Building Better Software through Cross-Functional Collaboration
Great audio products demand more than great code. In organisations where hardware and software intersect, building excellent software requires cohesive, high-functioning teams that work across product design, product management, and engineering, as well as customer and market-focused areas. Yet software development is still too often managed as a series of individual contributions, rather than a collective effort with shared ownership and strategic alignment. This talk reframes software development as a team sport. It will explore the dynamics that make cross-functional teams succeed, including clear visibility into shared workflows, aligned priorities across roles, the ability to manage delivery pace without sacrificing quality, and a culture of psychological safety and learning. We’ll examine how these factors combine to increase team effectiveness and improve outcomes, through ways of working that support both excellence and team wellbeing. Drawing on our own journey, we’ll will share how we’re working to evolve our teams and practices within the realities of a business shaped by hardware cycles, commercial pressure, and legacy thinking. You’ll hear what’s worked, where we’ve struggled, and how we’re aligning around a shared vision for better software delivery. This is not a blueprint, but a set of grounded insights from the field, intended to provoke ideas and help you move your own teams forward.
Matt Morton
Focusrite
Matt is currently Head of Software Engineering at Focusrite, supporting software teams and communities across the Focusrite and Novation brands. With a career spanning software engineering, audio technology, and product leadership, he focuses on building collaborative, cross-functional teams that bridge engineering, product, and design to deliver meaningful, user-centred experiences. Originally drawn to audio tech through a passion for DJing and music production, Matt has spent his career exploring how software can unlock creativity when seamlessly integrated with hardware. He is deeply interested in how organisations structure themselves to empower teams, scale innovation, and build products that inspire musicians and producers around the world.