Here’s another installment in our ongoing series Better Know A Developer, in which we go behind the scenes at some of the Midwest’s best tech startups. We met up with Tara Stava, Sr. Applications Developer at BuilderTREND, at her office in Omaha.
Age 32
Hometown Seward, Nebraska
High School Seward High School
BECOME A SPONSOR
Join us in championing the narrative of success, resilience, and ingenuity that defines Nebraska’s startup community. Learn more »
Family? My mom lives in Seward, and my dad farms by Staplehust north of Seward. My husband farms, too, and we live near Weston. I have two boys. One is 4 and a half and one is 3.
What does your husband farm?
He has corn and beans and cattle. This time of year is calving season, so it’s very busy for him, having to get involved with the cows and make sure they’re calving OK.
What do you do on the farm?
Mostly chase cattle when they get out. (laughs) My husband will call me to help get them in the pen. The cattle are not my favorite. People don’t realize how much work they can be.
What’s your job title at BuilderTREND?
Senior Applications Developer
What do you do?
I help create the BuilderTREND website, the application that the builders use to keep track of their day to day business.
What’s the biggest misunderstanding about what you do?
I think a lot of people kind of think we’re just monkeys sitting in a room just typing, and that we’re maybe not as smart as we are. I hear people say, “Why can’t they just do that? It’s so easy! Why don’t they just do it?” But sometimes the smallest thing on the screen that looks so easy can take you a day. It’s harder than it looks sometimes.
How did you get this job?
I was working in Lincoln, looking for something new. I talked to a recruiter from Modis, and she found this job for me.
What are you working on today?
I’m currently working on a feature to allow a subcontractor to pay for the program. Currently, only the contractor can pay for it. We’re working toward allowing more people to pay for the features and get more out of BuilderTREND.
Is it going well?
Yeah, I think so. Slow and steady.
How would you describe the work environment at BuilderTREND?
It’s really fun and laid back. We get a lot done, but at the same time it’s not stressful. That’s what I really love about it. They trust everybody, and they don’t micromanage.
What is the most controversial opinion you have that only other developers would understand?
I actually love VB.Net. Most developers are C# all the way. I’ve always been a VB.Net girl. And people are like, Why? I’m like, “It does everything C# does, and it’s easier to write!” And they’re like, “OK.” Most developers are hardcore into C#.
Why is that?
I’ve never understood it. It’s closer to Java maybe?
What do you use at BuilderTREND?
We use VB.Net, SQL, stuff like that.
What’s the coolest tool you use?
I really like ReSharper. It’s a tool that basically helps you do your job better using shortcuts. It lets you do things faster.
What’s the best thing you’ve read recently?
Umm. (long pause) I spend a lot of time on Stack Overflow. I don’t know if that counts.
What are your first computer memories?
We had Apple IIes at my grade school. Oregon Trail and Carmen Sandiego were the games they let us play. And we just thought that was the best.
Why did you choose to do development?
When I was growing up I loved doing puzzles and figuring things out. I loved knowing how things work. My family was always like, “You should be an engineer!” And so when it came to decide what I wanted to do, I ended up going into computer engineering.
What would be your best advice for someone thinking about a career in development?
Just go for it. It’s fun, it’s challenging, it’s exciting. There are new things coming out all the time. If you think that’s something you want to do, try it.
