part of building software may no longer be writing the code

The biggest risk of AI-built software: building something nobody actually wants

How Craig and Colin are using AI agents to reduce cognitive load and manage their work

Why your AI assistant may need access to your entire digital life to be genuinely useful

Turning conversations and existing content into a repeatable publishing workflow

Why sometimes a solo founder just needs an AI boss

Why more features aren't always the answer for a growing SaaS business

What should an AI assistant actually remember about you?

How AI agents could change the way founders work, prioritize, and make decisions

Resources and Links from This Episode:

Produced by Castos Productions: https://castos.com/productions/ 

The Podcast Host: https://www.thepodcasthost.com/ 

Colin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colinmcgray?originalSubdomain=uk 

Castos Free Tools: castos.com/tools

Email me: podcast@roguestartups.com 

Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCraigHewitt 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-hewitt-78386a66/ 

Email: podcast@roguestartups.com

Chapters

(00:00:00) - What's the Risk of Building a SaaS in Claude Code
(00:00:28) - Rogue Startups: Updates on AI
(00:05:07) - How to Build a Podcast on YouTube
(00:10:12) - How to hire a non-technical developer
(00:15:19) - Cursor Cloud vs. Grokbot: What's The Difference
(00:19:46) - Grokbot and OpenCluster: The One Place for Everything
(00:25:00) - How Do You Keep Yourself Organized?
(00:30:50) - Working on a 6 week plan
(00:34:27) - Pushing the pace of product development
(00:36:58) - Ideas on Grokbot: The Knowledge Librarian
(00:42:47) - Your Bots: Do Your Job
(00:43:29) - How to Organize Your Brain in 2019
(00:45:11) - OpenClaw vs. Codex: Which is better?
(00:47:34) - Colin Gray on Social Media