I built a gadget to keep my kids off screens. Paul McCartney invested 3 times.

Ben Drury invented the Yoto player.

Courtesy of Ben Drury Ben Drury noticed a stroller with a tablet holder while shopping for his oldest.

He had a visceral reaction to that and started prototyping an audio player with no screen.

Paul McCartney was an early investor in the business, which has reached millions of kids.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ben Drury , cofounder and CEO of Yoto .

It has been edited for length and clarity .

My company wouldn't exist without my kids.

The idea started nearly 13 years ago, when I was shopping for a stroller in a London department store.

One of the strollers had a built-in tablet holder.

It made me feel sick in my stomach.

This was a product designed for infants, not even toddlers.

It felt wrong.

I'm someone who loves gadgets and technology .

At the time, I was running a digital music company I'd founded, and was in the process of bringing it public.