ccmonnett · HackerTrans

vor 3 Jahrendiscuss

I would not let the author's tongue-in-cheek title discourage you from reading what is a very widely respected, well-received book :). Unless the rest of the books on your list are exclusively about motorcycle repair, in which case... still consider giving it a read.

ccmonnett

vor 4 Jahrendiscuss

Especially if you have Python experience, then yes the opportunity definitely exists.

For example when I hire MLEs (which I am doing now if anyone wants to apply - supportlogic.io) I am willing to look at people who are solid Python/backend engineers and who have been "ML adjacent" or who we believe could learn the ropes of ML enough to contribute. The stronger an engineer, the more flexibility we have in ML knowledge. Some ML engineering is task-specific but a lot of it is automation, data engineering, and improving data scientist code (for which you do need ML experience

I've found it's a lot easier to teach an engineer enough DS/ML fundamentals to do ML Engineering than it is to teach a data scientist engineering skills. A lot easier...

ccmonnett

vor 5 Jahrendiscuss

Assuming you looked at or seriously considered the i3 - in what way(s) was it 'not good enough' for you to stick to your favorite brand?

I'm not a big BMW person but I always liked the i3. I never got that close to buying one so I'm open to the idea there's some big catch or drawback I just didn't look closely enough to see.

ccmonnett

vor 5 Jahrendiscuss

> My argument was based on the premise that votes from power users are more valuable as they better at judging the quality of the content.

As someone responsible for designing and incorporating end-user activity/feedback into ML, I have to tell you this is exceedingly unlikely.

The number of power users, especially on a large consumer app like Spotify, is dwarfed by the broad userbase (I estimate ~1% of Spotify users at most qualify as "power users").

Would I rather have power user-only feedback, or 100x the feedback? Definitely definitely 100x the feedback from all users.

ccmonnett

vor 5 Jahrendiscuss

Really enjoyed this post and explanation, thank you! I work in ML and used to live on Alma St in Palo Alto so it really hit home for me :).

I also acutely enjoy the notion that a pithy critique of people who refused to simplify the problem they were solving is in itself grossly oversimplified!

ccmonnett

vor 5 Jahrendiscuss

You can hire developers/engineers anywhere but it's hard(er) to find leadership and/or VC connections elsewhere.

I moved from the Bay to Raleigh, NC. If I wanted to start a B2B AI SaaS company here, I could (probably) find dozens of good engineers locally to help me do that. If I want to hire a VPE who's "been there done that" and scaled a B2B SaaS engineering org to 200+ engineers, or 1,000+ customers, or $30M+ revenue... my options are going to be significantly more limited here than SF/SV.

ccmonnett

vor 5 Jahrendiscuss

I am actively interviewing someone with 4 years and someone with 20 years of experience for the same role. Our needs are quite specific but it is not our first or last hire in that area; as long as someone can fill them we are willing to be flexible about to what extent this particular hire fills our overall need and will adjust accordingly down the line.

Given the stage of my company, our hiring plan, and the fact we hire remote across the US, we absolutely could have a role with a salary range of $80k or more.

ccmonnett

vor 5 Jahrendiscuss

Ahhh hello fellow Illini. I didn't mind the long bus rides too much, but I was ~20 and probably hungover most if not every time. Not something I'd rely on as a functioning adult, that's for sure :).

ccmonnett

vor 5 Jahrendiscuss

On the other hand, sales people are quickly dismissed if they don't meet their goals; it's a double-edged sword.

ccmonnett

vor 5 Jahrendiscuss

About Waymo: I used to think they were a leader in this space, partly based on their published safety statistics, but I am no longer so sure.

I had the great fortune of living in "Old Palo Alto" (think "mega rich tech CEO paradise") for a year while my wife was at Stanford. This is a grid of low-traffic, low-speed, sidewalked residential streets, ~10 minutes on all sides from the nearest highway, with typical mid-Peninsula weather (in other words, essentially perfect driving conditions).

I would would frequently see Waymo vehicles going all through the neighborhood at 6-9AM on Sunday mornings when I was out on long runs. They would often be essentially the only cars I saw on the road.

If there is a better way to pad your urban safety statistics, I do not know of one.

Old Palo Alto on Google Maps, for the curious/unfamiliar: https://goo.gl/maps/cAqifusdRL647YgWA

ccmonnett

vor 5 Jahrendiscuss

Your ability to eat as much food as you desire is synonymous with living in a first world country.

The ability murder as many animals as you want is not the desired state I look for when thinking about the world in which my child to grow up. A future in which that is synonymous with status is backwards - to me.

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