IT families: Admet and Zarina Akhter

We continue the series where we introduce families in which both partners work in the IT industry. Today, we spoke with Admet and Zarina and learned how they manage their household and how IT families differ from others.

Admet Akhter, 29 years old, city – Singapore, founder and co-owner of the IT holding Akhter Studios, co-founder and CEO of the startup Introdex, Forbes 30 under 30, @admet_akhter

Zarina Akhter, 24 years old, city – Singapore, founder of the lowcode studio Designation, @zarineyah

About Us

Admet and Zarina. We met through social media in February 2020, shortly before the pandemic. Everything happened quickly: we started dating closer to March, and on June 3, the proposal took place.

We went through the lockdown in Almaty together, and in 2023, we moved to Singapore.

How we entered the IT field

Admet. I started engaging in IT entrepreneurship in 2021. Previously, I worked as a project and product manager in startups and corporations in Kazakhstan, Russia, the USA, and Australia. Since childhood, I knew I wanted to work in the game development industry, but ultimately ended up in the IT sector. As an entrepreneur, I have a flexible work format.

Zarina. By profession, I am a translator-linguist—an entirely different field. In the past, I was a model, participating in fashion shows, various commercial, and creative projects. My attraction to the digital world has been present since childhood. I played computer games and was an advanced PC user. I loved tinkering with gadgets, independently reinstalling the operating system, working with Excel, creating banners in Adobe Photoshop, artwork in Illustrator, and editing paintings and photos in editors.

In 2020, I transitioned into the IT field. I began learning programming, but during the process, I realized that the UX/UI design field—designing convenient and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces—was closer to me. I worked in IT companies, then switched to freelancing.

After moving to Singapore, I designed for Singaporean companies. During my work, I noticed a pain point for startups that lacked time during accelerators. Now, I have an IT studio for design and development using lowcode. I have a flexible work schedule.

Distribution of responsibilities

Admet. I spend less time at home, so I rarely handle household chores. In the family, I resolve organizational issues related to moves, travel, and finances.
Zarina. We do not have a strict distribution of responsibilities; we divide tasks on the spot. We do not obsess over household chores to have more time for productive work.
I love cooking, trying new recipes of Asian cuisine, and delighting with "tasty" rather than "necessary" dishes.

In our free time, we swim in the pool together, try new food at restaurants, or walk around local attractions.

Family traditions

Zarina. We do not have stereotypes about the "correctness" of any model of behavior in the family. Our family values are built around love, trust, and mutual assistance in everything. It is important to realize that we are partners, and we create our own traditions—primarily, support in matters and various life situations. Emotional support and empathy are the foundation of everything.

Admet. I am mixed-race. I grew up in a Kazakh, but Soviet family, which is difficult to call traditional. Because of this, I am open to many traditions, cultures, and languages. Zarina and I love to travel and want to visit as many countries as possible while we are still young and before we have children. Then we will instill a love for travel in them as well. I can definitely say that among our values are mutual respect for viewpoints, as well as support for everything we decide to do.

Combining household life and work

Zarina. It is important to establish a proper schedule to maintain balance. During times when we are overloaded with work, we can order cleaning services to maintain coziness and not get distracted from priority tasks.

Admet. Running your own business offers more flexibility, but at the same time, it pulls you in completely. Sometimes, due to work, I have to be away from home from early morning until late evening. But on weekends, I try to spend time fully with Zarina and share household tasks with her.

Recommendations for a happy family life

Admet. The ability to talk and listen. This is important because family life reveals more and more new things about your partner. The ability to change when necessary. I am not at all the person I was before Zarina, and that is wonderful.

Zarina. Never allow unnecessary things and do not say hurtful words in any situation. Be empathetic, develop emotional intelligence as much as possible. When discussing problems, do not offer a solution if it is not asked for, but give the opportunity to be open and express oneself.

Be able to listen, be flexible, understand your partner, but at the same time, have your own position and point of view. There is no need to argue about what is good or bad, right or wrong. It is important not to pass judgment. A happy family is not about numbers; there are no exact algorithms here.

How IT families differ from others

Admet. In such families, there is always access to innovations, open-mindedness, and a drive for development, as the industry requires it. The whole world is open to us, and this is a great privilege, as many countries are loyal to IT specialists, and even more so to IT entrepreneurs. This provides significantly more opportunities than in other industries, which is why we see many "digital nomads."

Zarina. In the IT world, it is important to stay up-to-date with the latest technological trends, so in such families, there may be more emphasis on continuous learning and development. Both partners can better understand each other professionally, share interests, and discuss technical issues. Another feature is that we can discuss new ideas that lead to more creative solutions to various issues and even lead to joint projects and startups.