MLE to SWE

Walmart
seratonin

Go to company page Walmart

seratonin
Nov 28, 2021 28 Comments

Thats right. I'm trying to find a way into traditional backend engineering. ML is full of charlatans who are trying to sell overengineered black boxes to each other and I want out.

My language of choice is Python but I don't think that's the lingua franca for actual backend engineers. I've been doing this for 7 years now. How do I get out of this hole I've dug myself into?

TC 200k

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TOP 28 Comments
  • Google
    gsyahs

    Go to company page Google

    gsyahs
    dude, stay in MLE if you want to do easy work, have good wlb, and also the coolness and demand.

    SWE is real work and you can't fool around like in MLE.
    Why do complex mentally demanding work for the same pay ?
    Nov 28, 2021 5
    • Do you need to know modeling and ML math to be an MLE?
      Nov 28, 2021
    • Walmart
      seratonin

      Go to company page Walmart

      seratonin
      OP
      The SWE work seems more legitimate and their projects' outcomes are more easily measurable. ML objectives are often easily movable goal posts with a lot more handwaving. Since black boxes by definition can't be understood completely, people who are better story tellers tend to dominate conversations. I was thinking this wouldn't be the case for regular swe roles.
      Nov 28, 2021
  • Apple
    mzie53

    Go to company page Apple

    mzie53
    I’m on a similar boat.

    I have started reading papers related to infrastructure and when I compare them to ML papers, the latter seem to be written to confuse the reader.
    Nov 28, 2021 4
    • Apple
      mzie53

      Go to company page Apple

      mzie53
      Watch InfoQ videos. From there start with blogs of Facebook Uber Dropbox google. Also watch CS 684 spring 2020 MIT videos. Thank me later. Also read DDIA
      Nov 28, 2021
    • New / Eng
      vizvax

      New Eng

      PRE
      IBM
      vizvax
      I cant find the CS684 at MIT, can you state the name please?
      Nov 28, 2021
  • New / Eng
    islanddboi

    New Eng

    islanddboi
    Same boat. Switching from ML to ML Infra/Backend Infra - much more exciting than training similar god damn models or improving data
    Nov 28, 2021 3
    • New / Eng
      islanddboi

      New Eng

      islanddboi
      I would say look up MlOps, etc. Another way to know what’s useful is go find ML Infra/Platform roles and see their description - technologies they use. Read about things like MichelAngelo, MlFlow, Ray, Airflow, etc
      Nov 28, 2021
    • Walmart
      seratonin

      Go to company page Walmart

      seratonin
      OP
      That sounds tenable. Thanks for your response.
      Nov 28, 2021
  • Cigna
    GVnT82

    Go to company page Cigna

    GVnT82
    Learn Java Spring
    Nov 28, 2021 2
  • Twitter
    mle-be-me

    Go to company page Twitter

    mle-be-me
    ML for sure overhypes and underdelivers but I see this more on the business side. I’ve been in several companies where eng are doing a great job (yes there are bad ones who are just here for hype and quick gain, but they are minority) to me it’s exciting because it is frontier… I build ML tools and there are whole big areas completely underserved today
    Nov 28, 2021 5