IT families: Dauren Kasen and Araylym Almakhanova

In the IT world, it is becoming increasingly common to see couples where both partners are building careers in technology, balancing work, family, and personal projects. We spoke with one such couple about how they divide responsibilities at home, what rituals they follow, how they balance career with daily life, and what, in their opinion, distinguishes IT families from others.

Dauren Kassen, city — Almaty, Senior Android Developer at QIC, LinkedIn

Aralym Almakhanova, city — Almaty, digital marketer, Instagram

About Us

Dauren. I am a mobile app developer with over eight years of experience in development. Among my recent projects is my role as the Android Development Lead at Globerce Capital, where I participated in the launch of the Freedom Business app and the development of the Freedom AI app. I also have experience working with American and Australian startups, including Travello, which has an audience of 500K MAU. Previously, I worked at Choco on the "Nearby" project, where I met my future wife.

Currently, I am a Senior Android Developer at the Qatari company QIC in the life and medical sector, and I am also developing my own pet projects, which are growing in parallel.

Aralym. We met in the office. My husband is a mobile app developer, and I work in IT marketing.

How we entered the IT field

Dauren. I started my journey in IT while studying at MUIT. Even then, I actively completed internships and combined them with work. After graduation, I began a full-fledged career, and now I work remotely.

Aralym. I applied for an internship at what was then the largest IT company in the country, and that marked the beginning of my path in IT and my interest in the field. Now, I am developing my mom community, BRAVE MOM ALMATY.

Division of responsibilities

Dauren. I am responsible for income and financial distribution in the family. My wife is responsible for the child and the main household tasks. When I have the energy and time, I help her with housework and childcare.

Aralym. As an Eastern woman, I mainly take care of household chores—cleaning, cooking, childcare, and meeting with relatives. My husband, despite spending most of his time at work, tries to help with both housework and the child. Sometimes we hire cleaning services or use daycare groups to spend time together. The financial support of the family is entirely on my husband.

Family traditions

Dauren. We have a weekly tradition of having breakfasts outside the home. We also often walk in the park and try to spend as much time as possible outdoors. I strive to constantly improve conditions and ensure comfort for my family. For me, the main principle and value is family and my responsibility toward it.

Aralym. Every Friday or Saturday, we have breakfast outside the home together—it is our mandatory ritual. Also, as true Almaty residents, we love trying specialty coffee, such as a cappuccino with raspberries and kurt, and we often visit beautiful summer venues. Additionally, twice a month, my husband and I go on dates just the two of us, without the child.

Balancing household duties and work

Dauren. Balancing IT work with family and household duties can be difficult. It is hardest when you physically cannot keep up with everything—this leads to a lack of focus, but with proper task prioritization, things gradually normalize.

Aralym. Of course, balancing work and family is not easy. But if you prioritize correctly and sometimes calmly accept household chaos, without pushing yourself to anxiety and perfectionism, you can manage it. It is impossible to handle everything at once—it is important to be ready for failures and risks.

Recommendations for a happy family life

Dauren. My principles:
— responsibility is one of the most important things
— do not promise if you cannot fulfill it
— love and try to fulfill the desires and "wishes" of loved ones.

Aralym. In our family, we try not only to listen but also to hear each other. Sometimes a partner just needs to vent without receiving criticism, judgment, or advice in return—this kind of "therapy" helps relieve stress. We support each other and "cover" for each other in difficult moments—that is the essence of marriage. If my husband does not have time to handle household tasks due to a heavy workload at work, I do them. If I cannot cope, he takes over the tasks. With the arrival of a child, household duties become more complex, so the father's involvement in the child's life from the very first days is especially important. I am grateful to my husband for this.

How IT families differ from others

Dauren. There is creativity and rationalism. Each of us builds something of our own outside of work and obligations. We are engaged in what interests us and continue to do so, although sometimes it is not easy.

Aralym. The feature of a family where both partners work in IT is, most likely, a more or less similar way of thinking, shared hobbies, topics for discussion, and involvement in projects. Our family differs from other IT families in that we do not dissolve solely into work and the child. Each of us develops our own projects: my husband works on SaaS solutions for business, and I focus on developing the community as a new trend.