Origin

I'm from Nukus, Karakalpakstan—a place most people have never heard of. It's home to the second-largest collection of Russian avant-garde art in the world, hidden in the middle of the desert.

Languages

I speak Karakalpak (native), Russian (fluent), Uzbek (fluent), English (fluent), and I'm learning Turkish. Each language unlocks a different way of thinking.

Basketball

I've played basketball for 5+ years. It taught me that raw talent means nothing without discipline—and that the best players make everyone around them better.

Sleep

I'm naturally a night owl but forcing myself to become a morning person. The quiet hours before sunrise are when my best thinking happens.

Memory

I can't remember faces well, but I never forget a conversation. Ideas stick with me longer than names.

Reading

I read multiple books at once—usually one fiction, one non-fiction, and something philosophical. Switching between them keeps my mind fresh.

Music

I code to lo-fi and classical. I think to ambient. I work out to everything else. Music is my context switch.

Food

Karakalpak cuisine is underrated. Beshbarmaq (boiled meat with noodles) is comfort food that tells a story of nomadic survival.

Writing

I write to understand what I think. If I can't explain something in writing, I don't really understand it.

Aral Sea

I grew up near one of the world's worst environmental disasters—the Aral Sea dried up in my grandparents' lifetime. It shaped my interest in environmental engineering.

Name

Imamatdin means 'pillar of faith' in Arabic. My parents chose it hoping I'd be someone people could rely on.

Fear

My biggest fear isn't failure—it's mediocrity. The thought of living a comfortable but unremarkable life terrifies me more than any risk.