IT families: Bekarys and Aida Ospanov

A new interview in the series where we introduce you to families in which both partners work in the IT sector. A young couple shared the story of their love and their careers.

Bekarys Ospanov, city — Almaty, product manager, linkedin
Aida Ospanova, city — Almaty, CEO of the Bskill startup, product manager, @aidaospanovskaya

About Us

Bekarys. Friends introduced us at one of the parties. We exchanged phone numbers and everything "took off."

Aida. We met through our friends, who decided to meet after chatting on Tinder. For them, Aida and I were the "+1". None of us planned to meet the love of our lives that day. I was in casual home clothes without makeup, and Bekarys came straight from the bathhouse. But after the first cup of coffee, we didn't part ways.

How we entered the IT field

Bekarys. By education, I am an "Information Systems Specialist." I have worked in this field my whole life. I have a hybrid work format. In addition to my main job, I run my pet project and occasionally consult entrepreneurs in the field of process automation.
Aida. Bekarys has been in the IT field for over 12 years. He works in his specialty. I call him the "Moscow Bolashakets."

I entered the IT field after maternity leave, two years ago, after seeing how interesting work my husband does. I started as a product manager at Kcell. A year later, I quit and started my own startup — an event guide for children called Bskill.

Bekarys supported me the most and was most invested in my product. In moments of doubt, we went on long walks and came up with new strategies. Since then, we have won two incubators: from Terricon Valley and MOST Fund, and an accelerator from NURIS. The startup is growing: this year we plan to cover Almaty, Astana, and Shymkent with children's events and attract our first investments. My husband is a co-founder, CPO, and the main project tracker.

Distribution of responsibilities

Aida. We have two daughters — Ayana and Alsara. They are my creative inspirations who make life fun. While they are still small, we try to spend more time with them, especially on weekends. We often go to the mountains, and in summer, we walk a lot around the city.

Bekarys. The most difficult part is logistics. I drop the kids off at kindergarten, and Aida picks them up and takes them to training and clubs. Sometimes there are scheduling conflicts, and we cover for each other. In the evening, we have dinner and take turns spending time with the children. We put the kids to bed together — this is an important ritual for us that we try to maintain.

Family traditions

Bekarys. Our main value is family. We spend weekends together and go out into nature. Quality time together is important to us, so we turn off gadgets and come up with different games for the children.

Aida. We have one interesting game — I even want to document it. We were given a "Shadow Theater" — a board game through which you create a performance using shadows. At first, the children watched in amazement as Aida and I created small theatrical fairy tales with music and character voiceovers. Over time, the theater became a place where the children themselves come up with new fairy tales for Aida and me. This is the best moment before bedtime and one of the brightest traditions of our family.

Combining household chores and work

Bekarys. Combining household chores and work is not difficult if you agree on things in advance. It is important to be able to renegotiate if something goes off plan.

Aida. It is possible, although not easy. Over time, you learn to be flexible and take household factors into account in your ideal plan for conquering the market. The fact that we are both involved in an IT startup unites us and makes it easier to reach agreements.

Recommendations for a happy family life

Bekarys. We are a team. Nothing is impossible when we support each other. I recommend being flexible and talking to each other. Be sure to discuss with each other what you like and what you don't, and find compromises.

Aida. The secret to a happy family life lies in communication, the ability to listen to your partner. In shared goals, a unified vision of joint life and the future. In creating unique rules for the Ospanov family.

How IT families differ from others

Aida and Bekarys. IT families differ from others in shared topics and interests. We can discuss industry events and interesting ideas. Sometimes I get so busy that my spouse tells me about a news item I missed. We love analyzing businesses: how they can be automated. I think I will even launch such a podcast.

Other than that, there are few differences. All our friends work in different fields, so we always have something to share and discuss.