Hi everyone—friends, family, and friends-of-friends!

I’m Derek Pitre, U.S. Navy veteran, lifelong gamer, and founder of YEET LLC here in Suffolk, Virginia. After 11 years of enlisted service (and countless late-night gaming sessions), I set out to solve a problem that bugs every mobile gamer:

Touchscreens aren’t controllers.

Remember those slide-out phones like the Sony Xperia Play (reminisce with my photos)? I loved that feeling of real buttons in my pocket. So I’ve created “The Turtle,” an iPhone controller case that protects your phone and, with one smooth slide, reveals console-grade thumbsticks and buttons—no bulky clip-ons, no Bluetooth lag, just instant, tactile fun.

Why I’m Asking for Your Help

I’ve self-funded early design work and filed a provisional patent to lock in the idea, but finishing a professional prototype costs more than one veteran can shoulder alone. Your support will:

️

Phase: Engineering & Design-for-Manufacturing

What It Covers: Final mechanical tweaks, durability testing with Enventys Partners

Amount: $20,000

This GoFundMe is Phase 1. When we hit the goal, we’ll jump straight into a Kickstarter launch for tooling and first production.

Why “The Turtle” Matters

• Mobile gaming tops $160 B yearly, yet serious players are stuck on glass screens.

• One slim accessory will give everyone—hardcore or casual—real control, anywhere.

• We’re committed to building and hiring in the U.S. and donating a launch-day discount to active-duty and first responders.

How Every Dollar Helps

• $50 → materials for thumbstick refinement

• $100 → engineering hours with our design partners

• $500 → goes toward prototype machining and 3-D prints

• $1,000 → funds small-batch tooling and beta units

What You Can Do

1. Donate what you can—no amount is too small.

2. Share this campaign with gamers, vets, and tech lovers; your post could reach the one person who pushes us over the top.

3. Stay tuned—send me your email after donating and I’ll share short video updates of every milestone (while keeping our patent details under wraps).

Progress So Far

• ✔️ Provisional patent filed (details confidential).

• ✔️ 70 % prototype complete

• ✔️ Conversations started with 757 Angels and veteran-focused lenders.

After this GoFundMe closes we move straight into action:

1. Finish the professional prototype — funds go to Enventys Partners for final engineering, durability tests, and design-for-manufacturing.

2. Kickstarter launch (target: this fall) — with a working unit in hand we’ll open pre-orders, secure tooling deposits, and lock in production.

3. Build & ship — first small-batch Turtles roll off the line, backers get regular video updates until units are in their hands.

4. Scale & hire in the US — revenue from Kickstarter funds larger runs and new phone models, keeping assembly jobs here in the United States.

With your help, Suffolk can become home to the next must-have gaming gadget. Let’s prove a service member can turn an idea into something the world actually uses.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for believing, donating, and sharing. Let’s build The Turtle—one case, one friend, one share at a time.

Very respectfully,

Derek Pitre

CEO, YEET LLC | U.S. Navy Veteran