Comprehensive Guide to Model Selection

To help navigate the abundant options for creating a machine learning model, we recommend a five step process that results in a useful data product. We recommend starting off with Human Centered Design-empowered approach. HCD focuses on the challenges faced by the end user and uses a framework to make decisions up-front that will guide the remainder of the model selection process. This helps keep the data scientist working toward resolving the business problem -- not getting mired in technical difficulties. With the learnings from the HCD phase in mind, the data scientist next conducts a survey of the landscape of models that could tackle the business challenge.