Ephraim Mutsika’s Post

1. Problem Scoping: Time-waster: Getting bogged down in defining the problem too narrowly or including unnecessary details. This can lead to wasted effort and solutions that miss the mark. Avoidance: Clearly define the objective and constraints of the problem. Discuss and refine the scope with stakeholders to ensure it captures the essential elements. 2. Data Collection and Cleaning: Time-waster: Spending excessive time gathering irrelevant data, struggling with messy or incomplete data, or neglecting data quality checks. Avoidance: Identify the minimum data needed to solve the problem effectively. Clean and validate data before analysis to ensure reliable results. Utilize data visualization tools to quickly identify inconsistencies. 3. Model Selection and Overfitting: Time-waster: Choosing overly complex models that are difficult to interpret or generalize. Overfitting occurs when a model memorizes the training data too well and doesn't perform well with unseen data. Avoidance: Start with simpler models and increase complexity only if necessary. Use cross-validation techniques to avoid overfitting and ensure the model generalizes well to new data. 4. Software Selection and Learning Curve: Time-waster: Choosing the wrong software for the task or spending excessive time learning new software features you won't use. Avoidance: Evaluate your needs and select software that is user-friendly and has the functionalities needed for the specific problem. Utilize tutorials and online resources to learn the essential features efficiently. 5. Communication and Collaboration: Time-waster: Ineffective communication with stakeholders can lead to misunderstandings, rework, and missed deadlines. Avoidance: Maintain clear communication with stakeholders, clearly explaining assumptions made and limitations of the model. Document your work effectively for future reference and collaboration. 6. Perfectionism and Chasing the Optimal Solution: Time-waster: Spending too much time seeking the absolute "perfect" solution, potentially overlooking a good enough solution that can be implemented quickly. Avoidance: Set realistic deadlines and identify "good enough" solutions that meet the project's objectives and constraints. Aim for practical solutions that can be realistically implemented.

Define your stakeholders early on. This includes researchers, users, managers, and anyone else impacted by the software. Establish multiple channels for feedback collection throughout the development process. This could involve surveys, interviews, workshops, focus groups, and user testing sessions.

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