Meet Jack Peagam and Ben Whatson, co-founders of LinkUp

Linkup was founded by the two Manchester-based entrepreneurs, Jack Peagam and Ben Whatson, as they aim to step away from ‘traditional' career paths and combine their shared passion for creativity with business. Stemming from their ambition to provide solutions and opportunities for mental health support, Linkup was created when the founders noticed a gap in the market for an app easing the ongoing struggle against loneliness and spontaneous socialising in a post-pandemic world. Jack and Ben wanted to encourage users to put down their phones and meet people.

What inspired you to launch your business and what is the end goal?

As entrepreneurs, we have always been passionate about creating something that could have a positive impact on people’s lives. The inspiration for launching Linkup was rooted in our desire to create a platform that would help people connect socially through shared interests. The pandemic has taught us the value of human connections, and we wanted to create a place where people felt they could find others that were interested in the same things easily. We saw an opportunity to create a social app that allows users to schedule linkups, from simple coffee dates to workout sessions or just trying out new hobbies.

Our ultimate goal is to establish our app as the leading go-to social app in the UK and beyond. We want to build a large user base reaching all corners of the country. Once we have achieved this, we plan to expand internationally and grow our team. We believe that our app can revolutionise the way people socialise and make connections, and we can’t wait to see where this journey will take us, both nationally and globally.

Tell us about the founder behind the brand?

We are both based in Manchester, and we’ve always been fascinated by the world of digital innovation and had the desire to innovate and build something long-lasting in a digital world where ‘the next new thing’ is in a constant development cycle. Drawing from our own experiences, we both learned the ups and downs of starting our own businesses and drew on this entrepreneurial experience to create Linkup. We wanted to encourage users to put down their phones and meet people in real life, and form meaningful connections with others.

We wanted to help people meet and aimed to introduce a new form of socialising through shared passions. Our app aims to bring people back to the real world to live in the moment. With a strong UK user base, we are excited to  take on the world and bring the Linkup experience to a global audience. We are both passionate about making a difference and creating positive change in the world, and we believe our app can play a small but important role in achieving this goal!

How do you believe the evolution of tech will impact your industry over the next 10 years?

The rapid evolution of technology is expected to significantly impact the industry and social apps in the next decade, particularly with the emergence of artificial intelligence. The changes witnessed in social apps during the pandemic highlighted how quickly technology can shape how people socialise and interact. Over the next ten years, we predict that social apps will continue to transform and become even more ubiquitous as a means of socialising.

As a result, it's imperative for us to stay ahead of the curve by leveraging emerging technologies to enhance the user experience of our app and provide innovative solutions to bring people together.

What social media channel would you say has worked the best for your business and why?

As a team, we are constantly looking for innovative ways to connect with our audience and stay ahead of the curve when it comes to social media. One platform that has been particularly effective for us is TikTok. We've found that TikTok is a great way to connect with younger people and university students, who are a big part of our initial target audience.

We are constantly exploring new ways to use TikTok and other social media platforms to connect with our audience and spread the word about Linkup. It's a constant learning process, but one that we are excited to be a part of.

Does your company help the community that you’re located in?

Our primary focus in terms of the audience was Manchester, and this was centred around the fact that we love our community and want to create something that would help others in the community socialise. Additionally, our focus on a smaller community was also centred around our strategic approach to tackle a smaller UK city first, compared to London. We wanted to create a place where people in this community could arrange linkups with others and feel safe meeting others who shared the same interests.

Manchester has therefore been essential to us as founders because it's where we live and it's where we draw inspiration from. We’re strongly connected to this community and wanted to give back by creating a social app to help people connect and socialise safely and spontaneously. In terms of helping the community, we are committed to supporting the people of Manchester and plan to continue as we grow and evolve as a company.

Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey. How are you combating that feeling whilst pushing forward?

Between the creation and the operation of a business, there is an on-going mixed bag of emotions from all the highs and lows behind the scenes that not everyone sees. There is excitement for the possibility and opportunity of seeing your product grow from concept to reality, yet simultaneously you are always thinking about the possibility of things going wrong and putting out fires.

We’ve learned throughout our Linkup journey to always be resilient. Nothing will ever go as quickly as you initially planned. There will always be bumps on the road, and we’ve learned that no matter how many times you fall off the horse, to always get back on and keep going. We don’t accept failure and maintain resilience throughout everything we do. We both value and keep this in mind when we’re facing difficulties.

Describe your business in three words.

Entertaining, innovative and inclusive.

What’s the most important question entrepreneurs should be asking themselves?

As entrepreneurs, we knew that in order to create a successful business we needed to offer something that was truly unique and innovative. Entrepreneurs should ask themselves how their product or business is changing the game and bringing something new to the table, especially in this new era of apps and technology, where something new and exciting emerges daily. This is the same question we asked ourselves when creating Linkup, and we believe our app brings innovation in many ways.

How does technological advancement speak to the strategic direction of your business?

Technology has become increasingly important for businesses, primarily those heavily reliant on it to provide products or services, such as our social app.

As founders of a social app, we understand just how important technology is to our business. We rely heavily on the latest advancements in technology to provide our users with a seamless and engaging experience. We are always on the lookout for ways to leverage new technological advancements and improve our app's functionality.

Our target audience, which includes younger demographics like university students, is particularly tech-savvy, and we know that we need to stay ahead of the curve to meet their expectations. Keeping up with technological advancements and staying relevant in a fast-evolving digital world is critical for our app, and we aim to align our business strategy with these trends to stay relevant and thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, and continue to innovate and provide users with a great app experience.

With all the success stories around entrepreneurship and how innovative people have to be to take the leap. How do you think you’ve innovated your sector and why?

Linkup is a social app that truly promotes sociability. Our app revolutionises the social media sector by bridging physical interaction and virtual connectivity. It redefines socialising by providing opportunities to schedule linkups up to 30 days in advance, from adventurous activities to exploring new hobbies.

With our app, we wanted to communicate to others how strongly we believe in the power of real-life interactions and human connections. Linkup aims to provide a bridge between the digital world and the real world, and it aims to bring people back to the moment and help them connect with others who share their passions.

Our commitment to making a difference through our app drives us to continually improve and innovate, ensuring that Linkup remains at the forefront of the social app industry. By creating Linkup we wanted to create a platform that provides solutions and opportunities for mental health support, especially during the ongoing struggle against social isolation. With Linkup, we aimed to create a community that is passionate about living in the moment and forging connections that can last a lifetime.