INTERVIEW: Facebook Interview with Ghafla! Founder (Part 2)
Nailab co-founder, Sam Gichuru does a regular feature on his Facebook page dubbed the Ask Me Anything Session.
Last week he featured one of the most successful Nailab incubatees, Samuel Majani, who is the founder, Web developer and lawsuit fighter at Ghafla! Kenya. Sam Gichuru providing Ghafla! with workspace in 2011 was instrumental and he is one of the people you have to thank for Ghafla!’s sustenance in those early days.
He says, “When Majani and his co-founder met me–long before Ghafla! was born–I was not so sure if to incubate them or not. Eventually, Majani’s passion won me over and within a week of incubation, they had raised a round of seed funding from 88mph. I do consider Ghafla! a success story from the Nailab despite their very controversial articles and posts in the entertainment industry.”
We pick up from the first part. Below are the questions and answers from the session:
Mista Majani: “Sam Wakoba I own 75% of Ghafla.
– Ghafla! currently has Safaricom, Yu Mobile, C-Word and Insignia Kenya as advertisers, so yes, we are making money.
– Ghafla! was registered in Kenya.”
Stephen Musyoka: “Majani, why do some of your articles tend to be negative and somehow fuel beef between people. Am talking about those disses to people, what’s that guy’s name? His attacking posts have featured on Ghafla.
Secondly, you people really need verify your stories. The other day someone posted that Camp Mulla’s Party Don’t Stop was released in 2012. I had to get a youtube clip dated 2011 just to confirm. It’s not the first time.
Third, between you and Niaje..I have seen a couple of cross-accusations. Who steals stories from who? Finally, what can we call Ghafla? Entertainment site? News site? Poll site?”
Sam Gichuru: “Should we bring in the CEO of Niaje on this conversation ro do that next time?”
Sam Wakoba: “I would love a face off between this two guys but we might miss out on business tips if they meet here…just thinking.”
Stephen Musyoka: “Sam, no..not now. Watapigana…we need a different forum for that.”
Sam Gichuru: “Haha.. I agree, we will do that in another session just two competing companies – but they are both gentlemen they won’t fight.”
Stephen Musyoka: “The way they shambuliana on twitter…hehe.”
Talia Carol Makonnen: “All said, big up for the great job you do…i know first hand how much you love your job and dedicate your all to it.”
Stephen Musyoka: “My two cents for Majani.
Try be an Info-Edu-Tainment website. Inform, Educate and Entertain.
Work with Fast, First and Facts. That’s the guiding rule in Journalism. This is social media where the share button is always the first thing on our minds.
Try be positive. Know when is the limit when it comes to posting some “beefy” stories. Let’s build people, rather than help people build walls with each other.
Quit those polls on who has a bigger tanye than the other. You can do better.
All in all, you are a great team.”
Mista Majani: “Musyoka, at Ghafla!, we have a policy to never diss celebs using our platform, but if they diss each other, we have little choice but to report it.
– on story verification: we do our best to come out with accurate stories, but at the end of the day, Ghafla! has a very small news team of 3 people. This means that mistakes will sieve through from time to time.
We are committed to correcting these mistakes, and evidence of that is the fact that we have put all our staff’s contacts at the bottom of every article, from their Facebook profiles down to a phone number you can reach them at. If you contact the writer privately and ask them to pull down a story or change a certain aspect of it, your request will almost certainly be fulfilled.
The unfortunate thing is, though, that despite putting these discreet contacts directly below each article, many people still resort to publicly shaming us on social media about errors on our site, at which point our team is forced to question whether the motive of the complainant was to correct us, or to smear our name.
– about Niaje, I would say that the drama is between the two of us, and I think it’s best it stays that way.
– I would call Ghafla! an entertainewspoll site.”
Eric Fabz: “We appreciate what you guyz do…especially creativity…but something to write..on content..do you get rights to use content…or how does it happen..like for kenyan nites and pulse… Second issue, whats you’re relation with niaje and ulizalinks?”
Mista Majani: “On use of content, we believe the right thing to do is say where we got a lead on a story from. Our articles are properly attributed where necessary.
– on Niaje and Ulizalinks, those are sites that have similar offerings to Ghafla. “
