Author: Joshua Theophilus
Joshua Theophilus
Joshua Theophilus is a global product leader and two-time founder passionate about building impactful solutions at the intersection of product, marketing, and technology. He is the Founder of Referlytics Inc., a 2025 Founder Institute startup, and Rare Phronesis Ltd., a product development and innovation studio. Currently serving as Group Head of Product and Innovation at Beden Holdings, Joshua brings over a decade of experience leading cross-functional teams, launching products, and driving digital transformation across Africa, Europe, and Asia. He previously served as VP of Product & Development at SellMedia Group (BOSS Global) and as Senior Product Trainer and Lead at Meta (via Teleperformance), supporting teams across SSA, EMEA, and APAC.
In 2021, my journey into product wasn’t intentional rather it was inevitable. I had just transitioned into product after working on my first major project with one of the world’s tech giants and their partners across Africa, then moved to a foreign-based African startup. At the time, I didn’t care about job titles; I cared about understanding how things work. Why products succeed. Why teams collapse. Why strategy breaks. Why execution fails. Funny thing? Most rooms I stepped into, I was invited as the “marketing guy.” Strategy meetings, growth reviews, brand planning, that was my doorway in. But somehow, the…