NEOM

Head of Innovation and Ecosystem Activation, Food Sector

Senior Manager, Technology & Innovation, Food, Energy-Water-Food

NEOM is a region in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea being built from the ground up as a living laboratory – a place where entrepreneurship will chart the course for this New Future. We are looking for eager learners who are passionate about food and how digital technologies can impact lives. Ping us to learn more about how you can be part of the team innovating the future of food through design x hacks x policy.

Manager, Digital, Policy, & Innovation, Food, Energy-Water-Food

NEOM is a special economic zone in Saudi Arabia where global talents converge to pioneer ideas on the land of the future for the future of cities. As a Food Technology Consultant in the Food Sector, I lead the digital strategy and initiatives of the NEOM Food Sector with the following objectives:
Ensure food supply resilience and sustainability through traceability and advanced analytics
Enhance food production efficiency via environmental sensing and automation

Consultant, Technology, Food Sector

TOPIAN

Head of Innovation and Ecosystem Activation

Hustle Fund

Angel Squad Member

OpenClassrooms

OpenClassrooms is an online education platform for vocational training, providing courses in IT, technology, entrepreneurship, and digital skills. As a mentor, I support and accompany individual students once per week over video chat in order to help them get the most out of their learning on OpenClassrooms. I help students as they work on the projects that count towards the completion of their learning path. I also grade the projects that they do. Paths on OpenClassrooms are comprised of fully-online courses and projects, and completing the projects allows students to earn internationally-recognized degrees.

Mentor (Data Analyst / Data Scientist)

Startup Grind

Startup Grind in partnership with Google for Startups is a startup community actively educating, inspiring, and connecting entrepreneurs around the globe. We do this through our unique fireside-chat monthly events. As Chapter Director, I act as a bridge for founders, developers, and investors to create a #GiveFirst startup culture in Riyadh.

Events:
9/2019 - Mentor at Ideathon 2.0: The New Wave of Digitalization in Beijing
4/2019 - Founder Wellness and lessons from Silicon Valley for Startups in KSA 
2/2019 - Data insights and other lessons from MIT/Stanford/McKinsey for startups in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh Chapter Director

AngelHack

AngelHack empowers developers and communities globally through our signature hackathon series. As an Ambassador, I build the local tech and start-up communities and strengthen the local ecosystems and promote innovations by bringing together passionate and motivated individuals and organizing and running amazing hackathons.

Mentored and supported Jeddah Fintech Hackathon (https://www.hackathon.io/jeddah-fintech-hackathon/)

Riyadh Ambassador

City AI

City AI is a global community of AI practitioners with one goal: to enable everyone to apply artificial intelligence. As the Riyadh Ambassador, I promote the sharing of AI lessons learned through regular meetups, contribute to shaping global best practices in AI engagement, and chart the local AI ecosystem to enable players to leverage AI potential in various business use-cases.

Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS)

The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties is a scientific commission that regulates health care-related practices and accreditation at all levels in Saudi Arabia. As a Consultant at the Knowledge Management Department, I advise the Director on data governance, data analytics, and data culture matters. Specifically, I:
Lead the advanced analytics group (AAG)
Propose and supervise projects in the scope of AAG
Explore data and derive insights using machine learning techniques
Propose proof-of-concepts for applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence
Develop and grow the staff in AAG

Consultant, Knowledge Management

General Assembly

Delivered 960 hours of instruction in applied data science at the Misk Academy to enable 60 early-professionals to transition into a Data Science career in Saudi Arabia
Adapted global data science curricula best practices to fit local market needs
Co-developed 50+ student data science projects for real-world applications with local companies

Lead Instructor (Data Science Immersive)

Saudi Aramco

Identified new technology joint venture opportunities by drafting 30 technical briefs for the Technology Management team
Reviewed in-house IP policies by interviewing 5 prolific in-house R&D scientists 
Developed an invention disclosure process to enhance knowledge flow and to inform IP strategy for the Intellectual Asset Management team

Intern - Technology Management

Innovation X Ecosystems @Topian, the NEOM Food Company

TL;DR
I turn bold ideas into sustainable reality. As Head of Innovation at NEOM’s food company, I fuse technology, sustainability, and food systems to shape a resilient, future-ready world. With a PhD in Applied Mathematics and a track record spanning research, entrepreneurship, and global partnerships, I’m passionate about driving transformative projects that advance Vision 2030.

Speaker bio:
Dr. Andrew Yip is the Head of Innovation and Ecosystem Activation at Topian, the NEOM Food Company. He is dedicated to curating sustainable innovations and strategic partnerships that will help the food sector reach its full potential. With his extensive experience in technology, innovation, and data governance, Dr. Yip is committed to driving positive change and creating innovative solutions for the industry, supporting Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to promote economic diversification, job creation, and social and cultural development.

Dr. Yip holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and Computational Science from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and has been a NEOM pioneer since 2019. When he's not working, he enjoys tabletop gaming with friends and strangers alike.

Andrew Yip, PhD

Just back from the China Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen. The scale is hard to comprehend—5,000+ exhibitors, 16 endless halls, a half-million-person buzz. It was a week of sensory overload in the best way, complete with robot boxing matches and UFO-looking transportation drone (yes, really).

A few observations have stuck with me:

1. Innovation is About Pivot, Not Just Product.
I saw HONOR, the phone maker, demoing everything from smart car OSs to AI-powered cat toys. It was a powerful lesson: true innovation isn't just a new flagship device; it's the agile application of core tech into wildly new markets.

2. The Middle East Isn't a "Market," It's a Partner.
The forum on China-Middle East tech was telling. Hearing from SenseTime's Riyadh joint venture and a speech by Mohammed Aljasser from PIF's TASAMA made one thing clear: this isn't a scattershot expansion. It's a deeply strategic, state-aligned push to build integrated ecosystems, perfectly synchronized with a national agenda like Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. The focus and long-term commitment were key. Don't come and sell products, come build with us for the long haul.

3. Build it here. bring it everywhere.
My highlight was the KAUST Shenzhen hub presence at the fair. I reconnected with two of our TIE masters teams—one building a medical drone delivery service, the other recycling 3D printer waste at its source. Seeing these students, who operate between our two worlds, physically building the bridges we talk about was incredibly gratifying. 

I saw "Shenzhen speed" applied to global problems firsthand. It brought to mind Steve Jobs' pebbles observation that the best products come from conflict. It's not about agreement; it's about the friction of different perspectives grinding against each other until they create something sharper and new.

Which brings me to a final reflection:

The road to the future is not built alone and in isolation. 

True local demand and a global ecosystem of eager builders make the dream come true.

Saudi Premium Resident | Turning bold ideas into sustainable reality | Tech × Sustainability × Future Food Systems

Yuanfen isn’t just chance — it’s the quiet rhythm of kindred spirits crossing paths, again and again. 

From World AgriFood Innovation (WAFI) Conference panelists to innovation park bump-ins, to this midnight airport Starbucks chat (him fresh off Chengdu, me pre-dawn flight in Beijing) — Ming and I circled back to what matters: people, purpose, and bridging cross-border tech and cultural gaps.

Grateful for connections that feel less accidental, more meant to be.

They say, "اطلبوا العلم ولو في الصين" – "Seek knowledge, even if it is in China."

This ancient Arab proverb took on a profound new meaning for me at the recent Shentech bootcamp at the KAUST Shenzhen Innovation Hub. As a KAUST alumnus, returning to a KAUST ecosystem on the other side of the world was a powerful reminder that knowledge isn't confined to a place, but lives where curious minds from every field and corner of the globe come together. This I've got to experience bumping into my old friend Hattan while I was casually scouting the office and ended up with an hour-long conversation on deep tech commercialization, AI education, travels and food in China. Thank you for being a steadfast champion of diversity and living the Arabic proverb to its fullest!

At the event, the energy was incredible! It was wonderful to reconnect with old friends, fellow alumni, and the brilliant startups I've been following. The collaborative spirit was palpable, and it was inspiring to see the deep-tech innovation taking root.

A recent fascination in bioplastics drew my attention to NuCarbon. They are tackling the massive issue of food waste, which contributes significantly to global carbon emissions . Their work focuses on converting liquid food waste into precursors for biofuels, bioplastics, and antimicrobial agents. This is transforming a global environmental liability into valuable chemical building blocks and paving the way for a more circular economy. Kudos to Pascal, Krishna, Hari, and Gabriel in pushing the frontier and demonstrating the possibility on our Thuwal campus. 
 
This bootcamp was more than just sessions and pitches; it was a melting pot of ideas. It reinforced my belief that the next great breakthroughs will happen at the intersection of disciplines and cultures. It was also a great pleasure to bump into the great shapers of the Chinese alumni chapter Dr. Jian Pan and Peng Zhan at the event. Thank you to the Shenzhen team of KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) (especially to Anita FANG and both Sarah's for their tieless coordination, and all the partners, especially the Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen for orchestrating such a stellar event and visits. 

The journey of knowledge continues, and it is unequivocally a global one.

Look forward to meeting you all at The Garage today and tomorrow!

د.أندرو يب يسلّط الضوء في ملتقى EWAx على دور الابتكار وحوكمة البيانات في تشكيل قطاعات مرنة، وتطوير حلول غذائية مستدامة تخدم المستقبل

Dr. Andrew Yip highlights at the EWAx Forum the role of innovation and data governance in building resilient sectors and developing sustainable food solutions for the future.

A new partnership is being born. Stay tuned. #EWAx

Lovely sharing some thoughts on data-driven ecosystem with you both Max Leveau Oleksandr Kozyr at #EWAx

ناقشت الجلسة الحوارية الرابعة رحلة تطوير أنظمة الغذاء المستدامة، حيث أوضح الخبراء أن التحديات ليست تقنية فقط بل ثقافية في المقام الأول، وأن البيانات الدقيقة وبناء نماذج عمل مشتركة بين الشركات الناشئة والصناعة هي الطريق لابتكارات قادرة على النمو والتوسع عالمياً

The fourth dialogue session discussed the journey of developing sustainable food systems, where experts clarified that the challenges are not only technical but primarily cultural. They affirmed that accurate data and building shared business models between startups and the industry are the path to innovations capable of global growth and expansion

It's an understatement to say that KAUST changed my life. And I would love anyone in my network with the right aptitudes and attitudes to give this new house of wisdom a fair chance.

Professor at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

The KAUST Global Fellowship Program is accepting applications until January 15, 2026. This prestigious program attracts exceptional postdoctoral researchers from around the world to pursue independent, curiosity-driven research at KAUST. A slide deck with key information about the Fellowship, including eligibility criteria, application process, and timelines is attached for your reference.

Please note this opportunity to come and work here! 

Descartes had it backwards.

"I think, therefore I am" is a lonely truth. A brain in a jar can think.

But to feel alive? To truly be? That requires another.

I connect, therefore I am.

We are not just thinking minds, but beating hearts that find their rhythm in others.

So how do we start? At Startup Grind, we build on this idea with three simple mantras:

👉 #GiveFirst - Value creation over value extraction.
👉#MakeFriends - Build real relationships, not just contacts.
👉#HelpOthers - Your success is tied to the success you create.

These are the practices that turn a solitary thought into a shared existence.

Your turn: What's one small way you'll practice #GiveFirst this week? Share it below. 👇

With the TIE masters yellow it completes the seeds of unity of KAUST. 

May the clarifying lens ever clarifies.

KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

View company: KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

Yesterday’s Commencement ceremony marked a historic milestone for KAUST with the graduation of the University’s first cohort from the Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (TIE) program.

This inaugural group represents a significant step in strengthening KAUST’s role in advancing Saudi Arabia’s innovation ecosystem. The TIE program prepares graduates to translate research into scalable solutions that support national priorities and contribute to the growth of a knowledge-based economy.

We are proud to celebrate this important achievement and the impact these graduates will deliver as they move into the next stage of their entrepreneurial and professional journeys.

#KAUST #Commencement2025 #AcceleratingImpact #TIEProgram #Entrepreneurship #SaudiVision2030

Well said. A useful and cost effective model beats any fancy model on the field.

AI Expert, CEO of 01.AI, Chairman/CEO of 创新工场 (Sinovation Ventures), Author of 'AI Superpowers', 'AI 2041'

Decent-quality LLMs from China are really helping make GenAI affordable and accessible to the world through open source.  Pursuing AGI with close models might be a winner-take-all game for U.S. big techs, but making AI more open will benefit researchers, students, entrepreneurs, and hobbyists in building AI that works for them.  More in this Bloomberg interview:

Open article: Sinovation Ventures’ Lee on China-US AI Race by bloomberg.com

Sinovation Ventures’ Lee on China-US AI Race

Autonomy Agency

Scale your marketing agency to 7 figures in 30-hour workweeks

Founder

Agency Jet - Digital Marketing, SEO, Pay Per Click & Website Design veterans. 

Consultant

Agency Jet is one of the premier providers of all things digital marketing in the United States with a range of services to help companies improve their presence online locally, regionally or nationally. As the SEO Director I:
•Create and facilitate custom plans for each and every client in SEO, Web Development & Design, Social Media and more
•Continuously improve on internal process to provide superb service
•Offer transparency, education and results to each client no matter the scope of the project
•Put the client first, the employee second and the investor third in all business decisions
•Manage multiple projects at any time with flexibility
•Maintain structure with all team members in planning and strategy
•Regularly provide contact with clients via phone or in person meetings to achieve outlined goals
•Manage a team of some of the most talented SEO project managers on earth
•Lead our inbound marketing team and strategy testing

Partner + SEO Director

Colby Wegter Ventures

Owner

Exley Co.

Exley Co. is a boutique digital marketing agency in Milwaukee whose team boasts some of the strongest client retention numbers and results in the United States. As the owner of Exley Co. I:
•Build strategic partnerships with vendors and clients to deliver world-class digital marketing services
•Coordinate free and educational audits by Exley Co.’s talented staff for clients in the United States
•Ensure digital marketing campaigns provide all deliverables, communication expectations and results expected by our incredible clients
•Utilize and organize the talents of some of the most creative and talented professionals the digital marketing industry has to offer
•Offer fully transparent and results-oriented SEO, Digital Advertising and Web Design services
•Maintain some of the highest client retention rates in the United States

A Look Into

Writing the stories of the people behind the products we love is the core belief of A Look Into. Knowing their story takes it from simply a product into a worthwhile experience that needs to be shared. As Founder I:
•Craft relationships with business owners in the Twin Cities
•Develop featured items and posts on alookinto.com
•Expand visibility to local community initiatives and those who foster them
•Photograph, publish and edit all visible content on alookinto.com and corresponding social media

Nagios Enterprises, LLC

Nagios Enterprises is the industry standard in enterprise-grade IT infrastructure monitoring. Our products enable organizations to take their data and make successful business decisions. As a Marketing Specialist I:
•Worked with team members in strategic planning initiatives to increase visibility to the Nagios brand
•Contributed in internal process building to increase workplace efficiency and effectiveness
•Created high-quality digital content for web pages, blogs and video
•Managed the social media department exclusively and created content across all major social platforms

Marketing Specialist

InterActive Circle

InterActive Circle offers development, PPC services, and SEO services for businesses both locally and nationwide.  In the SEO Department I:
•Worked with team members and leaders to execute best practices for communicating and managing the scope of SEO Projects
•Contributed to ongoing improvement of internal processes
•Worked directly with all teams from sales to marketing to IT
•Developed, maintained and executed workable project plans
•Managed multiple projects across multiple clients with flexibility
•Proactively enhanced client relationships
•Coordinated internally and with the client to ensure effective exchange of project requirements, information and deliverables

SEO Project Manager

BrandYourself

BrandYourself provides opportunities for individuals to begin controlling their online presence using professional website design and personalized search engine optimization (SEO) tactics. As a HeadStart Specialist I:
•Educated clientele on SEO terminology and best practices for their personal online reputation
•Designed custom and professional websites to client's specifications
•Created social media properties to enhance client's online presence
•Offered outstanding customer service from introduction to final correspondance

HeadStart Specialist

BrandYourself provides online reputation management (ORM) for a number of clients by creating unique and relevant content on the web. As Concierge Search Representative I:
•Worked directly with the client to glean information and create truthful and unique content
•Built custom websites, web 2.0 profiles, and web applications
•Designed monthly strategies tailored to each client specifically
•Maintained activity across sites and web 2.0 profiles including blogging and social activity
•Worked with clients to achieve their goals

Concierge Search Representative

Bed-Stuy New Beginnings Charter School

Bedford Stuyvesant New Beginnings Charter School is an elementary and middle school proudly serving the students in our neighborhood, affectionately known worldwide as Bed Stuy. As an Instructional Associate I:
•Designed and conducted differentiated reading, writing, and social studies instruction
•Created Writer's Workshop for over 100 fifth and sixth grade students
•Collaborated with grade level learning coaches in grading, pacing, instruction, and field trip coordination
•Enacted "Whole Brain Teaching" to deliver instruction and manage behavior
•Contacted students' parents on a weekly basis for performance and behavior progress
•Designed visual aids, resources and materials used in the classroom to enhance learning

Instructional Associate

Hills Bank and Trust Company

Hills Bank and Trust Company has grown to become one of Iowa's largest independent banks. As a Bank Teller I:
•Handled between 80-100 transactions a day working directly with the customer
•Employed cash handling skills
•Offered services based on customer's needs
•Ensured drawer was properly balanced every closing time
•Ensured bank vault was properly balanced
•Offered superior customer service at all times

Bank Teller

Solopreneurs making over $10K/mo don't need to add. They need to eliminate. I help with that. • Bootstrapped $3M agency owner • Creating custom (and easy) systems is my love language. ☕

"This is how I die."

👆 Burnout #1 - April 2022

"Will I wake up tomorrow?"

👆 Burnout #2 - December 2022

Here's what the surface looked like:

→ Owner of a Global Top 1000 digital marketing agency
→ Managing over $1M in revenue
→ Inbound leads coming in
→ Hiring and managing

Here's what the inside looked like:

→ Growing workload I couldn't manage
→ Saying yes to "opportunities" that didn't align
→ Believing working more would yield more results

So, I changed everything. No one was coming to save me.

Here's what I did:

→ Eliminated 90% of meetings with one email (saved 75 hours/mo)
→ Stopped saying yes to poor-fits and raised prices
→ Doubled down on existing clients (upselling)
→ Increased client retention (predictability)

I got addicted to systems and removing myself. And got from 70 hours a week down to 8 hours a week...and we increased revenue by 150% in 12 months.

And I networked with 150+ marketing agency owners in 22 months.

→ 50%+ were actively burning out
→ 70%+ had big goals and dreams but were falling short
→ 90%+ were working over 40 hours a week and wanted less stress

I saw my past.

I asked them all, "Do you have someone who's been where you want to go helping you?"

Not one said yes.

So, despite having gotten my challenging agency into an amazing place, I left.

I was in a unique position to help people stuck in six-figures, working over 50 hours a week for their marketing agency, to help them scale revenue without scaling hours.

I created Autonomy Agency with the promise that you'll:

→ Increase revenue
→ Get to a 30-hour (or less) workweek
→ In 16 weeks with 1:1 help and unlimited async access to me with a money-back guarantee if I fail

It on January 1, 2025.

Here's what's happened so far:

→ Brady fired a poor-fit client and signed $16K in new business within a 2 week period
→ Bob added $51K from his existing clients in the first 30 days
→ Kevin added $50K/mo recurring to his agency in 16 weeks

So, if you're a six-figure marketing agency owner working over 50 hours a week

With a desire to get to 7 figures but have no idea how you're going to do that without working more

And want personalized 1:1 help from someone who's been there...

Drop me a DM

If I know I can help, we'll put a customized plan together for you, with a no-risk guarantee.

Not ready yet? Get as much free value from me that you can in these places:

→ https://www.youtube.com/@colby-wegter (I post twice a week)
→ https://colbywegter.com/ (Newsletter: Twice a week)
→ https://autonomyagency.com/ (Select spots available)

Colby Wegter

Your client just emailed they’re pausing.

Here are your next 3 moves [minute-by-minute]

I’ve received this message hundreds of times.

Tools of the trade when you’ve served over 1200 people and businesses.

It’s not sustainable to feel physically ill every time this happens.

So, here’s what you do when it does, so you don’t vomit on your keyboard:

MOVE ONE = Understand

Minute 1
→ Breathe (nose to mouth) 10 times

Minutes 2-5
→ Write a message to yourself going as deep as you can to the prompt: “Was 
this client aligned? Why or why not?”

MOVE TWO = Map

Minutes 6-15
→ Your run rate will change. Map it.
→ Discern: Do I need to adjust expenses? Team? Vendors? My time?

MOVE THREE = Tie the bow

Minutes 16-30
→ Acknowledgement email. You’ll send a full set of instructions within 24 hours.
→ If the pause is your fault, make moves to fix it.
→ If the pause isn’t your fault, acknowledge that’s business.
→ Look at your existing pipeline. Find one person. Send a ‘9-word email.’

Looks like this: “Hey [NAME], Still looking to [RESULT] this year? Looks like we have a spot opening up and I’d love to give you first dibs. Hit reply and we can grab coffee.”

LIKE DON DRAPER SAID:

“The day you start getting clients is the day you start losing them.”

It’s not a death sentence or a time for panic.

Acknowledge it. Tie it up. Create a positive in under an hour.

🍯

P.S. I’ve had dozens of clients who paused refer me to more clients. Want the story? I’m sending it to my email list this morning 👉 colbywegter[dot]com

Helping agency owners & coaches stuck between $20k-$50k/mo // 1200+ clients // $2.5M exit [autonomymodel.com]

I teach something that most mentors expect you to have.

COMMITMENT

Let’s take Margherita as an example.

Since I can’t teach talent, I find people to work with who already have it.

Marghi’s got it in spades.

And her work ethic is off the charts.

But like any founder, hell any human, commitment can feel seasonal.

It’s easy to feel committed when times are good.

When they’re rougher?

→ Shiny objects
→ A new business model
→ Escape, dopamine, hope

How do I teach it?

I use evidence and remind.

In Marghi’s case, she loves chatting with people and is a nerd about LinkedIn.

When someone challenged her commitment, all I did was remind her of the evidence she’d created.

She books coffee chats that turn into client in her sleep.

She provides value on default mode.

And now, she’s getting clients in the door on a $4K/mo offer.

Her January is looking really good.

And she made my job easy.

She provides the talent + value…I provide the reminders and the lessons.

And it’s gonna be dope when 90 days from now, her clients are raving about their results with her.

But she got all of this because when she was reminded of the evidence she created in her business…she re-committed and made it happen.

Maybe you’re one reminder away from unleashing your talent and value in a whole new way.

P.S. If you want the same sales script that Marghi’s using LMK

POV: You have a tiny audience, algorithms hate you, and you still get clients.

Want the secret?

Let’s set the scene straightaway:

→ I’ve never gone viral
→ I have a combined audience of 10K
→ My average post gets 200 impressions or less

So, before the audience builders come knocking down my door, this post isn’t about that.

It’s to disprove that you need a massive audience to get clients.

High-paying clients. Dream clients. The “my life is easy” clients.

First, algos owe us nothing. So, complaining about it is a waste of time.

I haven’t become the algo’s best friend yet. Fine by me.

The secret?

Use social media to be social…as a human, not as a strategy.

I get clients from caring about the experience first.

Which means, I want to hear about them. What they’re working on. What they’re passionate about.

I ask questions. I don’t see them as opportunities or leads.

They’re people.

Then, as often happens, they’ll say something that I might be able to help with.

I ask permission to explain it.

They say yes, because sadly, I’m one of the few who treats them like a human versus a pipeline category.

Then I explain it in a way that’s specific to them.

Turns out, this gets clients pretty well.

Who do you want to follow?

Someone with 100,000 followers, 1000+ likes per post, and makes six-figures?

Or someone with 10,000 followers, 10+ likes per post, and makes six-figures?

Followers aren’t friends. And big audiences don’t mean big business.

Props to the audience creators.

But I’m here to get clients.

And if you keep it simple, the audience and the algorithm have no bearing on how successful you are.

Enjoy your weekend.

✌️

P.S. If you have a tiny audience and hate writing content into the void for a few likes and no clients…I’m running a 3 clients by Christmas offer and have a couple spots left.

It’s simple, I install client getting campaigns with you, so January becomes about momentum, not fixing.

Drop me an email if you want to learn more → colby@colbywegter.com

2 months ago I bought a car's worth of mentorship.

Butterflies in my stomach. Walking by the river with my wife telling her what I think it’ll do for us.

The latte I just swallowed likely to end up in the water as fish bait with how intense my nerves were.

But her?

Serene. Calm.

She looked me dead in the face and said:

“This family believes in you. You’re going to get a master’s degree in 90 days. I say you do it.”

I’ve taken nothing but risk these last 15 months:

→ Left a 6-figure salary to start at $0
→ Stopped selling an offer that made $54K in 3 months
→ Signed clients to a community that didn’t have a product

But when she said those words…the risk felt different.

All the trust I’d built in myself was infecting other people.

So, as we near the end of the most amazing, failure-ridden, profit-filled, and fun-as-hell year of my life…I’ve got one goal for 2026…

To infect more people with the drug that is self-trust.

When you trust yourself, it all happens, compadre.

But trust isn’t a destination or a result.

It’s an identity. And identities shift, are messy, and get lost.

I’m going to show you all of it in 2026.

It’s not the funnel. It’s not the strategy. It’s not the business model.

It’s trust.

As my brother, Jacob Pegs would say…

“You in, motherflower?”

The biggest scale-move? Become someone who’s easy to root for.

Let’s keep it simple…

Would you rather walk into the room with the mentality of…

I’m the sh*t.

OR

I don’t deserve to be here.

Because whether you deserve to be there or not…SIDEBAR: there’s no such thing…

The person who walks in with confidence will perform.

The one who doesn’t won’t.

And all that negative thinking is doing is delaying progress.

The progress of hitting your potential.

So, here’s the hack:

Root 👏 For 👏 Yourself 👏 First 👏

The feeling will be addictive.

And then, you’ll make a lot more moves and fewer plans.

P.S. Use your power for good. No big ego amigo.

If scaling to $20K/mo was chaotic, I help make +$50K/mo calm. Coaching B2B Founders // 1200+ clients // $2.5M exit [autonomymodel.com]

Most founders aren’t stuck…they’re misaligned.

Here’s what the day-to-day of this person looks like:

→ Wake up, check emails, smash coffee
→ Check slack, answer an urgent email
→ Lower stress from 10 to 8 to start client work
→ Client work for 6 hours
→ Damn! I need to create content.
→ Uninspired creation, gets posted, no love (or business)
→ Do it again, day after day

…

We got the one life and we’re spending it like this.

How did we get here?

Quite simply, we put on everyone else’s mask before our own.

The people pleasers in us believe that we should take care of everyone before we take care of us.

And it’s harmful on all sides.

Giving from a cup that clearly isn’t full means what you give isn’t that helpful.

And because this is the default of 99% of founders, no one is getting what they want.

👇 The simple fix 👇

Reverse it.

Start with you. Get to them.

It’s what I teach all of my clients.

You fill your cup first.

Then, and only then, do you help others.

Because when you get this right, your cup overflows and you’ll have an abundance to give.

And, for the first time, it’ll actually help.

The person you were 2 years ago would commit a felony to be who you are right now.

We're all Chief Wanting Officers. And that's a good thing.

But let's make one thing clear.

Improving 1% everyday and getting 37X better a year from now doesn't actually look like a graph that only goes up and to the right.

It's peaks and valleys.

So, you're in a valley right now? Got it.

Let me be the first to say, "That sucks."

But can I help?

Because if you keep wishing you weren't in the valley, it's gonna last a long time.

Instead, welcome the valley, because they're always coming.

The way to make this fun, light, and worth it?

Focus on making the valley time as short as possible.

And the peak time as long as possible.

That's it.

That's the game.

Sending hugz 🤗

The crisis among high-achieving founders that no one’s talking about.

It’s the third coffee chat this week and it’s going the same way as the other two.

The founder…fidgeting, leaning forward, then back, then forward again.

Rubbing their head and touching their face.

Telling me about the stress. The fire.

And I say:

“I just want to say ‘I see you.’ You’re handling so much.”

And their shoulders relax. Their hands become calm.

Because they actually do feel seen.

I don’t want to sugarcoat it for you.

There is no secret.

No meditation, mindset, or breath work that’ll make this go away permanently.

It’ll always come back.

Because high-achievers don’t know how to slow down.

They have to be told.

And to believe it, they have to trust who’s telling it to them.

And to trust that person…they need to feel seen.

I am you. And you are me.

I see you.

You’re managing so much.

→ Breadwinner
→ Business leader
→ Potential chaser

It doesn’t go away. But it feels better when you’re not alone.

And I don’t care if I’m being repetitive.

This post isn’t for the algorithm.

It won’t get me clients.

F all that.

It’s only here to tell you…it’s not just you.

And that’s a good enough win to have today.

✊

Plans. Goals. Targets.

What if your imagination is limiting you from what you're truly meant for?

Maybe your imagination is undershooting your true potential.

I wasn’t there for my son’s first 2 years.

Physically in the room. Mentally on another planet.

Stress + isolation destroy us.

I can’t regret what happened, because it was a crucial part of who I am now.

But I mourn the moments I missed.

It’s a black hole I have to own.

I let…

→ Performance outweigh presence
→ Being successful outweigh being affectionate
→ Founder anxiety call the shots instead of putting it in a drawer

I could have controlled it. I just felt alone.

And when you feel alone, you don’t make good choices.

But I know better now.

Crossing the street this week, holding his hand, I thought about this.

And I said:

“You know what? You’re getting so big now. And someday you won’t want to hold my hand to cross the street anymore. And I’m thrilled for you for that. But I’m going to enjoy it while I’ve got it today.”

His 5-year-old mind had no idea how deep those words run in me. What they mean.

I hope you can enjoy your kids.

I hope you don’t feel alone.

I hope you can escape the black hole.

It may feel like you can’t survive the next business fire.

But you can. I know you can.

And we both know, business will always provide a new challenge.

The challenges aren’t going anywhere.

So it’s OK to put them in the drawer now and then.

Because those moments we miss with our kids. We don’t get them back.

It’s not about feeling guilty for what we’ve lost.

It’s about deciding to do it differently from now on.

And I know you’ve got it in you.

-C

Hot damn I’m annoyed by this more than anything else.

The reason I was hesitant to become a coach or mentor…

There are a lot of people who care. But there are several who don’t.

And here’s the scene I keep hearing.

I call it the “SHOULD-splain.”

Mostly on calls and in DMs, we’ve got hustle bros making others feel like crap:

→ You SHOULD qualify people before even talking to them.
→ You SHOULD stop what you love and do it THIS way.
→ You SHOULD send 100 DMs a day.

Objectively, that advice will work.

They’re proof. It worked for them.

So I get it.

But here’s my problem with it.

They jump into this SHOULD-splain before they even know the person on the other side.

They think they’re helping. But they’re skipping the fundamentals.

Like asking…

→ Do you want a volume business or a relationship business?
→ Is it about the money or the purpose?
→ Is 20 calls a week hell or heaven?

SHOULD-splaining is advice without responsibility. And it’s harmful.

I only give advice after I truly know the problem and their goal.

If they’re a client, I’ll dive right in. If they’re not, even if I know how to help, I’ll ask: “Is it cool if I share my thoughts?”

Because here’s the truth.

The SHOULD-splainers I’m talking about only care about acquisition. Not retention.

We have fundamentally different values.

So yeah, it annoys me.

Because advice without understanding is a waste of both people’s time.

But I wish them luck.

Just stay away from my type of people haha.

Have you ever experienced a SHOULD-splainer?
Drop your story in the comments. Keep it civil please.

⨀ Lifestyle Scale for high-achieving founders. [autonomymodel.com]

If I needed $10K and had to start from zero, here’s what I’d do (simple edition):

What’s money?

A thank you note for providing value.

You’ve already got value to give, right?

Sweet. That box is ✅.

But you’re starting from zero and need cash quick.

Here’s what I’d do (because I despise complexity):

→ Write a few quick posts that share value in under 30 minutes
→ Schedule them out, one per day
→ While they’re running, check my existing contacts
→ Choose a “Cash Campaign” (scroll to the end) and start sending
→ Don’t rush to the cash. Rush to connection.
→ When my content goes live, DM each person who engaged

My only goal: get a few conversations.

I do (because I ain't a pitch slappin' mofo)

I go Coffee Chat style and learn everything about them.

I just became the most interesting person in the world because I genuinely care what they have to say.

Law of reciprocity says they’ll ask what I do.

I tell them with 100% conviction in 90 seconds or less.

They say, “Tell me more.”

I do.

We both feel “hell yes” energy and move forward.

So, yeah...

That’s how I’d do it.

👇

If you want the Cash Campaign doc I give my clients, drop a ✅ in the comments and I’ll send it to you. Not gatekept.

I’m having a lot of ‘die with zero’ thoughts.

Sitting here, with my wife, trying a lavender cold brew (not bad but bougie as hell).

She’s up for a promotion. I’m here looking back on how successful of a year it’s been.

And I think…

I don’t need it.

As someone who was incredibly scarce for a long time, I’m now making more than ever.

And I have more to make.

Old me, what little money I did earn would get spent on escape:

→ The newest video game
→ Cheap thrills
→ Alcohol

Now, I don’t care about any of that.

But I’m spending plenty…

→ Upskilling
→ Mentorship
→ Hiring experts

The master plan…

→ Get paid to exist
→ Become debt free
→ Donate 60¢ of every dollar anonymously

And when FU money happens…

→ An Audi A7
→ Property in Scotland

No escape required.

Could care less about possessions.

Just want to nail this ‘living life’ thing the best I can.

But saving it all for the feeling of safety…it’s so far away from my mind.

Safety is retractive thinking for me.

Belief. Risk. Evidence. Improvement.

That’s my plan.

Happy Sunday.

P.S. If you’re on earth to treat money as a tool instead of worship its existence…

I’m kicking off a holiday offer in 24 hours to help you make a lot more and help a ton of people.

Big value. Low price. Sending it to my email list if you don’t want to miss it: colbywegter[dot]com

We’ve gone a bit batty inside Autonomy Club.

Building our own little Delulu Kingdoms.

[Check the image]

It reminds me of something somebody told me early in my entrepreneur journey:

“I care about scaling and growth. But I’m just happy to be surrounded by other crazy people eating glass just like me.”

👏 👏 👏

That statement changed my life.

Because before that, I believed I had to figure it all out on my own.

That if I asked for help, they’d somehow respect me less.

Nah, dog.

What were we even thinking?

Hindsight taught me the real cheat code:

Surround yourself with other delusional people willing to eat glass.

It’s a privilege to serve these delusional people every day.

My hope is you find your glass eating tribe soon.

- - -
P.S. I’m also shifting my thoughts on scaling a business as “eating glass.”

At worst, we’re eating foam inside AC. 😄

I don’t manage time. I curate it. Here’s how:

[my 3-year system]

Since 2023, I’ve run my calendar like a top 1% operator.

If you want to curate your time instead of react all the time…

It takes 3 minutes to implement.

STEAL AWAY

👉 The Calendar Curation System

Your current calendar is all one color, right?

How do you know where the leverage is when…

→ Lunch
→ Sales meetings
→ Internal meetings
→ Doctor’s appointments

all look the same?

You don’t.

You curate time after you know where the leverage is.

Here’s how you do that:

[1] Open an event in your calendar

[2] Click tags

[3] Add the following:

→ Blue = meetings
→ Red = tasks
→ Green = personal
→ Yellow = needle movers

[4] Go back the last two weeks and assign a new tag

[It’ll look like the image below 👇]

See what I mean?

You know where the leverage is.

Now you can start doing something about it.

100+ founders are using this every day.

If you want more time systems that give me 20+ hours of flow per week, comment “TIME” and I’ll send you my Quick Time Buys checklist.

Free. Not gatekept. Effective AF.

Doesn’t it suck to be a babysitter?

If you double check your team’s work…read this:

High-achieving founders are in my inbox a lot lately.

The transition from $20K/mo to $50K/mo plus means hiring more people.

It’s a very individual and personality-driven game.

This’ll help you if you’re about to hire or you’re a glorified babysitter with your current people.

The one line you need to actually get the best out of them…

Presume they could care less about your company.

The company’s goals aren’t their goals.

Elbow grease and “can do” attitude don’t come from a company mission statement.

They come from making it clear that the employee’s gets what they want.

The way I got the best out of my staff wasn’t shoving our ideology down their throats.

It was asking them what their personal goals were.

If you don’t know these, no wonder you’re double checking their work.

STEP 1: Know them

How? Ask.

Then, interweave them into your company’s plan.

So you can both win, and you’re not a babysitter to someone who doesn’t care.

People care about themselves, not the company.

Use that knowledge and everybody will hit their goals.

P.S. To solve this, I didn’t do anything fancy. Just a simple Canva template I called ‘The Employee Roadmap’ that kept me from being a babysitter.

👉 Comment ‘ER’ if you want it.

...
[This dude's goals? To wrestle ninja-style every night.]

My stomach’s been churning lately.

People I’ve known over half my life are still in their 18-year-old situation.

And I very nearly got stuck there, too.

The simple truth?

Permission is pointless.

Others are telling you to go for it right now.

But you won’t listen.

That’s because the only permission you need is from yourself.

You’re not lazy.
You’re not stupid.
You’re not behind.

You’re waiting for permission.

You want upward movement? Take a forward step.

Your future is drastically improved from being willing to do a 180 on your current life (the one you’ve been stuck in since childhood) and to look incredibly stupid for 90 days.

90 days.

That’s all it takes.

To turn fear and stagnation into evidence and proof…

—That you had it in you all along
—That you never needed someone’s permission
—That the scary thing is the worthwhile thing

And if you don’t have a f**king clue what the forward step looks like, drop your heart and soul into The Big Idea Vault.

The 180 has never been more accessible.

Grab it here: https://lnkd.in/eSiVg86N

They said it was delusional. Then it worked.

Flashback to January.

Three people in the same week said this:

“Be careful with coffee chats. They’re not scalable.”

Thanks for the advice, I said.

And then I politely ignored them.

You see, I do coffee chats for my business’s most important KPI:

FUN.

Scalable? Hmm.

Do I care if I’m having fun?

In fact, I had so much fun that I turned it into a funnel. 😜

And that funnel turned into six figures in seven months.

Wait. It’s easy? And fun? And it makes money?

Why do I care if it’s scalable again?

But lean in, fellow traveler, because here’s the cool part.

Now my clients are making money with it too. [IMAGE]

If you need a fancy automation or want to act like a 9-figure CEO while struggling to get anyone on the phone right now, feel free to ignore this.

But if you’d rather have fun, love coffee, and make good money, this one’s free.

Drop me a 😜 in the comments and I’ll send you the link to build your own Coffee Chat Funnel in a few minutes.

- - -
P.S. It’s not gatekept or anything. I’m just sending it to the real espresso heads.

You’ll be out of the day-to-day by Christmas if you do this.

And it’s the opposite of how you’ve been told to do it.

THE DREAM:

Only work “on” the business instead of “in” it.

Yet, how you’re supposed to do it is more complex than quantum mechanics.

Let’s keep it simple, and actually get you out of the day-to-day by next Christmas.

WHAT THEY TELL YOU: Hire
WHAT I’M SAYING: Reduce

→ Start with your offer. I guarantee there are unneeded deliverables.
→ Funnels. One high-performer outweighs five average ones. Go all in.
→ People. Several of my clients have cut their teams in half AND made more cash.

WHAT THEY TELL YOU: Create SOPs
WHAT I’M SAYING: Loom to staff

→ When you do a task, record it with Loom.
→ Send the recording to an employee.
→ They create the SOP, not you.

WHAT THEY TELL YOU: Delegate
WHAT I’M SAYING: Timers

→ Delegating isn’t a magic pill. It’s a skill. And it’s not the real problem.
→ The real problem? You take all day to do client work.
→ Humans conform to the constraints we give ourselves.
→ That all day work will take 2 hours if you set a timer. Trust me.

HOW I WENT FROM 70 HOURS/WK TO 8 HOURS/WK

These steps plus:

[1] Employee roadmaps
[2] Zone of Genius mapping

👆 These are the bonuses I’m offering anyone who grabs “3 clients by Christmas.”

If you want 3 clients by this Christmas and out of the day-to-day by next Christmas…

The offer closes in 24 hours.

Email me if you want to learn more 👉 colby@colbywegter.com

10x’ing doesn’t start with a funnel

Or an automation. Or AI.

It starts with one word:

OBSESSION

It’s an elusive thing but when you’ve got it, you move.

You 10X easily because there is no other way.

Chances are you haven’t found it yet.

Here’s what you do [one choice]:

When you don’t have it, you’re self-talk looks like this:

→ I’m behind.
→ Shouldn’t I have it figured out?
→ Why is this harder than I thought?

All that is is lamenting your current situation.

Instead, tell yourself…

“I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”

This one sentence is the mindset shift.

You’ll no longer worry about your current spot, because you’re supposed to be there.

Therefore, you don’t think about it at all.

All you’ll think about after this choice?

“Where am I headed?”

That’s positive. That’s a momentum creator.

It’s how I went from feeling behind all the time to on the path of getting everything I want in under a year.

I could think…If only I would have made this choice sooner.

But that throws us right back into the negative camp.

Nah, dog.

I’m right where I’m supposed to be and so are you.

Where are you headed?

P.S. Shoutout to AC clients who keep moving forward. Sealing $40K+ in cash this last week. [IMAGE]

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The Battle

Andrew Yip, PhD

Colby Wegter

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The Battle

Andrew Yip, PhD

Colby Wegter

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Posts

Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Andrew Yip, PhD's LinkedIn Performance

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