10 Years of Square-1 Engineering: Reflections and Vision for the Future

Ten years ago, Square-1 Engineering started in a bedroom, a rented one at that. The founder, Travis Smith, paid his parents $200 a month to use the space. Today, that same company has grown into a respected MedTech consulting firm known throughout Southern California and beyond. Watch the interview discussing the history, challenges, and vision of Square-1 Engineering.

Looking back, Travis and Trisha Aure, who joined just two years after the company’s start, sat down to reflect on what that journey has meant, the hard lessons, proudest moments, and what’s next as they step into a new decade.

Why Square-1 Was Started
When Travis launched Square-1 in late 2015, it was not his first attempt at entrepreneurship, not even close. “It was my third or fourth,” he laughed. From childhood experiments in his parents’ garage to later ventures in his career, the drive to build something of his own was always there.

But when Square-1 began, it was not built on a polished business plan or an investor pitch deck. It started with a simple belief: we can do it better, and have more fun doing it.

That mindset shaped everything from day one. The goal was not to mimic corporate America. It was to challenge it. No endless meetings. No rigid hierarchies. Just people working hard, solving real problems, and enjoying the ride.

Joining a Micro-Business
When Trisha joined in 2017, Square-1 was tiny, three people sharing a single rented office. “I remember waiting for someone to finish their call so I could make mine,” she recalled. “It was humbling.”

Even in that small space, something bigger was forming. The company’s culture, collaborative, transparent, and people-first, became the backbone for everything that followed.

“The foundation has not changed,” Trisha said. “We have just refined it. Those same values from the early days are what drive us now.”

Lessons from the First 10 Years
Asked what he wishes he had known back then, Travis did not hesitate: relationships.
“I always knew relationships were important,” he said. “But what I did not understand was how foundational they are to small business. Every major project we have landed, every big win, has come from a relationship.”

For a service-based company, that lesson became everything. Trust opened doors faster than sales pitches ever could.
And with time, other lessons followed:

• You cannot be everything to everyone.
• You cannot do it all yourself.
• When the market shifts, you have to be willing to pivot.

Four years in, the team made one of its biggest strategic changes, narrowing focus solely to the medical device industry. That decision tripled the company’s size within five years.

Looking back, Travis admits, “We should have done it sooner.”

Growth and Change
In a decade, Trisha’s own path mirrored the company’s growth. From Senior Project Manager to Senior Director and part-owner, her career evolved alongside Square-1’s expansion.

“I never saw myself as an owner,” she said. “That was not even on my radar. Being given the opportunity to step into that role and grow into it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.”

Her story reflects one of Square-1’s guiding beliefs, that the company’s success is built on developing people, not just projects.

Defining Moments 
There have been milestones, landing massive projects, expanding into new offices, growing the team, but one memory stands above the rest.

A few years ago, after finishing a major engagement in Minneapolis, a CFO called Travis to share feedback. He told him, “In 35 years, I have never worked with a company like yours, not as a vendor, not as a partner, not as a service provider. This was the best experience I have ever had.”

“That one hit me,” Travis admitted. “That is what you hope for when you start something, that someone will say, ‘You made a difference.’”

Why We Still Show Up 
Ten years in, motivation does not come from revenue targets or office expansions. For both Travis and Trisha, it is the people.

“It’s the way we show up for each other,” Trisha said. “We have built a culture where everyone supports one another and we celebrate every win, big or small.”

There is also pride in the work itself. Square-1 helps MedTech companies bring life-changing devices to market, technology that saves lives, restores mobility, and reshapes healthcare. “Not everyone gets to say they helped make that happen,” she said.

The Next Ten Years
Looking ahead, Travis is not interested in making lofty promises about “changing the world.” The next decade, he said, is about depth over hype.

That means continuing to support clients with excellence, while challenging themselves internally through digital transformation and growth-focused learning. “If we can keep helping patients while also helping our people grow, that is a huge win,” he said.

For Trisha, the next chapter is also about community. “The MedTech ecosystem needs connection,” she said. “If we can keep building spaces for people to learn, share, and grow together, that matters.”

Advice for New Business Owners 
After a decade of building from scratch, Travis offered two pieces of advice for anyone just starting out:

1. Be ready to pivot. Markets change. Customers shift. What worked before will not always work again. The willingness to adapt can save your business.
2. Do not have a Plan B. “If you start something with a backup plan,” he said, “you are already expecting Plan A to fail.”

For both leaders, it all comes back to relationships, the kind that carry you through the hard seasons and celebrate the good ones.

Where We Are Now
Square-1 stands today as a company built not from funding rounds or viral growth, but from trust, earned, not bought.

Every step, from that $200 bedroom office to today’s thriving MedTech consultancy, tells the same story, bet on people, and everything else will follow.

As Trisha put it, “Every day is different. It is not easy, but it is rewarding, and that is what makes it worth showing up.”