Quora Answers, By Topic

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Update, 2019

Check out the Startup Founder Space that I started on Quora. As a startup founder, I’ve come across some great material over the years that has been immensely helpful. This Quora Space is focused on aggregating that material for the broader startup community.

Also, check out the Decentralized Apps Space that I started on Quora.

Contributions are welcome.

Why List My Quora Answers?

Over the past few years that I’ve been writing answers on Quora, I’ve noticed that I get a lot of requests to answer essentially the same question.

The reason for so many duplicate questions is unclear. Perhaps some people are too lazy to search. Or perhaps the search functionality isn’t optimal. Or both. Or something else…

Furthermore, I have also reduced my social media usage over the past few months, across all platforms. I haven’t stopped using Quora — I’m just reducing usage across all social media platforms. The reasons behind my reduced social media consumption are not the subject of this post, though…

Anyway, since I was selected as a Top Writer for 2018, it seems that someone likes my posts. I also have a smattering of upvotes and followers, and I have been asked specifically to answer a large number of questions.

So, I’m collecting most of my answers to date in a single blog post, which is categorized and organized for easier searching and reading. Within each topic, posts are listed in reverse-chronological order. Of course, there is some overlap, so it’s worth checking each relevant category if you have a question. Perhaps some of these posts will be helpful and/or useful to someone.

If you only read one, consider Can a data scientist fake it until they make it?.

Here we go.

Data Science And Machine Learning

Is it best to use Python with SQL? Why?

What do I do if my company filled a data scientist position with someone that has zero knowledge of data science?

As an established data scientist, where do you see yourself in 5–10 years?

As a 28-year-old MD training in neurology, is it too late to become a data scientist? I have already completed several MOOCs including Andrew Ng’s DL specialization.

What are the things one should look for in a job position or a company for the first data science job?

Do I need MS in applied statistics to be better data scientist knowing that I have bachelor of business?

Is Python essential to get an entry-level job as a data scientist/analyst if you are already proficient in R?

How do tech companies in SF Bay Area handle the interview process with out of state candidates?

As a data scientist using both Python and R in my work, should I also learn Julia or other language ?

Should data science development be managed by the CTO or engineering VP or someone independent of the two?

Is it important for any data scientist to have a certificate in statistics?

Is doing a PGP in data science full-time from Aegis worth it? Is the certificate recognised? Will it help me get a job in DS?

What degree is a better option to become a data scientist between Computer Science and Econometrics?

Should I relocate to San Francisco, as a data scientist?

How is the job market and demand for data scientists in Toronto, Ontario?

How can I get experience in data science if no one would hire me?

Should I take a career in Data Science just because there is immense scope in this field? What are the things to consider before choosing a field as my career option and what things shouldn’t be considered?

Is there anyone who left his/her job to pursue a passion in data science and got a job in data science after acquiring the skills?

Would you advise getting an MS in Analytics or Data Science for a career in Machine Learning?

How does one become a data scientist without a degree?

What would be the best learning experience, startups or a big organization, for an entry level data scientist?

Is it possible to do data science parallel to your 40 hours main job?

For a statistician/data scientist, is learning emacs or VI worth the time investment, or is it sufficient to stick with specific IDEs like RStudio and PyCharm?

What jobs can a data science major get straight out of undergrad?

Is Python the only way to go if you are interested in data science and computer vision?

Would it be beneficial to learn Java, Docker, and Kafka as a data scientist?

Would it be a good idea to join a data science boot camp after receiving an MS in data science?

How should I go about my data science capstone project?

In which order should one learn data analytics tools viz. R, Python, Hadoop, Tableau, SQL?

Is it possible to get a job as a data scientist without having a degree?

Is a master’s degree in data science worth it for a telecommunication engineer?

Is wide knowledge in Python and its dependencies could make me a good data scientist?

Can a data scientist fake it until they make it?

Should I minor in computer science with a bachelor’s in statistics, or just teach myself Python and SQL in order to become a data scientist?

Why don’t data science jobs list Python as a required statistical tool?

How do I become a data scientist, if I’m good with biostatistics?

How can I become a Data Scientist or Machine Learning Engineer (without a PhD) from a normal software engineer role?

What can I do to increase my value as a data scientist after a master’s in data science?

Why does every statistician want to become a data scientist or a statistical programmer now?

Is data science a boring science?

Will investment in Data Science projects keep rising, or is there is a scale of diminishing returns to consider once DS processes are automated?

How should I start learning data science if I am Java developer?

Can I get a job with a poor Master’s GPA in the Data Science field?

Which is better for Data Science, a double major in CS and Physics or CS and Math?

Can I become a data scientist with just a bachelor’s degree in data science?

What are some good IPython notebooks with machine learning examples?

What is more interesting job data scientist or big data engineer?

Which is a better career option in the field of analytics and data science?

What is like to be a Data Scientist at Origami Logic?

If you reject a data science experiment hypothesis does that mean there was a bug in the code? Otherwise if you accept all of your data science hypothesis does that mean your code is bug free?

What are some pieces of advice for a data science career?

I am new to data science and I wanted to explore more about working on a project. What are some cool data science projects to start with? How can we learn from them?

Triple exponential smoothing is used when there is seasonality in the data. When can I use a single/double exponential smoothing?

What are some tutorials on the web for data mining for beginners that can be really useful?

What are the books every machine learning aspirant should have?

Startups

Is there a book on how to build a unicorn startup?

In our startup, other co-founders don’t try as hard as me. What should I do?

Who are funding solo founders?

What makes certain startups more successful than others? Are there key attributes?

How should 3 founders determine equity percentages in an e-commerce business?

What’s your thoughts about schools failing entrepreneurs?

What was your experience making a tech startup?

How do you deal with different commitment levels of co-founders, and if you do have to fire a co-founder, what should you do?

How much do co-founders generally pay themselves at a startup? Does it change as the startup grows?

I have a start-up idea and I need someone to pay my salary so that I can work on it. How should I start?

How can I get help from an expert Android developer?

What’s it like to work as a software engineer at a startup/tech company vs a large company such as a bank?

What is origami logic?

Coding

Is it best to use Python with SQL? Why?

A team lead is demanding I use PyCharm, when I prefer sublime text. What should I do?

What are some great programming languages to start on the path to AI?

What is the story beyond the cover of “ML for the Working Programmer” book by Larry C. Paulson?

How do you become a Java developer at the age of 40?

What do fellow computer programmers and software engineers do to take care of themselves mentally?

Why are programming tutorials full of useless rhetoric?

What can I do with C and Assembly language?

Is Java for “idiots”?

Is CouchDB still being developed?

How do I write a log in name node in Hadoop from data node?

How do I learn project on GitHub?

Do you consider yourself a “good” and effective programmer, but one who isn’t a natural at programming?

Can you work on big data related projects having no data science skills?

Is data science just about extracting the features out of the data and letting modern tools do the job?

Science

Which is the better branch of science?

Why are scientists always collecting data?

PhD

Can you offer a PhD program to potential candidates if you manage a private lab, not affiliated with a university?

Is it okay that as an unmarried girl I will start my Ph.D at 29?

Are Harvard or Columbia University good choices for a Ph.D degree in Nutrition Sciences or Dietetics?

There are many universities which offer PhD degree with 2 years duration, how do you think of only 2 years for PhD?

How common is it for two students to do the same research project under one professor?

If European PhDs are shorter than American PhDs, does this affect the quality of the eventual PhD?

MBA

Do all the world’s top 10 MBA colleges require work experience?

Is it a prudent decision to enroll in an online MBA program in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign?

If a person has a gap of 4 years after graduation with no work experience, should he go for an MBA?

Where should I stay for an on campus interview for Kellogg MBA as an international applicant?

Education, Job, And Career

Shall I send my resume for getting a job before completing it?

What do you think is there any chance with practising land an offer from McKinsey or you need to have a good luck? Is it possible to train that and get an job offer?

What do I do if I’m not really passionate about any career? It’s been 3 years, I graduated engineering and I have no job, depressed to the core, I hate coding. I’m hating all jobs, hating myself.

I suck at implementation, but have great ideas and am good at planning. How can I get other people to execute?

Does the university you attend matter in getting a job?

Will the layoffs in software companies continue after 5 years?

How do I pass my fours years of engineering at a local college which I don’t like?

How do I survive the first 3 months as a new, first time manager?

A company created a position for me, but my role was unclear, their communication was slow, they weren’t clear about my salary, and they asked about religion & living situation in an interview. I changed my mind before starting. Did I burn a bridge?

Should I drop out of my college course?

As a transitioning veteran, how can I go from zero to employable as a programmer?

What is your opinion of obtaining a Master in Business Analytics. Currently I work for a BI firm, and have less than 1 yr of exp?

My professor told me: “What you major in is useless, you will hardly get a job with the degree.” at first class of my college life, what should I do?

I am 14 years old. What can I do now to prepare for Med school?

I’m a 15 year old living in Georgia. I’m currently in tenth grade. My school does not teach well, I’m worried about my future. What can I do?

Efficiency, Productivity, And Achievement

How many hours must one practice in a day?

What should I do if I have three weeks until my full-time job starts?

I need some advice, I’m 15 and have no skills. Should I stop gaming and start coding?

I’m super depressed and angry. I have a 1 and a half year old, no job, and live at my friends house. How do I become successful?

Top Writers

Who are the 2018 Top Writers on Quora?

What did the Top Writers of 2018 receive?

Who are the new (first-time) Quora Top Writers that Quora picked for 2018, and what should we know about them?

Quora Spaces

What are all of the Quora Spaces, by category?

Quora General

Why do people restate the question in their answers on Quora?

A lot of the regular posters on Quora is over 60. Is this an example of the limits of old age?

When asking a question on Quora, is it better to not state your opinion in the question?

If you had a penny for every upvote you received on Quora, how much would that be?

Fun And Random

Do you ever use real estate sites such as Zillow or Trulia for decorating ideas?

Why do some cats like sitting in people’s laps?

How can I disable Android “App has stopped” pop-up?

Would you ever co-sign for someone trustworthy?

Why is cup stacking split into male and female competitions?

Author

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