Automating the machine learning model selection process

The traditional machine learning model selection process is largely iterative with data scientists searching for the best model and the best hyperparameters to fit a given data-set. Going with the philosophy I've learnt from the fast.ai This blog is an introduction to the process and a more comprehensive example can be found here. The intended audience are data analysts learning data science with a few weeks of python experience with a basic understanding of numpy and pandas. For new learners, this can serve to learn the process using a top down approach to learning.