The Science of Managing Data Scientists

Kate Matsudaira

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Tuesday, February 26, 13

What are they doing all day?

Tuesday, February 26, 13

http://data.whicdn.com/images/29273643/funny-science-news-experiments-memes-super-science_large.jpg

Data science is different

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Research doesn’t fit

image src:http://laurajul.dk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-shot-2011-10-06-at-00.03.57.png

the traditional SDLC

Tuesday, February 26, 13

image src: legoexpress.tumblr.com

Good help is hard to find

(and keep)

Tuesday, February 26, 13

What are they doing all day?

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image src: www.ideachampions.com

Bring transparency

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Logistics

Trust

Communication

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Tuesday, February 26, 13

Communication

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Do you speak the same language?

image src: abclang.livejournal.com

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What does it mean to be finished?

image source: ladywhodoesntlunch.blogspot.com

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Define “quality”

image source: http://www.sodahead.com/fun/

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What do precision and recall mean?

P

RGive them a lesson in semantics

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Before

Precision: 80%Recall 25%

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After

For the top search terms* accessories appear 25% of the time on the first page.

For top search terms the head products are present 90% of the time in the top 3 results, 98% of the time in the top5.

✴ Top search terms are the 1000 most popular queries on our website over the last 30 days.

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Measure with data that matters

image source: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6971185-0-large.jpg

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This is a really hard problem.

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We know it is hard...

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We know it is hard...but we don’t know

why it is hard.

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Use analogies & examples

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Use analogies & examples

The dandelion swayed in the gentle breeze like an oscillating electric fan set on medium.

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Constructing model lineages for products is really difficult.

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Macbook Air

Macbook

Macbook Pro

?Bravia

EX500 LCD

BraviaEX620 LED

BraviaEX523 LCD

?

Be specificTuesday, February 26, 13

Product Evolution

We are building a

lineage

Take it up a level

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image src: www.clarkgriswoldcollection.com

Show before

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image src: www.clarkgriswoldcollection.com

Show before

and after

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Tuesday, February 26, 13

Logistics

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How do you create a sense of urgency?

image source: http://favim.com/image/503182/

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What are the reasons behind it?

image source: http://dailyfailcenter.com/sites/default/files/fail/explain-this-shit.jpg

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Deadlines in research?

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They don’t call it

research for nothin’

image source: http://sausagetails.com/2012/07/

Tuesday, February 26, 13

You can’t predict the future

image source: maxseesmovies.blogspot.com

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Applying “agile” to R&D

image source:http://mousebreath.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/funny-farmers.jpg

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Applying “agile” to R&D

image source:http://mousebreath.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/funny-farmers.jpg

Backlog of experimentsTrips to Hawaii

That’s doesn’t sound agile....

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Applying “agile” to R&D

image source:http://mousebreath.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/funny-farmers.jpg

Backlog of experiments

Regular Demos

Trips to Hawaii

That’s doesn’t sound agile....

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Applying “agile” to R&D

image source:http://mousebreath.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/funny-farmers.jpg

Backlog of experiments

Regular Demos

Trips to Hawaii

That’s doesn’t sound agile....

Defined workflow with iterations

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Collect Data Do we have the

right data?

Do we have the infrastructure to

analyze the data?

Build it...

Run experimentsGet results

Are we finished or do

we need more.....?

Start Here

Yes

No

No

Yes

Research

Data

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Experiments can take a while...

image source: www.wallpapermay.com Tuesday, February 26, 13

Take tools out of the equation

image source: http://www.holesinyoursocks.com/2011/02/14/funny-monday-tool-love-happy-valentines-day/

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Focus on feeds and files

Image source: http://carcat.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/funny-pictures-cat-searches-for-a-file.jpg

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Format & storage standards/prices

/date=2012-07-01

price-obs.2012-07-01.csv.gz

/date=2012-07-02

/full

/date=2012-07-01

2012-07-01T00-10-00.csv.gz

/inc

2012-07-01T00-20-00.csv.gz

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Where is your golden set?

image source: ads/2011/09/4bc2dd714ecb9eebb3a66d074638.jpeg

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Tuesday, February 26, 13

Trust

Tuesday, February 26, 13

What are they doing all day?

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Building trust

image source: http://writealoud.com/funny-dinosaur-pictures/

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Their motivations

image src: http://www.fredhoogervorst.com/oni.app/local/upload/03897400db.jpg

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Their motivations

image src: http://www.fredhoogervorst.com/oni.app/local/upload/03897400db.jpg

Hard problems to solve

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Their motivations

image src: http://www.fredhoogervorst.com/oni.app/local/upload/03897400db.jpg

Hard problems to solve

My work in the wild serving customers

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Their motivations

image src: http://www.fredhoogervorst.com/oni.app/local/upload/03897400db.jpg

Hard problems to solve

Recognition for a job well done

My work in the wild serving customers

Being GOLD!

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Their motivations

image src: http://www.fredhoogervorst.com/oni.app/local/upload/03897400db.jpg

Hard problems to solve

Recognition for a job well done

Open the door to higher-ups

My work in the wild serving customers

Being GOLD!

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Minimize time-to-ship

image source: : http://2smallerwheels.blogspot.com/2011/09/speedy-delivery.html

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Let them own the data

image source: http://www.cloudproviderusa.com/weekly-dose-of-humor-mo-data-mo-problems/

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Let me write a program

image src: http://funnyfilez.funnypart.com/pictures/FunnyPart-com-geek_on_the_go.jpg

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Algorithms can’t solve everything

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Algorithms can’t solve everything

Even though we wish they could!

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Manual data can be awesome

image source: http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/4416618/LOOK+AT+DE+PUPPY/

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Can you do the impossible?

image source: anybody-want-a-peanut.blogspot.com

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Data Miners aren’t

magicians

image source: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zmT48r8jfbE/S1z4t5L7JxI/AAAAAAAAAJU/1vYZmc5lhBU/s400/steve-brooks-magician.jpg

Tuesday, February 26, 13

You CAN make failure look good

image source: http://fightthebees.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/cow-fail.jpg

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Your challenge:

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Your challenge:

Should you choose to accept it....

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Your challenge:Take a difficult problem and

transform it into a feature

Should you choose to accept it....

Tuesday, February 26, 13

1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 $300

256GB flash storage

Intel HD Graphics 4000

Apple premium

$250

8GB SDRAM

$200

$200

$100

$1050Estimated Value:

HARD: Value Estimation

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EASIER: Comparing Products

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Think with your business hat

image source: memegenerator.net

Tuesday, February 26, 13

How do you surface ideas & insights?

image source: http://static.someecards.com/someecards/usercards/1327680406361_4248272.png

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Show ‘em

image source: neslihandurmusoglu.edublogs.org

Tuesday, February 26, 13

And show ‘em

often

image source: http://www.social-science.co.uk/research/

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Negative results happen

image source: http://www.theofrak.com/2012/09/existential-star-wars.html

Tuesday, February 26, 13

The journey is the reward

image source: failblog.org

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Communication

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Logistics

Communication

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Logistics

Trust

Communication

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Questionshttp://katemats.com

@katemats

Tuesday, February 26, 13

Questionshttp://katemats.com

@katemats

May the forces of evil get lost on the way to

your doorstep.

Tuesday, February 26, 13