Building at the intersection of machine learning and software engineering
May 2, 2024
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Discover the challenges of bringing machine learning models into production and how new teams are bridging the gap between data science and software engineering. Learn about effective teamwork, rigorous testing, and collaboration between data scientists and product owners. Dive into the importance of trust, communication, and experimentation in building effective ML teams, and explore adapting ML techniques in the Gen R2 AI era. Enhance ML product development in modern digital organizations and focus on problem-solving and value delivery in machine learning products.
Effective Machine Learning Teams book addresses technical challenges like testing and deployment.
Building successful ML products requires effective team collaboration and value understanding.
Deep dives
Developing Effective Machine Learning Teams
Building successful machine learning products requires effective team collaboration and understanding the value being delivered. The book emphasizes that every individual in an organization, regardless of background or experience, plays a crucial role in delivering great ML products.
Reflection for Improvement
Reflecting on past experiences and being sensitive to signs of inefficiency are key for ML engineers and data scientists. Identifying areas of frustration, such as spending excessive time on manual testing, can highlight opportunities for improvement and innovation in workflows.
Focus on the Bigger Picture
Emphasizing the importance of problem-solving and value delivery, the focus in ML product development should center around the broader objectives and the principles and practices of software engineering. Aligning efforts with the core problems and values being addressed can lead to successful ML product outcomes.
Discovering Techniques for Success
The application of software engineering practices in ML projects, such as test-driven development and experiment tracking, proves beneficial for faster feedback and more efficient development. By leveraging engineering methods tailored to ML complexities, teams can prototype and pivot effectively, ensuring the quality and reliability of ML applications.
Bringing machine learning models into production is challenging. This is why, as demand for machine learning capabilities in products and services increases, new kinds of teams and new ways of working are emerging to bridge the gap between data science and software engineering. Effective Machine Learning Teams — written by Thoughtworkers David Tan, Ada Leung and Dave Colls — was created to help practitioners get to grips with these challenges and master everything needed to deliver exceptional machine learning-backed products.
In this episode of the Technology Podcast, the authors join Scott Shaw and Ken Mugrage to discuss their book. They explain how it addresses current issues in the field, taking in everything from the technical challenges of testing and deployment to the cultural work of building teams that span different disciplines and areas of expertise.