We hit $10K! And then we blew right past it. :) I had intended to have the next update ready before this happened, but it took me by surprise.

In this update I wanted to draw attention to the beautiful clear acrylic case that is featured in the campaign video. Did you know that you can get one for your own LiFePO4wered/Pi+ system? This case is now available on Tindie in various colors!

The case is produced by a third party, Tindie maker Marty Rice. Marty has a whole range of products for sale on Tindie, including various cases. When I started selling the orignal LiFePO4wered/Pi on Tindie, some customers mentioned it was a problem that there was no case on the market that could accommodate a Raspberry Pi with LiFePO4wered/Pi attached. When I saw Marty’s other Raspberry Pi cases, I got in touch with him to ask if he’d be willing to design and sell a case that would work with the LiFePO4wered/Pi.

Now keep in mind that at that time, I hardly had sold any LiFePO4wered/Pi’s yet and neither I nor the product had much of a reputation. Still, Marty was willing to take a chance and created a case, solving my problem. Then when I released the upgraded LiFePO4wered/Pi3, he did the same. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement: my product was more attractive when a case was available, and he had cases that worked, so if someone wanted one I sent them his way.

This shows that products like this don’t happen in a vacuum. There are many mutually beneficial arrangements like this. I need a place to document my projects and gather feedback, Hackaday needs interesting projects to talk about. I need a place where a small maker can start selling their wares, Tindie needs makers to populate their store with interesting goodies. I need a way to get more exposure for the LiFePO4wered/Pi+ release, Crowd Supply needs makers with interesting projects that can deliver and maintain their high success rate.

The case is another one of these situations, this collaboration is benefiting me, him, and you as a backer. So, head over to Tindie and grab one of Marty’s new LiFePO4wered/Pi+ compatible cases!