Eric Colson, Chief Algorithms Officer at Stitch Fix, describes the scale of Stitch Fix's data science department during a fireside chat with Matt Turck.
“We have a, one of the largest data science teams in Silicon Valley. You have 65 PhDs working on this.”
quote is from the automated transcript, cleaned for reading:
filler sounds and stutters are removed, nothing is rephrased. names can be misheard
(the analysis reads context, assessments check outside sources). how →
More from Eric Colson
AssertionNot checkable as stated
Netflix relies completely on implicit data rather than explicit user feedback
“At Netflix it was like pulling teeth to get the customer to tell you anything about themselves, right? They rely completely on implicit data.”
Eric ColsonMar 18, 2016▶ 18:40Combining Machine Learning With Expert Human Judgement // Eric Colson, Stitch Fix
AssertionNot checkable as stated
No single demographic segment makes up 1% of Stitch Fix's customer base
“We do not have a single segment that we can claim is, ah, representative of our customer. There's not even a one percent segment. Like our largest, we tried cutting them in every way. There's no rhyme or reason. It's everybody.”
Eric ColsonMar 18, 2016▶ 20:16Combining Machine Learning With Expert Human Judgement // Eric Colson, Stitch Fix
AssertionSupported
Stitch Fix has no browse pages, product pages, or search boxes
“Nowhere on the site or on the app are you gonna find a browse page or a product page or a search box.”
Eric ColsonMar 18, 2016▶ 5:01Combining Machine Learning With Expert Human Judgement // Eric Colson, Stitch Fix
AssertionNot checkable as stated
100% of Stitch Fix sales pass through its recommendation engine
“100% of what we sell goes through our recommendation engine.”
Eric ColsonMar 18, 2016▶ 6:53Combining Machine Learning With Expert Human Judgement // Eric Colson, Stitch Fix
AssertionSupported
Stitch Fix employs over 2,500 human stylists
“For humans, we have amassed an army of over 2500 human stylists, right?”
Eric ColsonMar 18, 2016▶ 7:54Combining Machine Learning With Expert Human Judgement // Eric Colson, Stitch Fix
Disclosure
Stitch Fix tests UI variations to isolate complementary human stylist inputs
“We can reveal it by subtly varying the information we show our humans in this custom UI we built, and we can figure out what pieces of information help them with decisions and which pieces don't, and that way we can ensure that they only make positive contribu…”
Eric ColsonMar 18, 2016▶ 12:48Combining Machine Learning With Expert Human Judgement // Eric Colson, Stitch Fix
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