Each month, XBIZ spotlights the career accomplishments and outstanding contributions of Women in Adult. WIA profiles offer an intimate look at the professional lives of the industry's most influential female executives.
Andra Chirnogeanu has overseen many projects over the years, from her earliest days as a social media specialist for a cam studio to serving as CEO of a premium social media platform.
On a career level, my main goal is to get closer to the performers that we have, get to understand more of what they need to make the platform work for them and offer Stripchat a more feminine touch.
Now, she has teamed up with global cam player Stripchat as head of business development, taking the reins of the successful streaming site to expand its reach.
“Looking back on the years that I’ve been in the adult industry, I’ve met some of the best people in the world and have been there to see people succeed,” Chirnogeanu reflects.
She notes that the biggest highlight of her career thus far has been “helping others and being part of their journey,” and takes pride in having helped the companies she has worked for grow and become international brands.
Before joining Stripchat, Chirnogeanu had already been an admirer of the company for several years. Among the traits she appreciated were the work culture, the technology and “their commitment to helping the people that work for them as much as the community of performers.” Then the offer came in to join the company as its head of business development.
“It was the easiest ‘yes’ of my life,” she recalled.
In this WIA Woman of the Month interview, Chirnogeanu shares her thoughts on the current cam market, professional ambitions and long-term view on the camming industry.
XBIZ: Describe some of the biggest ways the camming industry has changed in recent years.
Andra: In my opinion, there were five game changers:
First, the pandemic influenced everything, including people’s thinking and attitude. It crashed our server stability, as we saw an enormous spike in user and model registrations. The former primarily sought intimacy, while the latter found their way to ensure stable income when shut at home.
Second is increased accessibility. With the advancement of technology and the internet, camming has become much more accessible.
Thirdly, there is more professionalism. As the industry has become more mainstream, cam performers have become more professional.
Fourth, there is wider reach now. With the advent of social media, cam performers have been able to reach a much wider audience.
Fifth is increased income. As the industry has become more popular and accepted, cam performers have made more money than ever before. The more we normalize it, the more newcomers to the industry we see.
XBIZ: What are your biggest objectives for Stripchat in the coming year?
Andra: Establishing new, modern trends in the camming industry. We are always seeking better ways to satisfy both our performers and users. We live in the automatization era, and these times dictate to us the new reality. Stripchat will focus on launching new features and enhancing existing ones to elevate and ease the way for models to diversify their shows.
One of the most significant objectives will be to strengthen our presence in the global market and make the platform more secure and transparent. We will develop innovative tools and technologies to better serve people enjoying our platform. End of the day, Stripchat is not about livestreaming only; we are here to build our adult entertainment community for open-minded people, and embrace sexuality and sexual freedom by bringing joy and fun to people’s lives.
XBIZ: Which industry partnerships have proven most valuable to you thus far?
Andra: That’s simple: our models. How else would you describe our relationship if not a partnership? I am confident there is no more valuable partnership than this one.
XBIZ: Tell us what features set Stripchat apart in the camming space?
Andra: There are plenty of them, but I will mention some of my favorites. What really impressed me on my first day in the office was the motto you see displayed everywhere: “Create a product you will want to use yourself.” All the hundreds of developers are not only writing code, but watching cams and trying out newly released features. As a result, technologies created by these people make Stripchat stand out even more.
XBIZ: How do you incorporate cam model feedback into future plans for the brand?
Andra: In 2022, we were devoted to building and improving our community management team. We hired and trained many new people. They are now continuously reaching out to models and discussing ways to improve their well-being on Stripchat. Of course, we can’t guarantee that everything we hear from models will be immediately implemented; however, I can ensure that all feedback is listened to and considered.
XBIZ: Discuss your approach to prioritizing biz dev projects to achieve maximum return.
Andra: When prioritizing upcoming business development projects, I like to combine qualitative and quantitative methods. On the qualitative side, I look at each project’s potential impact on the business. This includes considering factors such as the size of the potential customer base, the potential revenue it could generate and any strategic advantages associated with the project. I also look for synergies between the project and existing projects or initiatives.
On the quantitative side, I use tools such as cost-benefit analysis to compare the potential costs of each project with the potential benefits. Finally, I also factor in any timing considerations that may affect the project’s return. Before making the final decision, I talk to my team, we brainstorm, we measure impacts and risks and only after that, we dive in. It is also essential to stand up for your values with no exceptions.
XBIZ: How do you incorporate marketing campaigns into your business plans?
Andra: That’s more complex. We have the whole team doing A/B tests and measuring all the possible risks before launching any marketing campaign. In the ideal scenario, our marketing team came out with their ideas and expected results before the new year started. That way we have everything planned and set for the year to come.
However, that doesn’t always work as expected, given that the world and market trends often change. We should always be ready to hop on new bandwagons that could prove fruitful. That’s why we are continuously hosting promos that work well any day, any time and anywhere.
A good example is our special categories devoted to prominent celebrations like the Fourth of July; they allow models to appear in a new, exclusive category for a limited time and attract new fans. Or our social media competitions with guaranteed token rewards just for participating and bigger financial prizes. We strive to be different; we don’t want to reward social media accounts for getting more likes or retweets, which doesn’t make sense for models with a lower following. Instead, we host competitions for the best costume or creative video.
XBIZ: What do you hope to achieve in 2023, on a career level and personally?
Andra: As always, I’m looking to improve myself and learn more skills, maybe even a new language. I’m looking to be kinder, more self-aware and make more time for my personal life between the trips and the conferences. On a career level, my main goal is to get closer to the performers that we have, get to understand more of what they need to make the platform work for them and offer Stripchat a more feminine touch.
