IT Families: Vladimir and Maria Solodovy

Vladimir Solodov, city — Almaty, Product owner, @vladimir_solodov

Maria Solodova, city — Almaty, HR at tekmates, @mashingworld

About Us

Maria. We met at work at Rosatom. I managed the project office for employee engagement, and Vova was a partner at ECOPSY Consulting.

Vladimir. We worked together on the first conference for top managers in the nuclear industry dedicated to HR. Masha was responsible for the conference from the client side, while my team prepared and hosted the program.

The conference took place before the New Year. After the holidays, we continued communicating. And on January 10, 2012, we celebrated the anniversary of our first date.

How we entered the IT field

Vladimir. I received an MBA in Digital Technology from Cornell University. It was interesting to visit the campuses of Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon, and other tech giants, and to meet the people who work there. At that time, I realized that I wanted to work in the tech industry. After finishing my studies, I had two offers: from Boston Consulting Group and Amazon. The decision was not easy. In the end, I chose BCG, and my transition to the tech industry was delayed. However, later, when I headed the Center for Process Architecture at Rosatom, my education came in handy. We worked at the intersection of IT blocks and operational efficiency, optimizing processes in the development of industry-wide transactional IT systems.

After that, I led operational efficiency at one of the largest crypto exchanges. Since 2021, I have been working at Yandex. Initially, I was the Country Launcher for delivery in Bolivia — opening the service in the country. Currently, I lead the intra-city freight service in seven CIS countries.

Maria. After working at Rosatom, KPMG, a period of entrepreneurship, and maternity leave, I wanted to enter IT because it is a dynamically developing industry with great opportunities. And I got a chance at tekmates.

We work in a hybrid format. Both of us are accustomed to this type of employment because over the past nine years, we have lived in different countries: the USA, Russia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, and Kazakhstan. Working remotely on consulting or entrepreneurial projects was optimal. It is also convenient from a productivity standpoint: you can change your environment and be more productive.

Vladimir. The hybrid format saves time. Sometimes you don't need to go to the office, and between meetings or during lunch, you can do household chores instead of leaving them for late evening. For example, you can go to the doctor and then sit next to each other in a cafe for a call. Or hug your child between online meetings when he is sick at home, and you are working from the next room.

Maria. At the same time, we are responsible for our own productivity and work results. On some days, we start working at 08:00 or finish at 22:00 because we regulate ourselves when we need to stay longer to finish tasks.

Distribution of responsibilities

Vladimir. We distribute responsibilities between ourselves, and we are also helped by a nanny. We plan vacations and weekends together: snowboarding, meetings with friends, trips to nature, and concerts.

Family traditions

Maria. Every year we go to the mountains to snowboard. In the past, this happened less frequently, but now, after moving to Almaty, we enjoy this practice almost every week in winter.

Vladimir. Over time, our traditions have changed slightly. Currently, we live far from our parents, so for our birthdays, we try to visit them to be in a family circle. And on vacation, we try to go where our friends live.

Maria. Also, on Sundays, we love having breakfast as a trio with our daughter Amelia in cute cafes. And every evening before bed, we read her a book.

Combining household chores and work

Vladimir. We are used to working a lot. After the birth of our daughter, it was difficult for us to find a balance between work efficiency and the desire to spend time with her. We take turns taking our daughter to kindergarten. The nanny picks her up, which allows us to work without distractions.

On weekends, we spend almost all our time with our daughter. My only "me time" is playing golf one or two times a week. I like to play alone, without partners. During these few hours, you can calmly think about everything. Or, on the contrary, not think at all, concentrating on the game.

Maria. I plan the menu, order groceries, cook, and clean the apartment. The nanny also helps with cleaning. Vova is responsible for document processing and accounting, purchasing and setting up or repairing home appliances, and the child's sports activities.

We split chores equally and pick them up if one of us is more busy. We plan Amelia's leisure and development together and take turns taking our daughter to classes on weekends.

How IT families differ from others

Maria. The IT field changes rapidly. To remain a sought-after specialist, you need to constantly learn new things. In my opinion, this affects the overall family culture and is passed on to children.

We try to keep learning ourselves: we read books, watch webinars, and communicate with people from the professional community. We actively immerse ourselves in various technologies. For example, Vova uses cryptocurrency and began actively using ChatGPT in his work two years before it reached peak popularity.

We also strive to uncover our daughter's talents: we send her to a kindergarten that works on the "Montessori" method, we do skiing and music, and we go to the pool.

Vladimir. Working in the IT field is often associated with high intensity and stress. This can negatively affect the atmosphere in the family. A hybrid schedule can also work against you: sometimes the boundaries between work and home blur, so you need to know how to control yourself, take care of yourself, and not bring work problems into your personal life.

Maria. Another feature of IT families is mutual support in professional matters, help in solving complex tasks, and advice on career issues. For example, we often discuss complex cases that do not fall under NDA.

We speak the same language and understand what "stack," "stream," Scrum, Agile, and so on mean. We even use these terms in everyday life — for example, cleaning in the style of Agile. You can get a funny instruction if you ask to describe this process in ChatGPT, but the essence is correct: priorities, division into stages, responsible persons, daily check, retro, involvement of all family members, flexible adaptation.

Recommendations for a happy family life

Vladimir. When a child appears, it is important to thoughtfully consider the new family structure and understand how to continue to devote time and attention to yourself and your partner, not focusing 100% on the new most important person.

Maria. When a child appears, be sure to set aside time to be alone with yourself. Try to find time for communication as a couple, not just on household topics.