Our story

From wardroom swag to shared identity

The idea for WADDL came about after years of constantly going back and forth with bulk T-shirt suppliers to outfit squadrons with some new uniform items and an easy way to fundraise. Current systems just could not handle high turnover organizations or provide a consistent way to passively generate revenue for morale funds.

Origin
It started with squadrons

Before WADDL was a platform, it was a recurring headache inside a military squadron. Every deployment, every change of command, every reunion meant spinning up a new order form, chasing people down for sizes, and hoping the boxes showed up on time.

As a Naval Flight Officer, our founder watched units rotate, families move, and alumni scatter across the map, while the community’s identity lived in old spreadsheets and forgotten group chats.

Built by an operator For high-churn communities Tired of “one-off” stores
“I didn’t want to run one more store on a spreadsheet. I wanted a place our people could always find us – whether they were in the squadron, on deployment, or five years into civilian life.”
Dylan Chiodo, Founder, WADDL · Naval Officer & accidental web developer
About the team
Solo-project turning business

WADDL is being built by a founder with engineering and design experience who is obsessed with a positive customer experience and smooth onboarding experience.

Dylan Chiodo

Founder · CEO

Naval Flight Officer and Georgetown MBA student. Years of exerience running a successful aviation apparel brand.

Lean startup User-led product Design-forward
Contact Press
Timeline
How WADDL took shape
2022–2024
Flying manual
Checking into a new squadron and waiting 3 months for another bulk T-shirt order to arrive was not fun. Sorting through dozens of unoffical fan stores did not feel legit, especially because I did not know who I was ordering from.
2025
Prototyping
The first "squadron stores" were set up on High Time Outfitters and were immediately successful, proving people wanted a better way to order their organization's apparel.
2026
WADDL is born
The idea graduates from “side project” to platform. WADDL launches with a focus on military squadrons and first responder units – communities where identity really matters.
Next
Beyond one unit at a time
A permanent place where identity persists past leadership turnover and a group's story lives on.
Today
What we’re building now

WADDL is more than a way to sell t-shirts. It’s a small piece of infrastructure for belonging – a place where your unit, your station, your crew, or your club still exists long after everyone scatters.

Our job is to keep the hard parts invisible: inventory, fulfillment, payment rails, and design. Your job is to keep the story alive and send a link when someone says, “Hey, where do I get that hoodie?”

Have a community that feels like this story? We’d love to help you give it a home. Talk to the WADDL team