Employee Spotlight: Michael Jacob

Meet Trava Software Engineer, Michael Jacobs.

In your words, what is your role at Trava.

I would define my role as creating features from beginning to end. Taking an idea and developing it out, deploying on our web app, and API, and whatever other services are needed, and then supporting that feature through its deployment. So, if our services team comes back to us and is having trouble with it, or whatever they may be having there, I support them through that.

Describe Trava in 3 words. 

I think the three words I would use to describe Trava are teamwork, supportive, and fun.

Where is your happy place?

My happy place, I have two different ones.

On the weekdays, it's at the disc golf course. I love to go play disc golf after work. That's absolutely my happy place on the weekdays. Then when I have more time on the weekends, I love to go to the beach. Nice warm day, just sit out on the beach, absorb the sun, and then go swimming a little bit.

If you could give your 13 year old self advice, what would it be?

I think it would be, don't be afraid to be a nerd. Right? That's always labeled a bad thing, but it's a great thing. It's allowed me to pursue my passion. Yeah, I would tell myself don't be afraid to have that label. If it means doing what you love, go for it! Take that label with pride.

What is your favorite motivational quote?

I don't really have a favorite motivational quote. I think that the most motivational thing for me is looking at what others have done, so either others on the team, or outside of Trava as a whole, just looking at what other people have created is super motivational for me.

What has been your favorite project at Trava?

Redesigning the billing system. A couple months back, we decided to change our tenant levels and we had to redesign our billing system, so that was a feature that I was tasked with and really got to run with end- to- end and continue to support. It's been a fun mix of challenging, but also me getting to own it and being able to work with it in kind of a fun way, where I've been able to be really creative with it.

Cats or dogs?

I'm an animal guy in general. I love any type of animal. I don't think I could pick one between the two to be honest.

What’s your favorite color?

Favorite color would have to be red. I don't have any reasoning behind it. Just growing up my favorite color combination was red and black.