You Fixed It joins gBETA Applied AI accelerator

For many homeowners, fixing a problem around the house often begins the same way: searching YouTube or Google and sorting through dozens of videos and tutorials.

Milwaukee founder Colin Matthes believes there is a better way.

Matthes is the creator of You Fixed It, an AI-powered platform designed to help homeowners diagnose and repair household problems through guided troubleshooting and customized repair plans.

The company is part of the spring cohort of the gBETA Applied AI accelerator at Waukesha County Technical College, a seven-week program operated by gener8tor that helps early-stage startups gain traction and refine their business models.

From DIY frustration to startup idea

Matthes said the idea for You Fixed It grew out of years of hands-on renovation work.

“I grew up doing electrical work with my dad,” he said. “In the last couple of years, we bought an old house that was completely in disrepair, remodeled everything from top to bottom, sold it and did it again.”

In addition to renovating homes, Matthes has built art studios and completed a range of construction projects. Along the way, he repeatedly encountered the same challenge: finding clear, specific instructions for repairs.

“YouTube videos are incredibly frustrating for me because you can spend 15 minutes for something that takes 30 seconds to explain,” he said.

Even when useful videos exist, Matthes said they rarely match the exact situation someone faces in their own home, including the right materials, dimensions or sequence of steps.

A broken lawn mower last summer helped crystallize the problem. Matthes said he asked an AI tool how to fix it, but the response immediately suggested disassembling the engine. Instead, after thinking through the problem himself, he blew compressed air through the gas line, solving the problem.

The experience reinforced what he saw as a major gap in existing tools: many skip simple troubleshooting steps and jump into complicated repairs.

AI guided troubleshooting

You Fixed It attempts to solve that problem by guiding users through a structured troubleshooting process.

Users begin by selecting the type of repair they need help with and can upload a photo of the problem. The system then asks a series of follow-up questions to narrow down possible causes and produce a step-by-step repair plan.

Rather than initially presenting complex fixes, Matthes said the platform is designed to start with simple diagnostics.

“If somebody’s outlet isn’t working, it doesn’t immediately have them taking things apart,” he said. “It walks through basic checks first, like whether a ground fault outlet has tripped or whether the breaker needs to be reset.”

Behind the scenes, the system combines general AI models with specialized repair knowledge tailored to specific types of projects.

“That back end is incredibly complicated,” Matthes said. “If you’re asking about drywall, replacing an outlet or redoing a bathroom, each one uses different data to give you an accurate repair.”

Built for new homeowners

Matthes said the goal is not only to save users time and money, but also to help beginners gain confidence tackling repairs themselves.

“The goal is to help a beginner learn to fix things,” he said. “Not just to save money, but that idea of becoming capable. I want people to feel that feeling of being able to fix something.”

The platform launched quietly late last year, first being shared with Matthes’ personal network to gather feedback and identify bugs. It is now available through both a web interface and an iOS app.

Users can generate an initial repair plan for free. Continued access requires a subscription, currently priced at $9.99 per month or $99 per year.

Learning the startup side

For Matthes, joining the gBETA program represents an opportunity to learn the business side of building a technology company.

“I don’t have a background in marketing, and I don’t have a background in building apps,” he said. “What I do have a background in is being incredibly focused and stubborn and relentless when it comes to executing on an idea.”

Through the accelerator, Matthes hopes to refine the platform as more homeowners begin using You Fixed It to diagnose problems and tackle repairs themselves.