Jason Wright is the man who taught chips to chuck. He is the founder and CEO of WILDE Chips.

In a snack world saturated with potatoes and powders, Jason dared to ask: why not chicken? His answer created a new category, challenged manufacturing norms, and built a brand doubling its growth year after year.

This is the story of how a lesson learned from granola failure fueled a truly “WILDE” idea.

From “Me-Too” to “New to the World”

Jason Wright’s journey into the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry began early. In his early twenties, he founded Feed Granola in 2005, targeting consumers seeking low-sugar snacks with added “superfood” ingredients like flax and chia seeds. Feed Granola achieved respectable success, reaching about $5 million in revenue.

However, the market delivered a harsh lesson and the company ceased operations in 2010. Jason offers a candid assessment of why Feed Granola ultimately failed. “Granola is a me-too product… It’s something you can make in a kitchen… It was just not unique enough,” he states plainly.

He recognized that its relatively simple production meant intense competition from regional and local players, making sustained differentiation difficult. This setback, though difficult, ignited Jason’s entrepreneurial spirit. He made a promise to himself: his next venture would be genuinely new, something the world had never seen before.

The WILDE Concept: A Protein-Rich Answer to Chip Cravings

This resolve led Jason to address a different consumer behavior: savory snacking. “I really loved potato chips as a snack food potato chips,” he admits, but also acknowledges the common desire for less “guilt” associated with traditional, high-carbohydrate options. His core idea was ambitious: “My dream was to replace the potato with chicken.”

This concept became WILDE CHIPS. The product’s primary differentiation lies in its ingredient list. “WILDE is a real ingredient,” Jason emphasizes. “Chicken breast, number one ingredient, bone broth, egg white.”

He draws a sharp contrast with many competing protein snacks that utilize “whey or milk protein, or plant-based protein that’s powders” as their base. He positions WILDE as the “first ever to replace the potato with chicken breast” and the “first ever to take real ingredients and make a crunchy snack.”

This formulation also dictates the flavor strategy. Utilizing real chicken allows the brand to deliver authentic savory profiles modeled after popular chicken dishes, such as Nashville Hot, Chicken & Waffle, or Buffalo Chicken. The aim is to provide a “wildly delicious” snack experience that directly addresses salty cravings, leveraging the natural flavor base of the main ingredient.

The Manufacturing Challenge: Building the Impossible

Developing a commercially viable, shelf-stable crunchy chip from real chicken breast presented substantial manufacturing challenges that existing food production infrastructure could not readily handle. Jason’s initial assumption proved incorrect. “I thought I would go to a pork rind facility and I would make the product, but the reality is… that did not work,” he recounts.

Faced with a potential dead end, Jason refused to abandon his idea. “I did not want to stop, give up… I didn’t take no for an answer.”

This determination led to significant innovation. “I formulated in my head and later prototype… a piece of equipment that I thought would work,” Jason says. “That led me to design and build a piece of equipment that is patented and belongs to us.” Creating this proprietary technology was a critical step.

Further difficulties arose when an initial partnership with a co-manufacturer to operate this equipment “did not work out.” This forced another strategic pivot. “We were challenged with, oh, we got to go do this ourselves, build our own manufacturing facility,” Jason explains.

Consequently, WILDE invested in establishing its own dedicated production plant in Winchester, Kentucky, located just outside Lexington. The company now manufactures all its products in-house, providing essential control over its unique process. Jason acknowledges the arduous path involved, referring to “a lot of secret sauce from formulation to… equipment… from trial and error.”

The patented technology, he notes briefly, is key to achieving the desired crispiness through moisture removal and also influences the chip’s signature wave shape, which emerged partly from process control needs. The company maintains its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.

Branding with Boldness: Capturing the “WILDE” Spirit

Parallel to solving the manufacturing puzzle, Jason focused on creating a brand identity that matched the novel product. He sought a “bold personality that goes along with our bold product.” This confidence translates into playful, provocative marketing slogans like, “So good, we deserve to be a little cocky,” “Thanks, potato chips, we’ll take it from here,” and “Dear potato chips, go cluck yourself.”

This “wild’ persona serves a strategic purpose. “When you do something first to market, you have to be totally different,” Jason observes. “There is an education piece… on shelf, we like to stand out like a showstopper.”

The name WILDE (spelled with an ‘E’) was also a deliberate choice. Seeking a unique and ownable name after finding W-I-L-D unavailable, Jason researched and drew inspiration from Oscar Wilde. He found the author’s “wittiness and his personality,” along with his reputation as a “bold character,” aligned well with the desired brand attributes.

The target audience resonates with this approach. Described as “Bold Ones” and “Weekend Warriors,” they seek differentiation. “They don’t want the ordinary snack, they relate to being different,” Jason says. The brand’s tagline, “Fuel Your Next,” connects with consumers who “are not settlers, they don’t like status quo, and they like being different.”

Patented Process: The Science behind the Crunch

While specific details remain proprietary, Jason offers insight into the function of WILDE’s patented technology. The core challenge was managing the product during the crisping process. “When we crisp the product… they were tending to move around,” he explains. The innovative solution involved creating a system to hold the chips steady.

This functional necessity had an aesthetic side effect. “We had to come up with a way where they would not move and… by default, it would have a shape.” The technology primarily aims “to help it… dry the moisture out to become really crispy.” Simultaneously, “it gives us the unique classic shape… of a potato chip, but also the signature wave that we have.”

Premium Product, Premium Price: The Value Equation

Jason is candid about WILDE’s positioning. “We’re going to always be a very expensive product by nature that we are chicken [breast], egg white, bone broth… first ingredients,” he states. “We’re not just carbohydrates… we’re not corn, we’re not wheat, we’re not potatoes.” This inherent cost structure places WILDE at a higher price point than traditional snacks.

The justification rests on consumer priorities. “I think people care about what they’re putting into their body,” Jason believes. He connects this to personal experience: “I love snacking, I love potato chips, but at the end, I always felt guilty… I wanted something that I no longer felt guilty about.” WILDE aims to deliver that guilt-free indulgence.

“I think our price point… is a result of those ingredients,” he asserts. “But I think there’s a lot of people out there… seeking protein and they’re seeking protein from real food… we’ve seen that they’re willing to pay more for quality products.”

Growth Trajectory: Timing, Taste, and Trends

WILDE’s market performance underscores its appeal, having doubled its growth each year for the last three years. Jason attributes this success to several factors. “A lot of it… has to do with the time we’re in. People want protein,” he observes, referencing the general trend and lifestyle health choices. “Sometimes… timing is everything in life. So I’m very grateful for the timing.”

Beyond market trends, the product itself is crucial. “Our product is delicious,” Jason states. “We eat more like a traditional salty snack versus a lot of other protein items. There’s always a trade-off… in taste or texture or both. And I think wild is unique.” This combination – meeting the demand for protein while delivering a satisfying snack experience – fuels the brand’s momentum.

Leadership through Challenges: Resilience and Vision

The path to success involved numerous obstacles beyond the initial granola failure. Jason recounts the manufacturing journey: the flawed assumption about existing facilities, the need to invent equipment, the failed co-manufacturer relationship, the decision to self-manufacture, and navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. “There have been a lot of challenges,” he acknowledges.

Perseverance came from conviction and support. “We have some great supporters. My board’s great. We all believe in this product… with this team effort, you know, that’s what’s kept us going.”

Jason maintains a clear focus on the future. “Our future is very bright. We’re working on a lot of innovation. We’re building a third manufacturing facility right down the street, 130,000 square foot facility. We’ll… create about 50 new jobs, which is something I take a lot of pride in.”

On a personal note, Wright acknowledges the demands of entrepreneurship. When asked about work-life balance, his answer is direct: “I do not have a perfect work-life balance. It’s hard,” he states directly. He relies on daily physical activity (gym workouts) as a crucial tool “to process my day and to process any… challenges or decisions.”

Time with his wife and their two dogs (“fur babies”) is prioritized, but beyond that, he acknowledges constant focus on the business. “…when you’re in the grind… you really just grind,” he says, countering potential myths about a “lavish lifestyle” during the intense building phase.

Quotes

 “When you do something first to market, you have to be totally different.”

“…when you’re in the grind… you really just grind.”

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