preface

Neither Arseny’s (online marketing) nor Valerii’s (chemometrics) early careers had much to do with machine learning (ML). However, it was the mathematical tools of our trades like regression models and principal component analysis that sparked our obsession with extracting maximum value from data. Each of us started our journey in the early 2010s, with Valerii ultimately taking on corporate leadership roles in data science at companies such as Facebook, Alibaba, Blockchain.com, and BP, and Arseny honing his engineering skills within deep-tech startups at various stages of growth.

Before joining efforts in writing this book, the only shared piece of our careers was related to ML competitions, when we sharpened our skills on Kaggle. Valerii has reached Grandmaster status and was formerly ranked in the Top 30 globally. Arseny is a Kaggle Master with vast expertise in competitive ML, while both authors strive to share their knowledge and experience as public speakers on ML-related topics.

Our collaboration blends Arseny’s hands-on experience with building and optimizing ML systems with Valerii’s strategic vision and leadership in data-driven enterprises. From real-time video processing and retail optimization to financial transactions analysis, we have tried to distill our combined expertise into the essential principles for building functional ML systems.