DiscoverDTC PodcastEp 551: Tesla to THC: How WYNK Engineered Explosive Growth in a Regulated Environment
Ep 551: Tesla to THC: How WYNK Engineered Explosive Growth in a Regulated Environment

Ep 551: Tesla to THC: How WYNK Engineered Explosive Growth in a Regulated Environment

Update: 2025-10-13
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Angus Rittenburg, cofounder of WYNK, didn’t start with a brand. He started with a problem: how do you legally and profitably distribute THC beverages in the fragmented U.S. cannabis market?


In this episode of the DTC Podcast, we unpack how WYNK solved that problem through mechanical engineering, regulatory foresight, and operational creativity—from mobile production trailers to in-state dosing machines to navigating Meta ad bans.


Try WYNK: https://drinkwynk.shop


What you’ll learn:

- Why mobile canning systems gave WYNK early market access

- How hemp-derived THC opened retail and liquor store distribution

- Ad strategies for cannabis brands under platform restrictions

- Connecting QR-based sampling to retail conversion

- DTC learnings that fueled retail expansion


Key Topics:

- Engineering compliance into your ops

- THC vs Alcohol margins

- Retailer education + event-based marketing

- What Big Alcohol thinks about THC drinks

- What success looks like in a future where alcohol and THC share shelves


#DTC #Ecommerce #CPG #BeverageIndustry #AlcoholAlternative #BetterForYou #LowDose #Seltzer #RetailDistribution #Wholesale #GoToMarket #GrowthStrategy #DigitalAdvertising #FirstPartyData #EmailMarketing #RetailMedia #Rebates #FieldMarketing #BrandBuilding #FounderStory #EngineeringLeadership


0:00 — Introduction

00:51 — Tesla → THC & the Origin of Wink

03:15 — The 53-ft Mobile Canning Line

10:30 — Minnesota Unlocks Hemp-THC Distribution

14:52 — Why Beverages ‘Feel’ Like Beer

25:24 — The Age-Gate Ad Workaround

33:34 — The $13.5B Opportunity


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Ep 551: Tesla to THC: How WYNK Engineered Explosive Growth in a Regulated Environment

Ep 551: Tesla to THC: How WYNK Engineered Explosive Growth in a Regulated Environment

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