IT families: Ablai Sarmantai and Anel Yesengali

Ablay Sarmantai, city — Seattle, entrepreneur, startup founder, Instagram

Anel Yesemgali, city — Seattle, entrepreneur, startup founder, Instagram

About Us

Ablay. We have been living in the US for a year. We recently received approval for an EB-1 green card as talented entrepreneurs. For a year, I studied at the University of Washington in Seattle, pursuing a master’s degree in entrepreneurship. We have a son, Alikhan, who is one and a half years old. In July, we launched a startup targeting the American market. We are actively working on it, applying to accelerators, and raising investment. We also have an existing startup in Kazakhstan — Qazcod Kazakhstan. We help IT professionals relocate and find jobs in the US.

Anel. We met on Instagram. Ablay followed me and didn’t write to me for a long time; he just watched. At that time, I worked as a target marketer, and many large companies were among my clients. I often talked about this on social media. One day, Ablay wrote to me with a work-related question; he wanted to hire me as a target marketer. The first meeting was professional, but we fell in love with each other during it, and things took off from there.

How we entered the IT field

Ablay. After studying in Turkey, I came to Kazakhstan and started looking for my path. I wanted to take programming courses, but I couldn’t find a suitable school. Then, the idea came to me to gather friends from Google, Huawei, and KPMG and create our own programming school, taught by “active IT specialists in global companies.”

Thus, I founded the Able Online academy in 2019. In 2020, there was a boom in online courses, and the school began to develop well.

Anel. In 2021, I started working at Able Online as a target marketer. That’s how I first encountered IT. After six months, I became the head of the marketing department. In a year, we generated $500,000 in revenue. Currently, I continue to handle marketing for our startups. Thanks to this, I am always up to date with news from the IT sphere.

Distribution of responsibilities

Anel. With the arrival of a child, it became more difficult to live by a strict plan and distribute responsibilities. In the baby’s first year of life, I realized that he needed his mother more. We distribute responsibilities as follows: Ablay handles the main financial matters: paying for the apartment, car, groceries, nanny, cleaning, and home maintenance. I cook, take care of the child, and keep the house tidy. We spend free time outdoors, walking in Seattle parks, and swimming. Ablay goes to the gym three times a week. In the evenings, we walk together and play with our son. Every couple of months, we travel to different states.

Family traditions

Ablay. Every day, we go together to our favorite coffee shop, Zoka, in Seattle. We usually drink a single-shot latte, after which Anel goes for a walk with our son, and I start working. The family values we adhere to are creating a warm and friendly atmosphere at home, honesty in everything, and, of course, supporting each other.

When we lived in Kazakhstan, every Sunday we went to my parents’ house. Aje always cooked beshbarmak, and I miss that.

Combining household chores and work

Anel. Combining a startup with managing household chores and family is not an easy task. But motherhood teaches me multitasking and patience. There are moments when it seems like everything is on the verge of chaos. Then I ask Ablay to do something about it. He always finds a solution. For example, he hires a nanny or a cleaning service, or he does everything himself. A husband’s support is the key to balancing household chores and work for a woman.

Recommendations for a happy family life

Ablay. Don’t forget about romance. I try to take Anel on dates a couple of times a month. I like watching her get ready and dress up. Dates remind us both that we are, first and foremost, husband and wife, and only then parents and partners.

Anel. Family happiness lies in the ability to yield to your partner. Especially when you work together. If both insist on their own way, it will lead to conflict. It is important to understand that you are on the same side, to act as a team. To listen to each other and not compete.

How IT families differ from others

Ablay. The peculiarity of IT families is that they understand each other and speak the same language.

We are both determined and achieved everything on our own. Anel started working at the age of 14. She returned to work just a week after giving birth. She knows what she wants and always moves toward her goal. I am the same.

We are entrepreneurs, and that is what distinguishes us from IT specialists. We have different mindsets and views of the world. I see the opportunity to earn money and build a business that solves problems for millions of people and improves their lives.