On this episode, we're joined by Jason Wright, Founder and CEO of WILDE Protein Snacks - the brand that figured out how to turn chicken breast into a thin, crispy chip (and now crackers!) and has since grown into a $100M+ business across 20,000+ retail doors. 

Jason walks through the full journey - from a failed meat-based protein bar to the eureka moment at the bottom of a potato chip bag, through R&D at Colorado State's meat science lab, a disastrous test run at a pork rind facility, and the moment that inspired WILDE's now-patented production equipment.

We get into why WILDE had no choice but to vertically integrate and what it took to build a 55,000 sq ft facility in Kentucky during COVID - WILDE is now opening a 130,000 sq ft plant. 

Jason also breaks down pricing strategy, why demos remain the top velocity driver, and how TikTok creators are scaling a "disbelief" marketing message.

We also dig into WILDE's innovation pipeline - the hard lesson from discontinuing a pork chip, and why the brand is now focused on formats. Crackers just hit the shelf, a tortilla chip is coming later this year, and a pita chip is on the horizon.

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Episode Highlights:

🥣 From granola founder in NYC to chicken chip inventor
🧪 R&D at Colorado State's JBS-built meat science lab
🏭 The pork rind facility disaster and what came next
🔧 A bulldozer-inspired idea that led to patented equipment
⚠️ IP leakage at a co-man (Conagra, Tyson, Hershey)
🏗️ Building a 55K sq ft facility during COVID - and now a 130K sq ft plant
🎨 Naming the brand after Oscar Wilde (and the trademark fight)
🛒 How Whole Foods pioneered the protein snack set
🚀 Demos as the #1 velocity driver (and scaling TikTok creators)
💡 The "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" marketing philosophy
🧀 Launching the WILDE cracker (chicken breast + four cheeses)
🎯 Why WILDE is now focused on formats, not proteins
👀 Innovation roadmap: tortilla chips, pita chips, flat pretzels

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Table of Contents:

00:00 – Intro
01:00 – Origin story: Feed Granola and health food in NYC
03:17 – The failed meat-based protein bar
06:57 – R&D at Colorado State's meat science lab
08:03 – The pork rind facility disaster
09:30 – The bulldozer moment and patented equipment
11:00 – Why WILDE had to vertically integrate
12:01 – Co-man in Virginia and IP leakage risks
14:00 – Why Kentucky and how they financed the build
18:11 – Brand identity and "protein chips" framing
20:07 – Naming the brand after Oscar Wilde
22:17 – Pricing strategy and retail expansion
24:05 – Landing at Whole Foods and the protein snack set
26:27 – Driving velocity: demos, TikTok, and disbelief marketing
29:25 – Distribution: UNFI, KeHE, going direct
31:03 – Pork chip lessons and the pivot to formats
35:51 – New product launch challenges
39:12 – Fundraising tips: seed vs. growth stage

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Links:

WILDE Protein Snacks – https://www.wildebrands.com
Follow Jason on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-wright-ceo/
WILDE on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/wilde-protein-snacks/
Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/

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