At Rōnin Consulting, we love developers who approach problems with curiosity, humility, and just the right amount of humor. That’s Matt Conway. A software engineer with a passion for cars and code (though not always in that order), Matt brings a grounded perspective and sharp technical instincts to every project he touches.
From In-House to Consulting
Before joining Rōnin, Matt worked in-house at an education technology company in Franklin, TN. The work was steady, but the growth wasn’t. “It felt like the company wasn’t putting anything back in,” he said. “I didn’t see a future there.”
While he wasn’t aggressively job hunting, Matt was open to opportunities, and when a recruiter from Rōnin reached out, it caught his attention. The biggest draw? Interviewing directly with the co-founders, Byron and Ryan.
“I actually got to sit down and talk with Byron and Ryan,” Matt recalls. “These two guys are running the company, and they had the time to meet with me. That tells you something.”
He was struck by how hands-on they were, and not just in the interview process, but in the code itself. “They’re not just execs in an office somewhere making decisions from a distance. They’re developers too. They’ve built things. They’re still building things. In some projects, you work side by side with them.”
That transparency and technical credibility stood out. “A lot of companies talk culture, but when the owners are involved, when they’re still doing the work, it makes a difference.”
Consulting, Career Jitters, and a Better Way to Work
When Matt first joined Rōnin, the shift from salaried work to consulting was a big adjustment. “I was so used to being salaried—it’s hard to change that way of thinking, to become a consultant.” The idea of not getting paid for time off and worrying about consistent project work made him hesitate.
Ultimately, it was his wife who encouraged him to leap; she insisted it was a great opportunity.
And it was.
After three years at Rōnin, Matt can’t see himself anywhere else. However, those early days were challenging, as he felt the weight of being one of the new guys. “Usually on the teams that I’ve been on, I’m probably one of the least experienced guys,” he said. “I’m not trying to take anything from myself, but a lot of guys I’ve worked with have been coding since I was probably in elementary school.”
However, that dynamic ultimately proved to be a considerable advantage.
“It catapulted me to become a better developer because I had to hit the ground running,” Matt said. “You learn a lot from people who’ve been doing it longer, faster, because they’ve made a lot of the mistakes already—and they can warn you.”
Now, with three years and three clients under his belt, he’s feeling more confident. “I don’t think of myself as a junior,” he said. “I did at one point… but not anymore.”
Matt Conway: The Official RTP Guy
Sometimes in software development, you touch one thing and suddenly, it’s your thing. That’s how Matt became the unofficial “RTP guy.”
RTP, short for Real-Time Payments, refers to a fast-moving transaction system used in financial applications. It’s designed to handle large volumes of data or payments that need to be processed instantly and securely, with no room for delay or error. It’s high-stakes code, and Matt was the first developer on his team to handle it.
“I don’t know how I got intertwined with it,” he said. “I think I just picked up the first task dealing with integrating it… and once I picked it up, everybody started coming to me.”
That first ticket snowballed into a full-time reputation.
“I was getting pulled into random meetings that were just, ‘Hey, come here to this meeting because you worked on RTP.’ I had no context. It was just like, here you go,” he said, laughing.
Despite the chaos, Matt’s work on the integration and RTP held up.
“It went well. The testing went well. All of that stuff,” he said. “So it’s nice to have my name associated with it… even if it means I’m still getting pulled into everything RTP now.”
AI in the Day-to-Day
Like many developers at Rōnin, Matt has been leaning into AI tools to speed up his workflow and reduce repetitive tasks. “There’s been a huge push for AI, which I think is a good thing,” he said. “And the one AI tool I use that’s become a part of my routine is Copilot.”
Copilot has become a go-to tool for Matt, especially when tackling repetitive, low-effort tasks that can slow down development. From cleaning up messy code to creating basic unit tests, it helps him streamline the busywork so he can focus on more meaningful problems.
“It saves me a lot of time,” Matt said. “Especially on the stuff that doesn’t really require creative thinking—but still takes up way too much time.”
Remote Life and Real Culture
Matt lives just outside of Nashville, and while he used to come into the office more often, life with a toddler has shifted his priorities.
“Since my daughter was born, it has not been as time-effective for me to drive into the office. It’s like an hour and a half to two-hour drive for me, depending on traffic.” So, while Matt doesn’t often go to the office, he believes that the culture and experience at Rōnin feel entirely different from his previous jobs.
“I feel like Ryan and Byron—and the Rōnin powers that be—are really interested in the growth of the company and strategically planning how it’s performing.”
That level of involvement was missing at his previous job. “At the last company I worked at, it was none of that going on,” he said. “The leadership there really seemed to prioritize getting more out of the company than they invested in it…and we didn’t have nearly as many gatherings like we do at Rōnin.”
At Rōnin, things feel more intentional.
“The environment is just better, and I’d definitely say I’m happier working here than I was at my last job,” he said with a laugh.
Life Outside of Rōnin
Ask Matt what he’s doing when he’s not coding, and the answer is simple: cars.
“I’m a big car enthusiast,” he said. “That’s probably my outside hobby outside of work.”
And he’s not kidding. When asked how many cars he owns, he laughed and said, “Let’s just say three.” His current lineup includes two Lexuses and an Infiniti—a full garage of ongoing projects.
“I spend probably a lot of my time in the garage tinkering with stuff. I’ve wrapped all three of them.”
Just last weekend, he was under the Infiniti installing a new differential—an intense DIY project he took on for fun. “What can I say?” he said. “It’s my version of fun.”
He admits it can be tough juggling his garage time with being a dad, especially with a curious toddler nearby. “I’m really not trying to teach my daughter curse words while working on my cars,” he joked.
