Data science is a multidisciplinary blend of data inference, algorithm development, and technology in order to solve analytically complex problems. At the core is data. Data science is ultimately about using this data in creative ways to generate business value.
This aspect of data science is all about uncovering findings from data. Diving in at a granular level to mine and understand complex behaviors, trends, and inferences. It’s about surfacing hidden insight that can help enable companies to make smarter business decisions.
A “data product” is a technical asset that utilizes data as input, and processes that data to return algorithmically-generated results. The classic example of a data product is a recommendation engine, which ingests user data, and makes personalized recommendations based on that data.
Data scientists play a central role in developing data product. This involves building out algorithms, as well as testing, refinement, and technical deployment into production systems. In this sense, data scientists serve as technical developers, building assets that can be leveraged at wide scale.