Tech in Asia - My Journey in Data Science and Advice for others

Eugene Yan · 8 years ago

A data scientist discusses his career path from psychology and statistics through IBM and Lazada, debunking myths that machine learning comprises 80% of data science work when it actually accounts for only 20%, with the majority spent on data preparation and engineering. The author spent roughly 50% of time on data understanding and exploration, 30% on deployment and validation, and only 20% on machine learning itself. His experience demonstrates that technical skills alone are insufficient; success requires identifying root problems, designing end-to-end solutions, and communicating effectively with stakeholders.