Beyond the Data - Shreyas Mahimkar in pursuit of Innovation, passionate about learning

Shreyas Mahimkar's career is a testament to the power of adaptability, creativity, and relentless pursuit of self-improvement. With over five years of experience across industries such as healthcare, consumer electronics, and IT, Shreyas has continually challenged the boundaries of data science, crafting solutions that are both impactful and innovative. His work ranges from providing insights into television viewership at TiVo to cutting-edge data analysis at Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Yet, his journey is not just defined by technical expertise but also by an unyielding passion for learning and blending his personal interests with his profession.

When asked about his diverse experience across industries, Shreyas reflects, “Every industry has its own set of challenges and insights. In healthcare, even the smallest data point can have life-altering consequences. Precision is everything. At Novartis, I worked with a graph database that mapped billions of nodes to analyze genes, compounds, and diseases. The key was understanding the relationships between seemingly disparate data sets. In consumer electronics, the work at TiVo was about handling enormous volumes of real-time data. Speed and scale were paramount.”

The question of how Shreyas tackles high-stakes environments, such as healthcare or finance, brings another perspective: “In these fields, the priority is ensuring models are both robust and interpretable. It’s important to use models that stakeholders can understand, like linear regression or decision trees, rather than complex ‘black-box’ models. In healthcare, I always start by analyzing the data deeply, keeping in mind potential outliers or biases. From there, I test various algorithms, but with a focus on ensuring that the outcomes are not only accurate but actionable.”

As for his approach to choosing the right technology for a given problem, Shreyas says, “No single tool is perfect for every situation. For example, when I worked at TiVo, the volume of viewership data demanded distributed computing, so Spark and Scala were necessary. At Novartis, we used Hadoop and Python for large-scale data analysis. The choice of technology always comes down to understanding the problem’s requirements and the strengths of available tools.”

Shreyas also places a strong emphasis on creativity in his work: “Creativity is crucial in data science. It’s not just about modeling or coding; it’s about asking the right questions and approaching problems in unique ways. For instance, at TiVo, I used a hybrid clustering method, combining K-means with probabilistic models, to better segment TV viewers. It improved prediction accuracy and provided more meaningful insights.”

Looking back on a leadership experience, he shares, “In Novartis, I led a project that required coordination between multiple teams to develop a distributed PCA tool for analyzing massive datasets. It taught me that leadership is less about technical skills and more about clear communication, empathy, and aligning everyone towards a common goal.”

Beyond the tech world, Shreyas finds inspiration from his passion for table tennis, a sport that has taught him resilience and the importance of staying calm under pressure. He says, “Table tennis has taught me to stay focused and adapt quickly, whether it’s on the table or in data science. The ability to troubleshoot unexpected issues or stay calm during setbacks has been invaluable.”

In terms of advice for newcomers to the tech world, Shreyas advises, “Explore as much as you can in the early stages of your career. Experiment with different technologies and domains. It’s about finding what you enjoy and what aligns with your strengths. That’s where your niche lies.”

Reflecting on his journey, Shreyas concludes, “More than any technical accomplishment, I treasure the balance I’ve struck between work and personal achievements. Winning a bronze medal in table tennis at the US Nationals in 2019 is a reminder that discipline and passion can drive success in all areas of life.”

Shreyas Mahimkar’s story is an inspiring reminder that innovation, creativity, and passion can redefine the boundaries of a career, making a lasting impact both professionally and personally.