# 85 - Kanga Coolers are the coolest! with Austin Maxwell

- Show: [People of Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging)
- Published: 2021-11-23
- Length: 43m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2021-11-23-85-kanga-coolers-are-the-coolest-with-austin-maxwell
- Listen: https://encase.substack.com/p/85-kanga-coolers-are-the-coolest-ad2

## Summary

Austin Maxwell, CEO of Kanga Coolers, explains how the company evolved from a Clemson University class project solving the problem of warm beer at tailgates into a scalable brand. He details the journey from prototyping with a local seamstress to launching a Kickstarter, surviving a critical supply chain delay before filming Shark Tank, and securing a deal with Mark Cuban. Maxwell also discusses product iterations, such as switching from Velcro to magnets for hunting compatibility, and the strategic importance of retail packaging for their new Can Cooler product.

## Chapters

- [0:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2021-11-23-85-kanga-coolers-are-the-coolest-with-austin-maxwell#t=12) Introduction and Kanga Coolers Origin Story
- [4:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2021-11-23-85-kanga-coolers-are-the-coolest-with-austin-maxwell#t=298) From Class Project to Kickstarter and Shark Tank
- [14:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2021-11-23-85-kanga-coolers-are-the-coolest-with-austin-maxwell#t=893) Product Evolution and the Velcro-to-Magnet Pivot
- [21:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2021-11-23-85-kanga-coolers-are-the-coolest-with-austin-maxwell#t=1268) Packaging as Value: Brand Equity and Protection
- [33:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2021-11-23-85-kanga-coolers-are-the-coolest-with-austin-maxwell#t=1997) Retail Strategy and Packaging for the Can Cooler
- [40:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2021-11-23-85-kanga-coolers-are-the-coolest-with-austin-maxwell#t=2419) Closing and Call to Action

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Packaging design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/packaging-design)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Kanga Coolers (company)
- Shark Tank (product)
- Mark Cuban (other)
- Clemson University (other)
- RealTree (product)
- Bic (company)
- Chubbies Shorts (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [YETI: Roy and Ryan Seiders. How Two Brothers Turned a $400 Cooler Into a $2 Billion Brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-08-24-yeti-roy-and-ryan-seiders-how-two-brothers-turned-a-400-cooler-into-a-2-billion) (How I Built This)
- [Afterschool Podcast, Episode 19 - Craighton Berman, Founder of Manual (04/16)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-16-afterschool-podcast-episode-19-craighton-berman-founder-of-manual-04-16) (Core77 Podcast)
- [S'well: Sarah Kauss (2020)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-09-05-swell-sarah-kauss-2020) (How I Built This)
- [Hydro Flask: Travis Rosbach. How a thirsty surfer changed the water bottle industry](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-11-24-hydro-flask-travis-rosbach-how-a-thirsty-surfer-changed-the-water-bottle-industr) (How I Built This)
- [Scrub Daddy: Aaron Krause. How a Failed Experiment Became a Billion-Dollar Sponge](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-03-16-scrub-daddy-aaron-krause-how-a-failed-experiment-became-a-billion-dollar-sponge) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2021-11-23-85-kanga-coolers-are-the-coolest-with-austin-maxwell. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to People of Packaging.