About Wild man Lab

Wild Man Lab was born out of the wild success we had building Wild Man Drinking Company from the ground up. With backgrounds in engineering and product development, we’ve always been obsessed with the process of bringing physical products to life. At Wild Man Lab, we now help other brands design, prototype, manufacture, and launch standout products of their own.

Our Journey Began With 3D Printing

Before Wild Man Lab or Wild Man Drinking Company, we were just two engineers—Nick in Philadelphia and Austin in Portland—working full-time in medical device development, but designing and 3D printing products on the side for fun. That hobby turned into a side hustle, then a full-blown obsession, and eventually a business we’d leave our day jobs to pursue.

In Summer of 2020, one of our co-founders, Nick, had an idea for a better way to shotgun a beer. That idea turned into the Krak’in, and we launched it under a brand we built from scratch: Wild Man Drinking Company. What started as a side project quickly took off, becoming one of TikTok’s most viral and best-selling products, with over 1 billion views and hundreds of thousands of units sold.

Along the way, we realized we weren’t just building a brand — we were building a repeatable system. A process for going from raw idea to prototype, from prototype to manufacturing, and from manufacturing to a full-scale product launch. Now, through Wild Man Lab, we help other founders, startups, and growing brands do the same.

Meet Our Founders

Nick Widmann

Nick graduated from Drexel University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and started his career designing life-saving medical technology. As Lead Engineer of Product Development at X-Biomedical Inc. (now called GoScope), he built the first working prototype of a portable digital surgical microscope and helped develop a low-cost emergency ventilator for use during the COVID-19 pandemic. He later joined the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where he focused on creating new pediatric critical care devices, including innovations in CPR and ventilator systems.

Outside of work, Nick spent nights and weekends tinkering with a 3D printer, making functional prototypes for a variety of side projects. One of those prototypes became the Krak’in—the world’s most popular beer shotgun tool—and in 2021 he started Wild Man Drinking Company to bring it to market. After going viral on TikTok and becoming the #1 selling product on TikTok Shop in Summer 2023, the Krak’in helped turn a hobby into a full-time business. Today, Nick co-leads Wild Man Lab with Austin, helping other founders turn wild product ideas into real, scalable businesses.

Austin Ziegler

Austin graduated from George Fox University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and began his career at TZ Medical in the Portland, OR area. He started as an intern during his senior year and spent the next seven years rising through the ranks to become Engineering Manager. There, he led a team of eight design engineers and helped bring a variety of Class I and II medical devices to market—products now used in hospitals around the world.

While working full-time, Austin co-founded Revino, a sustainable drinkware company for the Oregon and California wine industry. He helped bring the product to life and built the brand from scratch while still maintaining a part ownership today. In 2022, he launched Ziggy Zig Designs—a solo venture that began with two 3D printers and grew into a full fabrication shop with 15 printers, a CNC machine, laser engraver, and full woodshop. Austin has also spent the last three years as an adjunct faculty member at George Fox University, mentoring senior engineering students on their senior projects. Today, he co-leads Wild Man Lab with Nick, turning wild product ideas into real, scalable businesses.

Got a Wild Idea? Let’s Build It.

We only take on a few projects at a time. If you’re ready to launch something bold, reach out.

Talk to Our Founders