WomenInTech. How women from Baku turn ideas into ecosystems and change the industry

Two women from Baku shared how to overcome stereotypes, not be afraid of mistakes, and build a career without waiting for “permission.” Their story is about the courage to act when ideal conditions are absent.

Talifa Iskandarli, City — Baku, founder

About herself

I am an entrepreneur and strategist who creates systems that turn ideas into functioning businesses. Currently, I mentor startups within B2BB Startup Studio, helping them scale, build strategy, and move beyond the “small business” mindset. My goal is to give projects structure, voice, and ambition.

At the same time, I am developing BeeWelly — a wellness brand that makes vitamins not just beneficial, but desirable. We created a product that combines the aesthetics of a lifestyle accessory with the efficacy of a scientific formula. This is a story about beauty, energy, and mindfulness without clichés or boring pharmacy bottles.

I also remain part of the architectural world through Reflect Architects — a bureau where design connects with culture and context. For me, architecture is a language expressed in concrete and light.

I do not separate life into career and personal matters. Everything I do is united by one impulse — to create systems that have meaning, movement, and energy.

Like many, I started in corporate structures where everything was built on rules: reports, approvals, KPIs, and minimal freedom. But quite quickly I realized that a real career begins when you create your own rules.

One of the key milestones for me was BakuID — a project that I not only led but effectively designed from scratch. I acted not as an event director, but as an architect of the concept — the format, visual code, energy, how BakuID is perceived by participants, and how it sounds in an international context.

Over three years, BakuID turned into a magnet for investors, startups, and technology leaders from around the world: thousands of participants, hundreds of partners, and a real post-event effect — deals and collaborations that continued long after the forum ended.

This experience became proof for me: scale is not the size of the stage or the budget. Scale is the power of intention and the energy you invest. When a project is built on meaning rather than form, it continues to live even when you move on to the next stage.

How I entered the IT profession

To be honest — I didn’t have a “transition into IT.” I simply started working with what shapes the future today. For me, technology is not a goal, but a logic. A logic through which you can accelerate growth, build structure, and turn a chaos of ideas into a strategy.

While working on ecosystem development, launching incubators, and organizing investment events, I constantly faced one problem: there are many ideas and talents, but a lack of systemic approach. And technology became the answer. It allows you to see not individual people, but the connections between them. Not fragmented projects, but entire infrastructures.

I entered IT not through code, but through managing potential — human, economic, and intellectual. I am interested not in the process itself, but in the architecture of interaction: how knowledge, data, and intuition combine into a functioning model.

When this happens, something appears that I call the “magic of the system”: an idea stops being just a startup and becomes a living organism that develops on its own. Therefore, my path in technology is not a career, but an evolution of thinking. Technology is merely a tool. Real work begins where meaning appears.

About stereotypes

It’s almost a ritual: if you are a woman with an opinion, scale, and ambition, there will always be someone who decides to check “how serious you are.” Sometimes — gently, sometimes — awkwardly. Sometimes — just with a look that reads doubt: “Is she really doing this on her own?”

I stopped perceiving this as a problem. Stereotypes do not disappear after success — they simply evolve with you. You achieve one thing — a new label appears. You close a major deal — a new version of gossip is born. It is an endless game of catch-up.

But there is one principle: if people talk about you, it means you are moving. People discuss those who move faster than they can understand. I do not fight stereotypes — I nullify them with results. While others are discussing, I take the next step.

And, to be honest, a few stereotypes are actually useful. They work as markers of growth: the louder the whisper behind your back, the further you have advanced.

Barriers for women in IT

The biggest difficulty is not the technology stack, but the stack of beliefs. And not always others’ — often one’s own. We women too often wait to be “invited” or “noticed.” I simply stopped waiting. Everything else is a matter of management.

It can be difficult when there are more people thinking in templates around you, or when you are the only woman in the negotiation room. But if you are already sitting at the table — half the journey is done. I have always bet not on struggle, but on positioning: being clear, but slightly underestimated — so that the impact of results is stronger. The system does not require breaking; it needs to be managed — its speed, logic, and perception. Men often act through force, women — through rhythm and observation. We feel the space, read the dynamics, see the connections — and this is what makes female leadership truly strong.

When I started, I wanted to be “proper” — diplomatic, balanced, rational. Then I realized: there is no strength in that. Strength lies in clarity, intuition, and action, even when it is scary.

Now, while helping startups scale, I repeat one thing: stop waiting for an invitation. You are already in the game. Just start playing by your own rules.

Recommendations for those just starting their journey

First — never wait for someone to open a door for you. All doors are already open. Most people are just afraid to enter. You are not required to ask for permission for a loud voice, ambition, or speed.

Second — do not look for the perfect start. The perfect does not exist: neither in the market, nor in the team, nor in the moment. The perfect time is when you started. Mistakes are a form of navigation. They do not break the trajectory, but refine it.

Third — do not build your career on the fear of loss. Most people get stuck not because they cannot, but because they are afraid to let go of comfort. Comfort is the enemy of growth. Your life will not collapse if you change direction. It will collapse if you decide to stay where everything is already predictable.

Fourth — keep your focus and maintain irony. Without irony, you will burn out; without focus, you will dissolve. People, industries, trends — everything changes. But your internal axis must remain stable.

And finally — do not try to be the “smart girl.” There are millions of smart people. There are only a few brave ones. You have every right to be noticeable, contradictory, loud, and inconvenient — if there is meaning and results behind it. The world does not like those who are too quiet. It simply does not hear them.

Fidan Rustamli, City — Baku, Regional Gaming Ecosystem Expert, LinkedIn, Instagram

About herself

Currently, I work at DIGIAGE as a Regional Gaming Ecosystem Expert. My task is to develop regional partnerships in the gaming ecosystem, support new projects, and help entrepreneurs. Additionally, I actively engage in initiatives aimed at increasing the representation of women in the gaming and technology sectors.

I began my career in a startup as a Sales Manager, where I gained valuable experience and became familiar with the dynamics of the entrepreneurial environment. Later, I worked at organizations such as SUP VC, WePlay VC, and PlayCap Angel Investor Network, where I was involved in both investment activities and startup support.

In 2023, I was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list as an active entrepreneur and community leader in the gaming industry. Currently, I am developing the regional ecosystem — connecting studios and investors, launching educational initiatives, strengthening the representation of women, and creating conditions for team growth.

How I entered the IT profession

An interest in entrepreneurship naturally led me to the field of technology and games. After my first experience in a startup, I realized that gaming technology is not just about entertainment, but also about serious economic and cultural value.

Working with youth and communities, I observed the unifying power of games, their impact on education, creativity, and social connections. This awareness helped me more consciously direct my career toward the gaming industry. Today, I continue to develop this area with unwavering professional interest.

Barriers for women in IT

Throughout my career, I have often encountered the fact that there are significantly fewer women in the technology and gaming sectors. Sometimes, the fact that I am a woman was perceived as an “exception,” which led to additional doubts about my ideas and work. There was also a stereotype that women have limited interest in technology. For me, this became not an obstacle, but a stimulus to move forward.

I strive to pave my own path and inspire other women, emphasizing the values of diversity, inclusivity, and mutual support. Today, promoting these ideas is not just a career goal for me, but a personal responsibility.

Recommendations for those just starting their journey

I advise never to lose curiosity. The IT and gaming fields are changing rapidly, so it is important to be open to continuous learning and development. However, you should invest not only in technical knowledge but also in skills such as communication, community building, and teamwork.

Being part of professional communities and finding mentors is of immense value. From my own experience, I have realized that the right people can take you very far.

And most importantly — be brave when building your path. Often, the biggest opportunities appear precisely when you step out of your comfort zone.