IT families: Roman and Regina Nadeiny

Roman Nadein, city — Almaty, CEO / CTO Rocket Tech, @smozjo
Regina Nadeina, city — Almaty, QA engineer

About Us

Roman. My wife and I have known each other for 16 years. We had mutual friends. We often crossed paths at joint events and clubs. In 2010, the Da Freak club was popular, hosting drum&bass parties, where we used to see each other. For a long time, we were just friends.

But at some point, we started spending more time together, and our friendship turned into a relationship. In January 2016, on the island of Koh Phangan in Thailand, I proposed to Regina. In April 2016, we got married. Now we have children — two boys, Miron, seven years old, and Neil, four years old.

How We Entered the IT Field

Regina. For a long time, I worked as a florist and director of a wonderful floristry and decor studio, but I was thinking about changing careers. At the same time, I worried that it would be difficult for me to completely change my line of work — especially since I was already over 30. I watched Roma work and observed how his company was developing, which had many young and vibrant people. So it can definitely be said that I entered IT thanks to Roma. He always enthusiastically talked about his work, technologies, gadgets, and the prospects of IT, and I decided to try myself in this field.

In late 2022, I applied for a grant from Astana Hub under the Tech Orda program. I studied throughout 2023. Now I work as a QA engineer, testing web products and mobile applications, actively developing in this profession, and I can already write automated tests, which is a particular source of pride for me. I work primarily in the office, but there are days of remote work, so you could say it's a hybrid schedule.

Roman. Since childhood, I was fascinated by computers and games, spending days online. In my childhood, this was the internet via mobile phones, and I chose education in the field of programming, entering the Polytechnic College after the ninth grade. In my third year, I learned about the AIESEC internship program, successfully passed the testing, and was selected for a developer internship in India, in the city of Kolkata. I lived there for six months and worked at IndusNet Technologies, which at that time was quite a large company engaged in developing internet projects and websites.

After the internship, I returned to Almaty, joined a local web studio, worked there for about four years, and then decided to start my own company. Thus, Rocket Firm was born, now it is Rocket Tech. We specialize in fintech projects and IT outsourcing for medium and large businesses. I transformed from a developer into a manager. Our team has more than 130 people. I work primarily from the office, but in addition, I conduct many meetings outside the office and travel on business trips.

Distribution of Responsibilities

Regina. We don't have a clear distribution of responsibilities — we do what needs to be done. If I don't manage to do something, Roma always helps — whether it's laundry, cleaning, or cooking. We mainly spend free time with the children. On weekends, we go to the botanical garden or out of town, to the mountains. Sometimes the children stay with their grandmothers, and we spend time together as a couple.

Roman. All the complex male tasks are definitely on me: car maintenance, home appliances. And Regina unofficially took on creating coziness in our home. In other household matters, I try to help Regina; it doesn't bother me, on the contrary, sometimes it even relaxes me. It's a kind of meditation — washing a mountain of dishes after the whole family or preparing a delicious dinner while listening to a podcast.

Family Traditions

Regina. I like creating a festive atmosphere — decorating the Christmas tree with the children for New Year, writing letters to Santa Claus, baking Easter cakes, and inviting friends, giving flowers to grandmothers on March 8th, baking cakes for the children's birthdays. We create our own traditions and pass them on to our children.

It used to be a tradition to leave for a warm country before New Year. But with the birth of children, it has become more difficult. I want to bring travel back into our lives; I want to see a lot and show the children many things.

Roman. I wouldn't say we have many traditions, but I've started thinking often about the need to create them. I can definitely say that we try to spend weekends with the whole family, together with the children, visiting grandmothers. I'm into running, and one of the traditions I'd like to establish is for the children and Regina to support me during my runs, meeting me at the finish line. And travel is a separate story — how easy it was to do without children and how difficult it is to rest together as a family, but undoubtedly, we will still work on this and make it a pleasant tradition to discover new countries on the map.

Combining Household and Work

Regina. If there is no balance, I think it's hard to combine any work with family, household chores, and personal hobbies. The key for me is to find a balance between work and personal life: leave work at work, and at home, dedicate time and attention to family — children and husband. And, of course, it's important to ask for help, knowing that your partner will always support and help.

Roman. Since I am an entrepreneur and have my own company, I dedicate a lot of time and thoughts to work. I don't strongly believe in the balance between work and personal life; I think everything is closely intertwined, and it's important simply to dedicate enough time to family and oneself, despite a busy work schedule and the need, and sometimes even the desire, to work in the evenings or on weekends and get more things done. Now, I try not to turn on the laptop on weekends, handle urgent matters via phone, and better yet, leave them for the work week. This significantly lightens the load and helps to rest, recharge, and refresh the cycle of the work week.

Recommendations for a Happy Family Life

Regina. Talking. We don't go to sleep if we've quarreled — we try to talk it out and make up, find a compromise, but it doesn't always work. It's important not to hurt each other, always speak frankly, and respect each other's interests. Roma always gives me time alone so I can go to the gym or take a walk for coffee by myself.

Roman. Show empathy and try to understand what needs your partner has, and within your capabilities, provide what is desired. I am not confrontational, and in the family, when situations escalate — I try to negotiate, reach agreements through dialogue. By the way, I teach this to the children, and sometimes they manage it. I also think it's important not to speak or make important decisions on emotions, whether positive or negative, because later you might regret them.

How IT Families Differ from Others

Regina. Roma is a technology fan. He set up a "smart home" at home himself and continues to add new features to it. He loves bringing home various gadgets and devices, which always delight the children. It seems they have been immersed in the world of IT since childhood. And if one person in the family is connected to IT, they inevitably immerse their partner in this exciting world.

Roman. I don't think there are fundamental differences in behavior and relationships between IT partners. Probably, there are more common topics for interaction, a shared view on technologies and their application in everyday life. For example, Regina was not always an IT specialist, but she always supported me in this direction and continues to do so even now that she is in the profession. In general, I think that IT professionals nowadays show more snobbery; there's no need for that.