Editor's Synopsis
Santiago shares a fundamental principle of applied machine learning: "Do not start with machine learning." He draws an analogy to the saying about hammers and nails, observing that companies seeking his help have typically already decided they want to use machine learning before properly evaluating whether it's the right approach.
The post highlights a common pitfall in the industry where organizations jump to complex ML solutions without first considering simpler alternatives or verifying that machine learning is actually the best tool for their specific problem. This reflects a broader theme in data science consulting — the importance of problem framing and solution selection before committing to a particular technology.