Teen inventor back for more

The average young Kiwi boy could be found playing sports or video games with his friends and giving shy grunted replies to anyone who isn’t. But for 13-year-old Matamata College student Patrick Roskam, things took a very different route after his invention, The Gudgeon Pro 5 in 1 took out best innovations category at last year’s Fieldays.

The 2013 Innovations Den saw Patrick’s pitch get the tick of approval from judges led by Soda, catching the attention of entrepreneur and Patrick’s idol, Sir William Gallagher.

“It’s been absolute madness, everything has just snowballed since,” said Patrick’s proud mum Angela Roskam.

The Gudgeon Pro 5 in 1 is a metal device installed into a fencing batten which a gate hangs from, acting as a drill guide for posts, along with two wire placements for accuracy. Sir William said Patrick had found a solution to a problem, which he could certainly see opportunity for.

The idea of Gudgeon Pro was all Patrick’s, something he thought up at just age 11 when his father became frustrated trying to hang gates accurately.

“I came up with the idea because Dad had a problem,” said the confident year 9 student.

“Dad likes everything very straight and accurate, he spent a long time on it so he got very…” Patrick paused, looking for his mother’s blessing to use his “famous saying”.

“Pissed off,” laughed Angela as she finished Patrick’s sentence.

Since winning best innovation, Patrick and his family have been launched into a whirlwind of business development and media attention.

Vodafone’s head of rural marketing Darren Hooper kick-started their business movement, inviting Patrick and his parents to a meeting with their marketing team. A then 12-year-old Patrick also took the opportunity to join his agricultural idol Sir William Gallagher at Gallagher’s research and development department in Auckland.

“We’re not teaching people how to hang a gate, we’re just taking how they do it and making it heaps easier,” said Patrick.

“And that’s something Sir William said,” added Angela.

“You can’t train people to do something differently, you just have to help them with how they’re doing it.”

Patrick’s innovation journey so far has been a yearlong learning curve. To successfully market his own idea, he and his mum have spent weekends “frying their brains” becoming business-savvy and educating themselves on legal work.

The bright Matamata boy was something in the making. When Patrick was almost 3, his mum recalls finding him on the kitchen floor stacking tin cans high. And at 8 Patrick moved from children’s Lego to building advanced Lego sets for ages 16 and up.

Angela said Patrick is driven to learn all business and marketing aspects.

“Pat is a real process kid. We’ve done the business side of things and now he’s on to law at the moment. He even decided he wanted to do the website himself, and we’ve had people ask ‘Oh, who designed your website?’ and we’d be like, ‘That would be Patrick.’”

“But he has come across things where he might not agree. I mean, Patrick’s said before ‘No, it has to be like this’, and I’m super proud he’s done it himself,” said Angela.

Patrick will be returning to this year’s Fieldays with Gudgeon Pro’s own stand in the innovations centre. He says his aim this time round is to find investment and establish a wider market range, a stage in development he thinks is tough.

“That’s the hardest bit, all the patents and all that sort of legal stuff. This time it’s more about getting investments and getting help to establish a wider market overseas. And getting the actual product over there to the people is just a-whole-nother step,” he said.

Angela said she couldn’t help but feel pressure for her son with audiences expecting him to deliver following last year’s win.

“You know, I do feel a bit sorry for him. There’s that expectation to deliver again seeing as he won last year. He’s got to do double the work anyone else has to do because he has to prove himself again. But that’s life and we’re just happy he’s got in again,” said Angela.

However, regardless of expectations and advanced business studies, one thing remains more than apparent – the clever kid from Matamata is yet to grow into his teen years.

“What people sometimes don’t understand is that he’s 13 and starting college. Most of these inventors are 25 who’ve already gone through college and university. He hasn’t even reached NCEA yet and he also has to learn how to drive,” said Angela.

Patrick’s also a keen hockey player. Now half way through his first year of college he sits comfortably in excel classes. With a taste for business already, he aims to follow subjects regarding business and management.

He admits a few late nights are needed juggling schoolwork and sport with his fast growing business.

“I have to alternate every night. I get back from school at four ’cause we take the bus. And at the moment we’re dried off but when we’re milking that’s usually another couple of hours in the afternoon. So that leaves the night to do the work. Then we’ve got to wake up early in the morning to catch the bus for school.”

Patrick’s perseverance and work ethic make Angela a proud mum.

“It’s been hard but we’re not a family who’s scared of hard work,” said Angela.

“And that’s the thing, you’ve got to put in the hard work…“ Angela was quickly cut off last second by her son.

“To get the benefits,” finished Patrick.