DEV Community: Dan

3 Crucial Components for a Killer Neural Network Model

Dan — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 21:13:33 +0000

What’s the buzz behind artificial intelligence? Tech and non-tech companies alike have invested substantial resources into incorporating AI into their product offerings and business operations. Companies have sought to use customer service bots, interactive voice response (IVR), and email automation to optimize how they run their operations. The idea of automation alone has enormous allure for any company who wants to get ahead of the competition and optimize their use of resources.
My company, Centerfield Media, is no different. As an end-to-end customer acquisition company, we always want to ensure our sales agents are placed in a position to drive revenue and conversion rate. We need systems that will give our agents the tools to increase sales as well as hold them. My manager, the lead data scientist, and I were given the task of helping create systems of success.

After much research, our team decided to build a neural network. For those curious, a neural network is a type of AI that attempts to mimic how our neurons make decisions. Our neural network would utilize speech data to generate informed agent performance scores.
As we sought to build our neural network, we experienced a lot of success and faced several hurdles. I’m going to share with you the three crucial components that contributed to our neural network model’s success. You’re going to walk away with the keys to building a killer neural network model and how you can get started with one yourself. Ready? Let’s get started.

Identify Your Business Goal

There’s a saying in tech: “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”. Techies and engineers alike use this philosophy when considering new technologies for their respective companies. New software, tools, and technologies are great if they bring legitimate value to your business. But if you’re using these things because it’s a cool thing to do, you’re wasting valuable resources. Neural networks fit this analogy perfectly. Many companies want to build neural networks because they know it will optimize their operations or increase their revenue. But many other companies want to build neural networks without understanding what exactly it will do for their organization.

Our data science team had a simple and concise goal: create a solution that automated agent scoring with accuracy and precision. Our needs were highly nuanced and specific, so we knew a generic solution wasn’t going to help us-we needed a custom and streamlined way to score our agents’ performance.

I recommend you figure out what your business goal and how a neural network model will help you. Feel free to explore and create proof of concepts. Enjoy the process of learning. But you should arrive at a point where you know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish and what you expect the neural network to produce.

Get a Hold of a Large Sample Size of Data

When building a neural network, data will be your best friend. Let’s take a few steps back and consider how a neural network functions. Remember when I mentioned that a neural network attempts to mimic how our neurons make decisions? Our brains try to tap into as many past experiences as possible to be able to make an informed decision. Take stopping at a stop sign for instance. As you consider whether you should stop, your brain runs through all the times you got away with running a stop sign and all the times you didn’t. Neural networks work in a very similar manner except you’re the one feeding it data. A neural network requires you to feed it data or “train” it for it to make as much of an informed decision as possible.

For our neural network model, we needed to feed it as much clean data as possible. We fed it hundreds of speech transcripts that resulted in millions of data inputs. Word count, agitation, call duration, you name it. These data inputs would train our neural network to operate within a clear and defined pattern. In the end, our model graded a test group of agents on their compliance. The model’s grades matched over 90% of the grades that our quality assurance team manually performed.

The more data you can feed your model, the more accurate and holistic it will be with its results. I strongly recommend you find a clean data source with as much variability as possible. Over time, your model will learn to anticipate and recognize patterns. The result? A more informed and accurate model that will only increase efficiency for your company.

Set Aside Ample Training Time

Remember when I said data will be your best friend? Time will be your second best friend. A neural network’s value only increases over time. Why? Time means greater variability in your data. If you feed your neural network a million data inputs from last month, you’re only getting a month’s view of variability. But if you fed your model a year’s worth of data inputs, you have access to a greater breadth of data. A great neural network will have the ability to make second and third order level decisions. The only way a model can perform those types of decisions is if it has the right data. If you want the right data, you need more time.
We learned this lesson the hard way. The Application Programming Interface (API) in which we receive our data limits us to the last three months. In an ideal and perfect world, we would have years and years of data. But we adjusted and kept building. We found ways to access additional months of data and trained our neural network with that data.

Sometimes you’re in a crunch for time to produce results. But if you have a choice between taking more time to train your model or not, opt to take more time. Your neural network will only benefit from a greater breadth and variability of data.

In the End, It’s All About the Data

Neural networks, as well as the greater suite of AI technologies, are incredible to work with. We’ve only scratched the surface for what humans can leverage AI to do. Companies are continuing to find new and innovative ways to integrate AI. Chat bots, IVR, and email automation are becoming increasingly common.

Don’t know where to start with building a neural network? Identify your business goal. Once you’ve found a worthy business goal that will add massive value, locate where your data lives. Make sure the data is clean, usable, and accessible. Finally, determine your threshold for time. Are you on a deadline? Does your model’s operational excellence need to outweigh its accuracy? If all else equal, take more time.

You now have the three crucial components to building a killer neural network model-don’t let it go to waste. You can start building now and possibilities and applications are endless. You just have to find a reason to build.
P.S. If you like this type of content, subscribe to my newsletter here. I want to help people go from taking a coding course to landing a job offer.

You’re Not a Fake Programmer, That’s Just Impostor Syndrome

Dan — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 14:44:36 +0000

I’ll never forget the time I spent a summer at Facebook. I had an opportunity most people can only dream of. I stepped into a robust engineering culture and a community of mission-driven people. The perks were everything you’ve heard of and more. I ate at gourmet cafeterias, rode free commuter buses with Wi-Fi, and had all the free tech gear I wanted.
That said, I remember my first week being the toughest week of the summer. The people who ran the intern program decided to gather several of the summer interns and set up a happy hour for us. During the happy hour, all the interns were asked to mention which school we attended, which team we were working on, and what we wanted to accomplish by the end of the summer.
The first intern:
“Stanford University. I’ll be working on the Android team for Facebook marketplace. I want to completely revamp how sellers display their items and help them sell faster.”
Then the second:
“Brown University. I’ll be working on the Marketing Data Science team. I want to create new algorithms that will help us reach new demographics.”
Then there was me:
“Uh, I went to, I mean, I go to Baylor University. I’ll be working on the Data Center Infrastructure team, and I’m not sure what I want to do yet.”
There was a deafening silence.
“Harvard University. I’ll be working on …” The rest of the interns continued their introductions.

I felt so many emotions. I didn’t feel I belonged among such accomplished individuals. I didn’t deserve to be put in the same group. I felt intimidated by their robust skill sets and extraordinary visions to change the world. When I looked at what I had to offer, I paled in comparison.

You may not have had an internship or job yet, but you’ve felt the same exact emotions I just described. Maybe you’ve written “Hello World” and thought “Who am I kidding? I’m not a programmer.” Maybe you’ve talked to a software engineer and felt intimidated by their robust knowledge of programming. Maybe someone asked you a programming question, and you felt like a phony because you couldn’t answer it.

These feelings of uncertainty, intimidation, and illegitimacy aren’t isolated occurrences — they are a part of a larger experience many have come to know as “impostor syndrome.” Impostor syndrome is any feeling of professional inadequacy. You feel you don’t belong because everyone else has “it” figured out.
Impostor syndrome can plague programmers of all levels. The number of proficient programmers who still feel like they’re not good enough will surprise you. You’re not hurting yourself if you experience the feelings that come with impostor syndrome. But you are in trouble if you give into those feelings.
The rest of this article covers two things: how to recognize if you’re giving in to impostor syndrome and how to overcome it. I’ll share personal stories of how I experienced feelings of uncertainty, intimidation, and illegitimacy throughout my programming journey.

I’ll also share the ways I overcame those feelings. By the end, you’ll walk away with proven strategies and approaches to help you push through impostor syndrome and make unbelievable progress in your own programming journey. Sound good? Let’s get started.

Are You Giving In to Impostor Syndrome?

Almost anyone can recognize when they’re scared or uncertain, but recognizing when you’ve given in to that fear and uncertainty can be difficult. The crazy thing? Two programmers can both experience the feelings that come along with impostor syndrome, but produce vastly different results.
Several years ago I attended a two-hour coding workshop. The instructor was going to take us through nuanced programming principles like recursion and classes. As I made my way to the entrance, I could feel my stomach tighten up. I thought of all the coding concepts I didn’t know and how I struggled to even write a simple function. I walked in and sat down at a table by myself.
I was scared to talk to anybody because I was convinced every person knew more than I did. My worst fear would soon be confirmed. The person facilitating the meetup asked everyone who was comfortable with a programming language to raise their hands. Everyone’s hand went up — except mine. Talk about intimidating.
The instructor encouraged people to ask questions as he went along. He wanted the workshop to be interactive. You know what I did? I stayed silent the entire time. Within the first five minutes of the workshop I was lost, but I was too scared to ask questions because I wanted to look confident. Other people spoke up and worked through their problems while I wallowed in my uncertainty.

I left the workshop and felt a deep regret. I learned nothing. I wasted two hours of my time.
Looking back, I can recognize that I gave in to impostor’s syndrome. I know I gave in because I allowed my uncertainty and fear to hold me back from growing.
That’s what giving in to impostor syndrome for programmers looks like. You not only experience feelings of being a fraudulent programmer, but you allow those feelings to hold you back from developing your programming skills.
When you look back at your programming journey, in what ways have you given in to impostor syndrome? How have you allowed feelings of uncertainty or being a fraud prevent you from learning? Maybe you lost confidence in your learning direction because someone asked you a random coding question you couldn’t answer. Maybe you avoided a coding meetup because you felt judged by the established engineers at your last one.
Whenever you code or do anything related to programming, I encourage you to ask yourself, “How did I get better today?” I ask this question anytime I get done working on a project, attending a coding meetup, or trying to learn a new coding concept. If I can answer “yes,” I know I conquered impostor syndrome for that day. If the answer was “no,” I know I can do better to manage my impostor syndrome next time.
As you find ways to get better, you’ll overcome impostor syndrome, which takes us to our next question.

How Can You Overcome Impostor Syndrome?

When you look at established programmers, you may feel like a phony compared to them. When you’ve realized your coding skills aren’t where they should be, you may think of other programmers who are ahead of you.

Impostor syndrome tries to make programming all about the other person. If you want to overcome those feelings of intimidation, uncertainty, and illegitimacy, you need to focus on you. That’s where we’ll start.

Strategy #1: Focus On What You Produce

Before going into any endeavor where you’ll code or learn about coding, do your best to focus on your results. Impostor syndrome will tempt you to look at other people’s progress and what they’re accomplishing. Then you’ll feel bad because you’ll lose in comparison.

If you want to beat impostor syndrome, you should concentrate on your past results and the results you expect to produce. That way, you never lose because you’re comparing your results against what you’ve already done. If your results are better, you’ve improved.
If not, you can further refine your workflow and find a way to improve for next time.

Strategy #2: Put On Your Learner’s Hat

When I went to my first coding meetup, I felt nervous. I was scared I’d be the worst programmer in the room. Instead of letting other people’s competency throw me into analysis paralysis, I decided to put on a learner’s hat. I did this by being upfront about where I was at as a programmer. I told people I didn’t know what to work on, but that I was there to learn.

To my surprise, people responded with kindness and openness. They showed me what projects they were working on. I’d ask a question about their problem-solving approach, and they took time to explain what their code was doing.

When you position yourself as a learner, people tend to open up and make themselves available to you. In most cases, people are even more inclined to help you along your programming journey. The best part about positioning yourself as a learner? They won’t (and shouldn’t) judge you.

Strategy #3: Find People of Peace

Throughout the night the meetup’s facilitator went around to each person and asked what they were working on. I dreaded the moment he would come to me and I’d have to tell him I was working on nothing. With 30 minutes left to go, he approached me. He asked what I was working on, and I said, “I have no idea, but I’m learning from watching.” His face went blank, and then he smiled. He sat down next to me and encouraged me. He said to never stop learning and that I was doing exactly what I should be doing at my stage of programming. He was my person of peace.

People of peace are anybody who’s willing to show you the programming ropes. The facilitator was an unexpected person of peace but was much needed nonetheless. He provided pivotal encouragement and pointed me in the right direction. Be on the lookout for people of peace. They’ll make your programming journey a lot easier.

Strategy #4: Fixate on Growth
Like I mentioned earlier, growth is the best indicator that you didn’t give in to impostor syndrome. It’s also a great way to overcome impostor syndrome.

If you want to overcome those feelings of uncertainty and intimidation, you should focus on how you can get better — even if that progress seems minute or incremental. Keep a book on hand so you can always have something to keep your nose in. Run through mock interviews so that you can refine your interview skills, but also learn how to anticipate potential interview questions.
If you’re looking for a great programming book to help you grow, I recommend checking out Grokking Algorithms, which is an illustrated guide for teaching algorithms! If you’re looking to get into interview questions, try reading Cracking the Coding Interview.

Strategy #5: Ask Thoughtful Questions
This strategy should be #1 because it has never failed me. I love asking thoughtful questions. Questions are disarming, even for the snobbiest of programmers, if you ask them the right way. Asking thoughtful questions ties in with positioning yourself as a learner, but it takes the learner’s hat strategy a step further. When you ask a question, you’re also asking for advice. People love to give advice. I suggest you take advantage of that.
The one caveat is don’t be gimmicky or demand answers. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Maybe you’re talking to a more experienced programmer. Maybe you’re talking to a peer who you think has made more progress than you.

If you want to make sure your questions are thoughtful, I encourage you to allow your curiosity to form your questions.
If you’re talking to more experienced engineers, ask them questions about their most recent project. Try to understand what makes them great engineers and how you can follow suit. I’ve used this tactic before and, to my surprise, came out with a coding mentor.

If you’re talking to peers who’ve made great progress, ask them what encouraged their most recent progress. Celebrate them. Their response will surprise you. They’ll point you to the same resources that have helped them. They’ll want to help you experience the same success they achieved.

Strategy #6: Master Google Search
If you find yourself coding by yourself and doubting your skills, start Googling questions. When I did this I searched for phrases like “how to become a better coder,” “coding problems for beginners,” and “simple coding exercises.” Those Google searches not only led me to discover problems I could solve with ease but also to problems where I was in over my head. In the end, my programming skills improved because I had a better understanding of where I stood as a programmer.

The best part about Google search is that it’s always within reach. You don’t have to leave your workspace, and you have a wealth of resources at your disposal. Whether you’re with people or by yourself, you always have the ability to grow.

Strategy #7: Listen, Listen, Listen
Finally, when in doubt, listen. When I was at the Python meetup, I took time to listen. When I wasn’t asking questions, I paid attention to what the other coders were saying. I also watched how they approached problems. I was able to understand how great programmers communicated and that writing problems on a whiteboard was a helpful visual for solving problems.

Everybody Doubts, But You Can Learn From It
All in all, it’s OK to experience intimidation or a lack of belonging. It’s OK to experience impostor syndrome. Your programming journey is your own. It’s not about other people and how much better — or worse — their skill sets are but about finding ways to grow your own skills. If you find yourself becoming weary, check out a great article on emotional self-care for programmers here.

We discussed the surefire methods for how to recognize when you’ve given in to impostor syndrome. We also talked about seven effective strategies for overcoming feelings of intimidation and uncertainty. The journey is long, but worth it. I guarantee you will encounter impostor syndrome again at some point in the future. The biggest encouragement I have for you is that even expert coders still experience doubt, uncertainty, and illegitimacy. The goal is to learn how to manage it—that’s how you overcome it.

Keep learning and keeping coding. I’m rooting for you!

"This post originally appeared on SimpleProgrammer.com"

Coding Mentors: Here’s How to Find One

Dan — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 05:25:52 +0000

You Want a Mentor, But Where Do You Find One?
The coding journey’s been tough. You’re concerned with if you’re learning the right things.

You wish you had someone to help show you the way.

You wish you had a mentor.

But how do you find one?

My Peculiar Ways of Finding a Coding Mentor…
Several years ago, I started looking for a coding mentor. I thought of a few software engineers, but I didn’t know them very well and I wasn’t comfortable with asking them to help me, let alone mentor me.

So I had to get creative. Six months and some hustle later, five coding mentors offered their ongoing help.

You can find a coding mentor too. The rest of this article is going to take you through the exact methods I used to find my coding mentors. You’ll find proven strategies and tactics that will help you find at least one person who’s willing to come alongside you for your programming journey. Here’s what you can do to find your next coding mentor:

First Stop: LinkedIn

Double-Check Your 1st Connections
You may have not been able to think about anybody who could mentor you. LinkedIn is a great tool because it does all the work of tracking your network for you. If one of your connections recently became a software engineer, they’ll show up in a search for 1st connections. Here’s how you can see specific types of 1st connections:

When you get to the site, go to the search box in the upper left hand corner and search for terms like “software”, “software engineer”, or “developer”. Make sure you’re searching for these terms “in People” and limit your search to 1st connections.
Look through each of your connections’ profiles and try to understand what they do. Identify each of your connections’ roles, responsibilities, and the type of companies they work at.
Hone in on connections that can teach you what you want to learn. When I was looking for a mentor, I was most interested in consumer software companies. I focused on back end engineers who worked on consumer software products. If you don’t know what you want to learn. That’s okay. Look for connections with titles such as “software engineer” or “software developer” then check if they work in industries you’re interested in.
Once you’ve done steps 1-3, you can reach out. Here’s what I would typically send to people:
"Hi [name],
my name is [your name] and I just saw you guys raised a series A-huge congrats to you!

I noticed you’re working as a developer at [company] working on back-end client services. I’ve been learning to program myself and have found the back-end to be particularly interesting. Your work is exactly the type of work I’d love to do some day. I’d love to learn more. Would you be able to hop on a twenty minute call sometime in the next few weeks?

Thanks and can’t wait to hear back.

[your name]”
Your goal here isn’t to ask for them to mentor you right off the bat. Ironically, the best mentor relationships are the ones you don’t even have to ask for-it just happens. If they reach back out, setup a call. When you connect with them on a call, remember to take a learner’s posture. Ask open-ended, informed questions such as:

What drew you to (insert specialization here i.e. back-end client services, etc…)
What have been your favorite projects from the last year?
What advice would you give to someone who’s just started their programming journey?
As you ask these questions, pay attention to the other person’s tone and demeanor. Do they seem happy to help or do they seem annoyed? If all goes well, they’ll tell you to reach out anytime or, even better, initiate another call. If they don’t, don’t worry. They graciously gave you 20 minutes of their time and you gained valuable information.

Capitalize on Your 2nd Connections
If none of your 1st connections pan out or you find you don’t have any connections who are potential coding mentors, your 2nd connections can help you. 2nd connections are anybody you share a mutual friend with. If you feel you have a good relationship with that mutual friend, you can ask them to introduce you to a 2nd connection. Here’s how you can find 2nd connections:

Repeat step 1 for finding 1st connections. Except this time, limit your search to only 2nd connections.
Repeat steps 2 and three.
Once you’ve done steps 1-3, look at who your mutual connections are. You want to choose someone who you’ve kept in touch with. If that’s not an option, choose a connection you would say hi to if you saw them in passing. Here’s an outreach message I’ve used in the past:
“Hi [name],
hope you’ve been well! I’ve really enjoyed reading your posts on [their space i.e. content marketing, product management]. You and [their company] seem to be killing it in that space.

I wanted reach out and see if you’d be able to help me out with something. I’m learning how to program and love it. But I’ve realized I could really use a more experienced engineer’s help with learning. I noticed you’re connected with [potential coding mentor]. Would you be able to introduce us? I’d love to ask [him/her] a few questions and it would really help me along with my programming skills.

Anyway, let me know! Thanks [name]!

Best,
[your name]”
If all goes well your mutual connection will place you and your 2nd connection in a LinkedIn group message. Sometimes your mutual connection will even pass along your 2nd connection’s contact info. In both cases, feel free to use the first template I gave you for reaching out for a twenty minute phone call and go from there.

3rd+ Connections and Beyond
3rd+ Connections are valuable because you’re directly expanding your network. When you add a 3rd+ connection you’re not just expanding your network, you’re also creating new 2nd connections. Here’s how you can find 3rd+ connections:

Repeat step 1 for finding 1st connections. Except this time, limit your search to only 3rd connections.
Repeat steps 2 and three.
Once you’ve done steps 1-3, click the “Connect” button in the top right corner of their profile. Sometimes you may need to click on “More” and then select “Connect”. You’ll have the option to add a note. ALWAYS do this. Here’s what I typically say:
"Hi [their name]! [Company] is doing AMAZING things. I love that [authentic reason why you think the company is cool]. Would love to connect!"
As a warning, don’t add 3rd+ connections and then immediately ask them for something. Add them and then initiate a relationship with them. Take some time to like what they post or send them an article you think they would be interested in.

See how they respond. If they start liking your posts or reciprocate any of your behavior, then make your ask to hop on a twenty minute phone call.

Second Stop: Follow the Code and See Where it Takes You

Get Lost…In Your Code
When I first thought of potential coding mentors, I couldn’t think of anybody. I pocketed the idea of finding a mentor for the time being. Instead, I doubled down on my exploration of programming. I started to look for any and every excuse to open my computer and write code. I didn’t want to code by myself so I found myself going to coffee shops where software engineers hung out.

Did Someone Say Philz Coffee?
A couple months later, I found myself at Philz Coffee. I decided to work on a side project I’d been stuck on. I was trying to build a full stack web application with register and login features. I ordered a coffee and looked around for an empty table to work at. I started to walk around when I heard someone say my name. Turns out, it was a family friend! We chatted, caught up for a bit, and then he asked me what I was working on. I told him I was working on a coding project, but that I’d been stuck for quite some time. He mentioned that he was a software engineer and would be happy to help. I was a little surprised by his offer, but touched and excited that someone would be willing to help me.

Let’s Talk Some Code
Later that week I emailed him and asked if he was available for coffee and to talk about code. We met up and he made an amazing effort to understand where I was at as a programmer. He encouraged me and made himself available for questions. He pointed me to books about startups and programming fundamentals. When I left to go back to Texas for school, he made time to connect over the phone and check up on me. Over the course of a year this coding mentor helped me sharpen and refine my programming skills. He’s the one who told me about Angel.co where I landed several interviews and a job offer. He gave me certainty I was heading in the right direction.

Surprise Yourself, You’ll Be Glad You Did
My recommendation to you is to code and code often-see where it takes you. Put on the hat of exploration and follow every inclination. Talk about code everywhere you go. Tell people who show interest or are willing to listen about your latest coding projects. Try being the ultimate geek and walk around with computer. The kind of people you start running into may surprise you. This is all about getting closer to people who can help you. You’ll get to a point where you’re running into experienced programmers who are willing to mentor you. That’s when you’ll be able to make your ask and find a coding mentor.

BONUS: How to Find a Mentor During COVID-19

Confession: I’ve never found a coding mentor during COVID-19. That said, I wanted to challenge myself to think, “if I was looking for a coding mentor right now, what would I do?”. Here’s what I recommend:

Revisit LinkedIn
Go back to the search box and search for terms like “covid”, “covid help”, or “hiring”.
When you get to the results, select the “Content” option in the upper left-hand corner.
Scroll through the results and look for people who are offering network help during COVID-19.
Look through that person’s connections. Do they know somebody who could help you? If so, reach out to the person offering help and ask for an introduction using the template I shared with you earlier.
The best case scenario is that they offer to make an introduction. The worse thing that can happen is that person says no.

Text Ya Friends
Text friends who you think might know someone who could mentor you. You may not know an experienced coder, but you may know someone who does. Don’t be spammy. Instead, lead with passion. Mention your current projects, but that you’re struggling. Ask them if they know anybody who could help. Your friends will see that and do their best to think of people they can connect you to.

Attend Virtual Coding Meetups
Try meetup.com or codebuddies.org. I imagine virtual meetups aren’t as fun as in-person meetups, but they put you in front of other coders. The more time you can spend with coders, the longer you‘re able to build rapport. The more rapport you can build, you can make the ask them to help you.

Be Patient, Your Coding Mentor is Out There
Coding mentors are some of the most valuable people out there. They’ll help you look through your code, suggest helpful resources, and give you certainty you’re heading in the right direction. Finding a coding mentor may take some time though. It may take six months or even a year. But as you allow your passion for code to shine, you’ll find the right coding mentor. They’ll be happy to help you out and you’ll be one more step closer to landing that tech job.

Happy searching! Good luck.

P.S. If you like this type of content, subscribe to my newsletter here. I want to help people go from taking a coding course to landing a job offer.