How did you get from Physics into ML?
Today’s Machine Learning is very much an empirical profession, which means that we learn simply by experimentation, using the scientific method. Much of what I’ve been doing as a Physicist was empirical as well, and that experience prepared me well for working in ML. However, besides the skills needed, the more important part is networking: I was lucky enough to meet my future manager from JP Morgan Chase at a networking event hosted by the University of Chicago while I was still a postdoc.

Why do you write?
A few reasons:

  • I write to learn. Writing forces you to really understand a concept. If you can’t write it down in a paragraph, that means that you haven’t understood it well enough yet.
  • I write to create an online portfolio that may open up future opportunities.
  • I write to build a second income stream. For example, Medium pays me a fraction of their subscription fees as royalties.

Do you have any tips for getting started with writing?
Yes! Check out my post here:
6 Simple Lessons That Will Help You Start Your Writing Side Gig

What’s the architecture of this site?
It’s using Jekyll, Github Pages, and a Google domain. You can find the source code on my github.

What’s the best way to get in touch?
Email me: samuel dot flender at googlemail dot com.

Why is your Email googlemail, not gmail?
I get that a lot. When gmail was introduced in Germany, that domain name was already taken. It took a few year for Google to make it available, and so they gave users the googlemail domain. Today I can use both googlemail and gmail, so I effectively have 2 Email addresses in one.

What are some questions that you’re being asked a frequently?
Check out this link.