Meet the founder of Positive Plus One
Christian Philip Mercer is the founder and CEO of Positive Plus One. He was inspired to create the HIV social app after a friend was diagnosed with HIV and struggled with connecting due to the pressure of disclosing their status. Christian hopes that the app can give people living with HIV the confidence to connect without the fear of rejection. He took the lead with the ongoing development of the app as well as continuing to increase his entrepreneurial credentials.
Alongside running and maintaining the Positive Plus One dating app, he also runs a salon named Lords & Ladies in his hometown of Harrogate.
My inspiration to look into this industry came about when a close personal friend of mine was diagnosed with HIV. My end goal is to create a worldwide community that is free from the pressure of disclosure and to eradicate the prejudice that surrounds people who are HIV positive.
How do you set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry?
Our main point of difference is how we work alongside charities which in turn puts us in the position to give back to the HIV community as a whole and not just individuals. We’re giving back to the organisations that support the HIV community.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?
Gosh! - Patience is key, don’t expect everything to happen at once or go as you expected. You almost have to expect that things aren’t going to go to plan. When you’re launching something new, you have to be both resourceful and agile.
Do you have a morning routine or ritual to get your day started on the right foot?
I don’t have much of a morning routine, I do however have a regular evening routine in order for me to be able to start the next day on the front foot and to be able to sleep properly at night, I have to plan my following day the evening before. I’ll make sure that my calendar is set, my to-do list is ready to go, I put my phone on do not disturb from 12 AM - 8 AM because it just never stops. Then I know that when I get up around 8ish I know exactly what I’m doing and I’m set and ready to roll.
What are your top tips for entrepreneurs wanting to get their business out there?
Do your research. For me, field research was so important, meeting with the charities, going to their support group meetings and speaking directly to my target market, the prospective members effectively.
Then asking not only what it is they want to see but asking them about their past experiences and what they don’t want to see. I believe in running before you can walk, because if you run and you fall/fail then you might have got further than you would have done if you had set off at a slow pace.
What plans do you have for Positive Plus One over the next two years?
We’re going to launch globally and aim to achieve 1% market share which is very little, around 400,000 users.
I want it to be the ‘go-to’ hub for the HIV community.
Any new product launches we should know about?
The addition of events within the app. For World AIDS Day 2020, we launched the updated app so now, not only will people be able to connect to one another, but they can also find local and national events, which I feel also adds to the ethos of finding a Plus One - you can find a Plus One for an event.
We’re also fully re-imagining how forums traditionally work by creating visual content and encouraging the community to engage and support one another.
What’s the single most important decision that you made that contributed to your business?
I am a believer in knowing when to quit, there’s been a couple of times over the last two years or so where there have been some people who I view as mentors who’ve said “when are you going to give it up”. I think it’s just as important to know when to quit alongside when it’s important to keep going.
How did you conquer those moments of doubt that so often affect entrepreneurs or stop many with great ideas – what pushes you through?
I surround myself with experts and mentors from different fields. I’ve got no problem asking questions about things that I’m unsure about, or don’t know and sussing out who the people are that can help me in the grey areas. This ultimately helped me overcome whatever molehills or mountains I encountered.
How do you believe the evolution of tech will affect your industry over the next 10 years?
I think there’s going to be and has been a massive, massive boom in video format. Dating/social apps are looking to encourage video calling before a phone number is exchanged and before the face to face meeting, which is great for safety and security. Everything is gravitating towards video and video content.
What are your responsibilities as a business owner?
Wow, how long have you got! I’d say my main responsibilities are maintaining balance, empathising with people and scenarios and finally, making sure everything is guided towards completion.
