About Me

Professional headshot of Travis Smith, software builder and senior software engineer

Hi, I'm Travis Smith!

I'm a software builder based in the Des Moines, IA area, with 18+ years shipping full-stack web, mobile, and cloud products. I care most about building software that is well-crafted, well-tested, and genuinely useful to the people who depend on it.

What I Do

I design and ship production AI agents, MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers, and AI-assisted development workflows on the Anthropic platform — Claude Code, Cowork, Design, and the Anthropic API. That work sits on top of the same foundation as everything else I build: clear architecture, tight feedback loops, and code that stays easy to change.

Quality is a practice, not a phase. I work test-first, lean on Extreme Programming habits like pairing and continuous integration, and keep releases small and frequent so problems surface early. I stay close to the people I'm building for, turning fuzzy problems into working software quickly and then refining it with real feedback.

Core Strengths

My Gallup Clifton Strengths reveal what drives my approach to building software:

  • Restorative: Adept at identifying and resolving complex problems
  • Learner: Continuous desire to improve and expand my skills
  • Focus: Prioritize effectively and follow through on commitments
  • Context: Understand the present by researching and learning from history
  • Achiever: Hard-working with consistently high productivity

Core Stack

C#, .NET, TypeScript, React, Next.js, Python/Django, Node.js, and AWS/Azure.

  • AI & Agentic Engineering — Agents, MCP Servers, AI-Assisted Development
  • Product Engineering — Full-Stack Web, Mobile, and Cloud Delivery
  • Software Architecture & Design
  • Test-Driven Development (TDD) & Extreme Programming (XP)
  • Continuous Integration/Deployment

Education & Continuous Learning

I hold a Master of Information Systems (Project Management) from American InterContinental University, but my education never stopped. As a natural learner, I'm constantly exploring new technologies, methodologies, and best practices. I believe in the power of community and knowledge sharing to advance our field, and I'm always eager to both learn from others and share what I've discovered.

Let's Connect

I value building relationships in the tech community. Whether you're interested in collaboration, have questions about software or AI engineering, or just want to connect, I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.