Date your Data: A Short Data-Science Love Story

It's a Monday morning; you're in your cubicle with a cup of strong coffee. An email notification breaks the silence. You have a new message: "Hey handsome, this is Ms. BigData, a free spirit, live on this vibrant planet, would you marry me and would you like to have Modbies (Models) with me?" You may feel overwhelmed by the words, feel both flattered and at the same time uncertain. It's Monday, and you've not yet hit your stride.

Dude, take a deep breath; do not panic; no rash decisions; and in fact, make no decisions about this proposal. I know, Ms. BigData may sound full of life and spirit. But this could all be your imagination, an illusion. First, I would recommend that you spend some time with Ms. BigData. Maybe date Ms. BigData. Actually, spend as much time as you can with Ms. BigData, because your excitement may end up messing up your relationship and delivering premature Modbies!

Let’s start observing Ms. BigData’s nature and the attributes she possesses, and make sure all the attributes are normally distributed. Actually, make sure Ms. BigData is normal. Be cautious, you may find some extreme features. Hey, do not get excited, intoxicated, or demotivated observing those extreme features. It is possible my friend, Ms. BigData has been exposed to the entire world. It could be because of the exposure to the world or it may be Ms. BigData’s natural characteristics. You still have the opportunity to keep the relationship moving further. Be a gentleman, work with Ms. BigData and do some treatment to fix those extremes, if you find some. Talk with Ms. BigData, as extremes are not always bad. Now, after the treatment, you both should be happy. So you are sure that Ms. BigData is normal right! Take a deep breath.

After all these hassles, Ms. BigData may need your attention. Go for a walk and think about how you would like to spend the evening with Ms. BigData. I would suggest, use your artistic skills, those you have learned so far, and portray a nice visual of Ms. BigData on a big canvas. Put some nice and soothing colors and make sure Ms. BigData looks attractive. OMG!! Isn’t she gorgeous!? Good job buddy, you got good artistic skills. Must you be happy looking at her right?

Hold on dude, life may not be beautiful always, like at this moment. There will be different flavors of rumors around you by now. People around are wondering and are curious to know that where this relationship goes since you have been dating Ms. BigData for a long time. Don’t panic, OK! Historically, people have more interest in other’s life, you know that right!

Anyways, I don’t want to spoil your evening so you better focus and see if you find some interesting patterns in Ms. BigData’s nature. It may not be what you were expecting. So my friend, anything you have observed so far, write short romantic notes on Ms. BigData’s features, nature, and other behaviors. Some of your observations may match with your expectations, some may not, and some may be unknown to you. This is the time your quantitative skills will help you to unfold these mysteries. Don’t just rely on your guess and observations. You better test your hypothesis that you think have matched as you expected; you also test those hypotheses that didn’t match with your expectations; also, explore more if there are some information that has been hiding somewhere in the corner that could produce new hypotheses.

After spending this much of time, if things look clearer to you, would you go for a long-term relationship with Ms. BigData? Did you say ‘YES’? Be a confident man and speak out loud. Then go; tell Ms. BigData your decision on this relationship that you accept the proposal and would like to have Modbies with her.

What happened, OK, let me guess, Ms. BigData must have asked you what and how many Modbies you are expecting from this relationship. Don’t get surprised, I knew it will happen. Now here comes the role of experience. Before coming to a conclusion on this big question, please get some advice from some of your friends and/or colleagues, those who have experience in this kind of relationship. But my friend, make a decision that best suits your need. Also, think that Ms. BigData should be able to satisfy those needs. Do not take such decision that may put extra pressure on Ms. BigData. She might lose her innocence and natural characteristics.

All set, if so, get ready, feel excited, and go for a short vacation (maybe in your cubicle) with Ms. BigData. I know, you both have been waiting for this for a long time but dear friend don’t rush, the next level is an iterative process, it may take some time so do not get frustrated. Also, in this frustration, never hurt Ms. BigData. Good luck man!

I guess, after several iterations, the day has arrived, I can see your bright eyes, OMG, your model is right here, and it looks awesome! Congratulations! So, how do you feel, accomplished, confident, and self-motivated? So now you know what it takes to make a right decision! But this is not the end yet. This world is dynamic and evolving. You have to make sure that your Modbies should survive in the real world so this need to be tested and validated. You can validate them in an internal environment or in the real world situations.

Looks like your Modbies has passed all the sensitivity tests, there is no confusion right! Congratulation buddy!! You did a great job!! You played all your roles and responsibilities with sincerity and dedication. The time has come to introduce your Modbies to your friends, colleagues, and the world. As I mentioned before, the life is not always beautiful, and the world is evolving, please keep nurturing Ms. BigData and your Modbies so that they can play a vital role in the decision-making process to solve critical socioeconomic and environmental challenges of this planet.

Above all, never forget the pain you and Ms. BigData went through in this entire process producing your Modbies. Respect your hard work that you did and the support you received from Ms. Data, your friends, and colleagues. You must acknowledge them. Good luck!!