Blog | 19 September, 2023

Diverse Origins, United Vision: AMC Bridge Uzbekistan

As a continuation of our AMC Bridge location introduction series, we would like to share our conversation with Abbos Zayniddinov, Managing Director of AMC Bridge Uzbekistan, in which he provides insights about Uzbekistan’s culture and traditions, the state of the IT market, and paints a portrait of a developer in Uzbekistan.

Abbos navigated and guided AMC Bridge’s entering the Uzbek IT Market and is now a Director of AMC Bridge in Uzbekistan. He had an early interest in the IT sphere, following in his father’s footsteps. During his career, he had a chance to work as a developer and project manager on various opportunities as well as in the financial sector.

In this article, we present the vision of a dedicated leader of the AMC Bridge team in Uzbekistan, Abbos, on the country’s market and the company’s goals and plans. From cultural nuances to strategic expansions, we explore how AMC Bridge plays a vital role in shaping Uzbekistan’s tech future while adapting and growing in a fresh, dynamic environment. Join us in discovering the challenges, solutions, and future prospects of this fruitful undertaking.

Uzbekistan’s IT transformation: from isolation to innovation

When discussing Uzbekistan’s IT market, it’s crucial to know that things were more static until 2016. The country faced several challenges due to the unstable Internet, blocking many social networks and limiting access to online information. However, in 2017, the country took a significant turn as the government recognized the importance of expanding the IT industry, realizing that technology is the future.

With governmental support for a more open approach, substantial initiatives were introduced, particularly in the tech sectors. Tax exemptions were granted, and especially the IT industry benefited from a mild tax climate. Over nearly eight years of development, we’ve made significant progress, and we now have an IT park that oversees these matters. As a result, Uzbekistan has become a young but highly progressive and evolving tech hub in Central Asia. We’ve demonstrated our ability to compete globally, offering ample opportunities.

Uzbekistan was minimally impacted during the recent global recession due to its emerging IT focus. The country is actively developing its industries, and a number of global companies already work in Uzbekistan, including AMC Bridge. Although our international presence in the Uzbek IT market is limited, we’re a noticeable player in software development, with a growing interest in finance and e-commerce technologies.

We’ve witnessed a substantial increase in universities offering IT-related programs, growing from just a handful to approximately 20 or 25 universities nationwide. It indicates a rising interest in IT professions and education.

Since 2017, our doors have gradually opened, allowing access to new opportunities and drawing international companies’ attention. Uzbekistan has proven to be an attractive destination with a pool of talented young professionals. The potential and opportunities are abundant, and seizing this moment is paramount. AMC Bridge has recognized and embraced this opportunity.

Expanding horizons: AMC Bridge’s undertaking in Uzbekistan 

In 2022, AMC Bridge entered the Uzbek market. Currently, we have a team of eight technical experts and three administrative staff members at our location. We’ve formed a core team with plans for further expansion. Our growth strategy hinges on the company’s performance. If more developers become billable, meaning actively engaged in projects, expanding our office and bringing more talented individuals on board in this direction would make perfect sense.

AMC Bridge easily entered the Uzbek market, supported by a positive government response during registration. We’ve faced no major issues to date. Our initial concerns about finding English-proficient and technically skilled personnel were quickly alleviated as we could identify and attract experienced software developers with a good command of the English language.

Before interviews, developers were aware of AMC Bridge’s stable reputation but doubted its long-term commitment to Uzbekistan due to past experiences with other companies. However, AMC Bridge has since proven its reliability and dedication to the local IT market. We have recently opened an office in Tashkent. Establishing a physical presence on location reflects our strategic decision to build a team in Uzbekistan, aiming at a long-term fruitful collaboration with the local IT community. Additionally, a functional office is an essential sign of the company’s commitment for developers in Uzbekistan.

Realizing that prompted us to establish an office with a favorable location and all the necessary infrastructure in place. The chosen location provides room for future expansion, ensuring that we can easily accommodate additional personnel as we grow. When I saw this location, I said, “This is exactly what we need. I want it.”

Navigating cultural nuances

Developers in Uzbekistan are predominantly young, proficient in English, and specialize mainly in JavaScript for web technologies. JavaScript and Java for mobile development are more common, while C++ is rare, and Python isn’t typically considered. Flexibility and willingness to learn new technologies are valued characteristics.

For many developers in our country, income stability and understanding the team and projects they work on are crucially important. At AMC Bridge, everything is well-structured, ensuring developers know their roles in a team and the projects they work on.

Approaching challenges and solutions

Developers in Uzbekistan often adopt a proactive and hands-on approach when facing project challenges. They might try to solve the issue themselves or communicate with a manager or client to find a solution together. But when it comes to personal challenges and difficulties in communication, especially with superiors, it is often hard to open up. For example, I sometimes face situations when an employee has an issue within a team, but it is hard for him or her to raise it. So, it takes months until a person is ready to do so.

I think in a situation like this, clear communication and guidelines for teamwork are crucial. Such guidelines and recommendations are well-defined and set and are part of the company’s core processes. It is essential to communicate all the aspects of collaboration during project onboarding and, even more importantly, to raise issues when they occur. Such situations could be resolved faster when employees get used to the open and respectful corporate culture that we have. At AMC Bridge, we declare that open communication is our core value, and any employee can raise any issue he or she worries about to a team leader, teammate, or HR Specialist. We’re all here to support employees and help you in resolving difficulties you might face at work.

Empowering decision-making

Generally, developers in Uzbekistan strive to be independent and innovative. However, it can lead to issues like overcomplicating simple tasks. For example, a developer might write lengthy code when a single line would suffice. As a result, the project is completed, but it consumes an unnecessarily large amount of time.

It is another example of when effective communication is essential. A project manager or team leader should be open to queries, and developers should not hesitate to seek clarification.

It’s worth noting that developers are much like artists—creative individuals who constantly innovate. They don’t just fit pre-existing solutions into new problems; they create entirely new solutions. When minor issues arise, they are typically quick to rectify them to prevent recurrence. As a manager, I fully concur with this workstyle, and I am delighted that it aligns with the AMC Bridge development approaches, making this proactive and creative culture entirely fitting.

Respecting time

When it comes to time management, our team appreciates the flexibility to work at their most productive hours. For example, a team member mentioned that sometimes he had a meeting at 5 a.m. And he said that it was a very comfortable schedule for him. He woke up for the morning prayer at 4:00–4:30 a.m., got ready, and started working. When his project manager and team leader suggested rescheduling this meeting to make it more agreeable with his time zone, he replied, "No, it's actually more comfortable for me this way."

As a global company, we have comprehensive scheduling policies, and we strictly follow the most optimal and productive approaches to the organization of modern development processes. At the time, we are ensuring that a necessary level of flexibility is available.

Building meaningful relationships

In the Uzbek culture, a community and tradition play a significant role. Large communal gatherings include major life events like births, weddings, and even funerals. Such traditions highlight the importance of a community not just in our personal lives but also in our professional settings.

Even though we mostly separate our work and personal lives, I encourage our team members to spend more time together outside of work. Such activities are a pivotal part of building a solid foundation for a highly productive and collaborative team. We organize get-togethers so that teammates can communicate and help each other.

The future of AMC Bridge in Uzbekistan: a clear path forward

Regarding the future direction of our team in Uzbekistan, we prioritize simplicity and clarity in our planning. After formulating intricate long-term strategies, we decided to split them into incremental steps and begin focusing on short-term objectives, such as team development. We’ve already conducted thorough research into the local talent market to ensure we can identify suitable candidates for our expansion. Our next potential move involves the development of our local team, further integration into the local IT community, and investing in the expansion of AMC Bridge’s presence in Uzbekistan. The outcome depends on the company’s overall performance and prevailing market conditions. It’s a clear path forward that aligns with our company’s global goals.

Return to blog page

Subscribe to our news

We will keep you updated with the latest news

scroll down to explore
to the top