Introducing Our Head Of Product

Today we’d like to introduce you to one of StarNews Mobile’s team members, Pauline Mechossie. 

Hi Pauline, can you tell our readers about your position and role at StarNews Mobile?

I met Guy Kamgaing, our CEO, 4 years ago. At the time, he was looking for someone who understood his vision to help launch the first version of the StarNews Mobile web app. When I was offered the job, I immediately accepted, understanding the potential of the African continent and StarNews’ mission to help content creators to earn a living from their talent by monetizing their content. I am currently the “Head of Product” for the company. I ensure our product is aligned with our vision, skills, and users’ expectations to provide the best product on the market. 

I heard that you recently visited StarNews Mobile’s local offices in Africa. What was the purpose of this trip?

I started by visiting StarNews Mobile’s office in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. This is our company’s oldest and strongest market and where everything began. It is also where we have one of our largest teams. After years of working together remotely, it was important that we finally meet in person. Additionally, I felt I could only fully understand the market by visiting in person and becoming familiar with our users’ behavior, consumption habits, lifestyle, and local constraints.

How was your experience visiting Africa? 

Thanks to the local team, I had a fantastic experience, and I will definitely need to come back to explore the different markets we are working with. By visiting in person, I was able to understand in a single week what would have taken me months to assimilate from abroad. It was also a great opportunity to finally meet our main partners and build stronger relationships with them. I also realized that people in Abidjan were very solicited by advertisements and billboards promoting local telecommunications companies, as well as concerts and events, which confirms the population’s strong interest in entertainment.

What was it like finally meeting StarNews Mobile’s teams in Africa in person?

It was amazing to be able to meet, share lunch, and brainstorm in person with coworkers that I have been working with for years through screens. Even though working remotely has been successful for StarNews Mobile, as we have teams based worldwide, nothing can replace in-person interaction. It would be amazing to meet the whole team one day.

Did you learn anything new about StarNews Mobile by visiting the local offices?

By visiting StarNews Mobile’s offices in Africa, I have observed that our current subscription and content delivery methods are massively used all over the country and that this market is evolving quickly. Furthermore, as the population is primarily young and fond of new technologies, we must ensure that our product always fits their needs and stay on top of current trends.

Lastly, is there anything else you’d like to add about your trip?

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to take this trip and to meet our team, partners and users. I can’t thank our local team in Africa enough for making my trip possible and for their fantastic work with the company. Africa has so much to offer, and this trip helped me better understand how I can help StarNews Mobile reach its goals and fulfill its mission. ​There are so many content creators that we can’t wait to onboard and help earn an income by monetizing their content through our platform.