How to be a Happy Data Scientist ??

*Following pointers don't guarantee success but might take you closer to happiness.

1. Data Science is an Art

Since creativity can have non-linear outputs, each hour of DS work will not yield similar outputs. Thus, it's crucial to find & block time for critical thinking to find moments of magic, which could lead to substantial returns.

2. Don't fall for the publication bias

As incentives are tied to performance, there’s an inherent bias for getting positive results. But, experiments are done to learn, & not to find data that confirms our prior assumptions. Give a truthful voice to the data.

3. Know when to sunset an analysis

We all suffer from a “Did we also look at that” syndrome, thus all analyses have a deep dive & an endless loop thereafter. There's a problem of plenty with big data, & knowing when it’s enough increases DS throughput.

4. Don’t become a fire-extinguisher

If the house is on fire, fix the fire, if the house is always on fire, fix the house. Invest in building strong processes for yourself & the team to create a lasting impact. Don't spend >10% of your time on ad-hoc analysis.

5. Don’t get typecasted

“Don’t play the typical action hero all your life”. Cover a breadth of DS problems. It increases multi-disciplinary thinking, gives you more tools for solving problems, improves your learning rate & reduces boredom.

6. EOD isn’t when you fall asleep

Unless absolutely necessary (<2% of annual workdays), do not overwork. It has poor outcomes on a long-term timescale as the work quality suffers from diminishing marginal productivity.

7. BYOC: Build Your Own Career

Be open & forthright about your aspirations & goals. Leverage the experience & knowledge of your leaders, & get them to partner with you on your career journey. It isn't always implicit, hence it is critical to own this yourself.

8. Go positive, go first

Go out of your way to help peers & stakeholders to start a positive reinforcing feedback loop. This compounds quickly to lay strong bonds, increases trust, improves work relationships, & sets up a cohesive culture

9. Give back to the community

Sitting at home, writing code, & getting paid is a tremendous privilege. Millions of people would want to be in this position, be extremely respectful of that, & always find ways to give back to the community.

10. Read, Learn, Write, Teach, Repeat

Continuous learning drives innovation, writing develops a structured thought process, & teaching improves communication & brings further clarity. All these develop core soft skills & act as DS superpowers.