Working with London South Bank University (LSBU) through the BIG Growth Innovation Programme, Steeev gathered direct insight from men in male-dominated sectors. The findings helped the social enterprise refine its product, strengthen its messaging and replace early assumptions with an evidence-based roadmap for development.

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Building connection before crisis point

Steeev began with a simple observation: many men experience loneliness, but few talk openly about it.

The issue is not always visible. Many of the men Steeev wants to reach are working, managing daily responsibilities and appearing to function well. Underneath that, however, some may lack the meaningful friendships and social connections that support good health and wellbeing.

Poor social connection is associated with worse physical and mental health, lower productivity and additional pressure on public services. Much of the existing support available to men is designed to respond once a problem has become serious. Steeev wanted to intervene earlier by helping men form friendships through shared interests and activities worth attending.

The social enterprise is particularly focused on men working in sectors such as construction, where workplace culture and expectations around self-reliance can discourage open conversations about isolation or seeking support.

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Replacing assumptions with user insight

As an early-stage organisation, Steeev needed more than a strong idea. It needed to understand prospective users, clarify its product direction and create evidence that potential investors, partners and employers would take seriously.

The research also needed to reach people who might not respond to conventional interviews or formal questionnaires. To address this, the project used WhatsApp voice notes as a flexible, low-pressure way for participants to share their experiences around working patterns and other commitments.

Steeev was matched with an LSBU research team to investigate how men experience friendship, isolation and belonging, with a particular focus on the construction industry and other male-dominated sectors.

The project delivered 88 hours of support, including 84 hours of academic work and four hours of research, development, feasibility and progress meetings.

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Turning conversations into structured research

The collaboration was delivered through eight structured areas of work:

• Project scoping and a literature review exploring male loneliness and social connection in male-dominated sectors
• Development of a full ethics application and approval through LSBU’s ethics procedures
• A recruitment strategy designed to reach tradespeople and men working in male-dominated sectors
• Participant liaison and data collection using WhatsApp voice-note interviews
• Transcription and thematic analysis of the qualitative data
• A comprehensive research report with evidence-based recommendations
• A formal presentation and handover of the research outputs
• Development of the case study and recommendations for future activity

The work went beyond confirming Steeev’s original idea. Structured conversations and thematic analysis allowed the research team to test assumptions, identify recurring themes and challenge the business where necessary.

The findings gave Steeev clearer messaging, stronger engagement concepts and a better framework for measuring whether its platform and activities improve social connection.

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Shaping a product men will use

The research directly informed the development of Steeev’s friendship-matching platform for men in the trades.

The resulting product direction includes:

• A segmented journey based on different user needs
• A matching approach informed by shared interests and availability
• Low-pressure onboarding designed to reduce stigma and increase participation
• Informal, activity-led ways for users to connect
• A clearer framework for measuring impact
• Future rewards and engagement features

Steeev distinguishes the platform from dating apps and clinical mental health services by focusing specifically on preventative, informal and activity-led friendship.

The business identified this as both a new-to-firm process and a new-to-market product. The minimum viable product progressed during the programme, while the research helped sharpen the organisation’s route to market.

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Strengthening partnerships, funding and growth

The collaboration gave Steeev a more credible, evidence-based story to present to investors, potential employer partners and community organisations. Instead of relying on instinct alone, the organisation now has a clearer understanding of the problem it is addressing and can make product decisions grounded in direct user insight.

The research also created stronger foundations for funding and investment conversations, supported Steeev’s approach to employer and community partnerships, and built greater momentum behind its proposed pilot programmes. Steeev now has a clearer framework for measuring its future impact too.

The programme also safeguarded two full-time equivalent roles that were considered at risk because of limited project funding and capacity constraints: a Programme Manager and a Community Engagement Officer. Both roles met the programme’s definition of a good job, including requirements relating to working hours, continuity, pay and contract type.

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Developing the platform and its community

Steeev is now focused on growing both the digital platform and the real-world community activity surrounding it.

The next stage will include more events and meetups, deeper partnerships with employers and community organisations, wider user acquisition and continued development of the platform’s matching and rewards features.

Over the longer term, Steeev wants to create a replicable and measurable model for improving social connection that can be used across different industries and cities.

The relationship with LSBU could also continue as the platform develops, particularly through further research, impact measurement and wider dissemination of the findings across the construction and social enterprise sectors.

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Why evidence matters for early-stage innovation

“Working with LSBU through the BIG Growth Innovation Programme gave us something every early-stage start-up needs but rarely gets: genuine evidence, challenge and credibility. It helped sharpen our thinking, strengthen our product direction and build confidence with the people we need on side. It has been a genuinely important part of how Steeev has developed.”
Daniel Smith, Founder, Steeev – Combating Male Loneliness CIC

“Male loneliness in the trades is a genuinely under-researched area, and reaching this demographic isn’t straightforward because the culture can work against it. What made this project rewarding was seeing findings that started as voice notes from tradesmen translate directly into product decisions within weeks. That’s knowledge exchange working as it should.”
Dr Georgina Bartlett, Academic Lead, LSBU

“Steeev is exactly the kind of collaboration the BIG Growth Innovation Programme existed to support: a small social enterprise tackling a real, under-addressed problem, paired with the academic rigour to back it up. Watching the research translate so directly into product and messaging decisions within a compressed timeline was a strong outcome for everyone involved.”
Alex Hokin, Programme Manager, LSBU

“Coordinating a project on a subject as sensitive as male loneliness meant getting the small things right: keeping participants comfortable, maintaining rigorous ethical standards and keeping Steeev informed at every stage. Seeing that care translate into a product roadmap the team can build from made it a genuinely satisfying project to be part of.”
Anna Kulhan, Programme Coordinator, LSBU

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About the programme

The BIG Growth Innovation Programme connects South London businesses with academic expertise from LSBU and partner universities, delivering tailored collaborative support to help businesses innovate and grow. The programme is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) by the Greater London Authority. The aim of the UKSPF was to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local businesses, and developing people and skills.