Sa’ed Anabtawi, product director, WOLF Qanawat
In the fast-paced tech startup world, success is achieved through adaptability, collaboration and innovation. This year, WOLF Qanawat – our London-based app for audio entertainment communities in the Arabic-speaking MENA region – has undergone a major transformation. It adopted cross-functional cooperation as the cornerstone to its operational strategy.
The business, along with this major change, has begun implementing three missions that are shared by every employee at the beginning of each year. We did this because the contribution of each employee is crucial to the success of the missions, and we wanted to align the work across the company in order for us achieve our corporate goals.
We achieved our goal of increasing the instant appeal for newcomers this year. Major changes to the app have achieved KPIs for the deeper results of the business, including giving users more control to use their creativity in running entertainment, gaming and football channels that appeal to the new users.
The business has benefited from this by attracting and retaining newcomers. In six months, the 30-day retention rate for the WOLF Qanawat App doubled and the app exceeded its revenue and profit goals.
Cross-functional Squads
The leadership structure of the company has been modified to include locations in Jordan and Newcastle, UK. Senior people are working at both sites and the London headquarters, resulting in a great sense of teamwork between both countries.
In the past, our teams worked independently with little interaction or collaboration between departments. Recognizing the need to adapt and streamline processes within our company, we made a strategic shift towards cross-functional cooperation.
This transition was not without its challenges. The gap between the backend and frontend team led to inefficiencies with regards to application programming interfaces. We restructured our teams to create cross-functional squads that brought together individuals with diverse backgrounds and skills sets in order to work on projects. This structural change facilitated better communication and alignment among teams, accelerating project timelines and improving overall efficiency.
We realised that as a company, we had to change our team structure and become cross-functional squads in order to improve efficiency, internal communication and to create a greater sense of ownership over specific tasks and projects.
The importance of communication
To make the transition from departmentalised teams, which are more isolated, to cross-functional squads, requires patience and faith in each squad’s structure. It is important to communicate the benefits of this change in order for your team to understand and commit. It is important to understand that it will take months of continuous effort and collaboration to achieve the maximum value from a multi-functional team.
As the organization changes, adapts and refines its working dynamic, it is important to be patient. Instilling confidence and focusing on the long-term benefit will ensure that the team can work together and achieve success in the future.
A major shift in culture
Benefits were substantial. The project delivery time was significantly improved, as tasks that took months to complete were now completed in weeks. This increased agility allowed us to respond quickly to market needs, introduce innovative features, and enhance the user experience.
Our team was able to better tailor products and services to our target market by embracing cross-functional cooperation. By rebranding, and introducing features that are tailored to Arabic-speaking communities such as VR experiences and AI Virtual Assistants like ‘Yasmine’, we have strengthened our market position and cemented our leadership in the MENA tech landscape.
To achieve cross-functional cooperation, a culture shift was required within the organization. This change was driven by effective leadership, as key stakeholders advocated for a collaborative mentality and provided support and resources. This cultural transformation enabled team members to own their work, collaborate better across departments and pursue common goals while sharing accountability.
Future Integration
We at WOLF Qanawat aim to improve cross-functional squads by integrating the expertise of marketing and community departments. We leverage insights from these diverse departments to gain a better understanding of the needs of our target audience, which will help us inform product development and drive continued innovation.
The cross-functional collaboration we have implemented has allowed us to remain competitive in a market that is fiercely competitive. We have opened up new opportunities for growth and innovation by breaking down silos and fostering better communication between teams. Our position as a tech leader has been cemented by this.
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