Team Spotlight - Featuring Danil (Data Scientist)

Danil Vityazev , thank you for joining us in our spotlight series! Let's start with a brief introduction. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role within Entrix ?

Hi, everyone, my name is Danil, and I’m a data scientist here at Entrix . I studied laser physics at Moscow State University and have a master’s degree in it. Later, I switched to computer science for a PhD but didn't finish it because I started working as a data scientist in the industry, and I didn’t have time for both. In my previous job, I worked on optimization algorithms for logistics, geospatial analytics, and predictive ML models.

That already sounds super interesting. Can you shed more light on the industries you worked in before joining Entrix?

I couldn’t even imagine how much mathematics is involved in opening a grocery store nowadays.

So, yep, as I said I worked as a DS in several different industries from FMCG storage and fast food chains to beauty saloons. And every time it was associated with finding an optimal action for a set of bounds and constraints set by the business case. So each project required a deep dive into industry-specific details because you have to know the rules very well to be able to find the truly optimal solution.

And today there’s a surprising level of complexity in every business process. I couldn’t even imagine how much mathematics is involved in opening a grocery store nowadays. And I’m not talking about the economic calculations, I mean finding an optimal set of products to sell in there based on a population profile and things like that. In the energy sector, it’s even more fun, keeping in mind the complexity of energy markets the potential for optimization is limitless!

That's amazing. Let's delve into your work at Entrix now. Can you describe the team you're a part of and how you all work together?

Some of the most interesting conversations I had were with this team.

This ability to quickly dive into the topic and give reasonable suggestions Is something all the people in the data science team share. Generally, we all have our topics and work on them, but we gather twice a week to discuss progress and brainstorm problems. It's always amazing to see how after a brief description of the problem one can get fresh thoughts from other team members.

I like that we have people from different areas of experience. Some people are outstanding at deep learning, and some are superb at operations research. Some have a finance background others have computer science or physics. This helps to get a 360° view of your problem at those meetings. Some of the most interesting conversations I had were with this team.

What are some common misconceptions about your role that you've encountered?

Most of the time simple and reliable solutions that “just work” produce the best results.

Hmm, I’d say that many people tend to believe that more complex approaches always produce better results. Everyone loves stories about solving problems with fancy methods no one ever heard of. That’s rarely the case. Most of the time simple and reliable solutions that “just work” produce the best results.

What skills do you find most valuable in your role, and are there any areas you're currently working to improve?

When you work in a team on a project it’s important to be ready to accept everyone’s contribution in your part of it

Here are some thoughts that I had recently. When you work in a team on a project it’s important to be ready to accept everyone’s contribution in your part of it. I mean, when you work on a problem, and you think you solved it, but then someone comes and suggests a solution, that seems to be better. Accepting someone’s suggestions may make you feel like the result is not fully yours anymore and your work is less valuable.

This is absolutely not true, and your teammates’s help doesn’t make your contribution less important. It’s not necessarily about being a data scientist but rather about working in a team in general. People working in creative areas like data science are just more vulnerable to this kind of behaviour.

Are there any books, podcasts, or other resources you've found particularly impactful or enjoyable?

I always try to drag my colleagues into solving “Fiddler on the Proof” riddles.

I always try to drag my colleagues into solving “Fiddler on the Proof” riddles by Zachary Wissner-Gross . They mail their subscribers a riddle a week and publish the solution the next week along with the next riddle. This is the perfect way to constantly stay in a mental tonus.

And also “A Podcast of Unnecessary Detail”, featuring Matt Parker, a mathematician with a flair for stand-up comedy, alongside Steve Mould (an "experiments maestro") and Helen Arney (a "geek songstress"). The concept is simple yet delightful: they take a single, seemingly mundane word or phrase as a jumping-off point. From there, each host dives deep into a different fascinating (and unnecessary) detail related to the theme.

Thanks for sharing - I just subscribed to the Riddle newsletter. But let's focus on the energy industry again: Can you share a surprising or little-known fact about our industry?

The frequency of alternating current is connected to the spinning frequency of the rotor in the powerplant.

Oh, I have one. Everyone knows that the frequency in the grid indicates overproduction or underproduction of electricity in the system. But why? That’s because in powerplants electricity is produced by spinning masses of some sort. It may be a rotor of the turbine of a gas powerplant, or hydroelectric plant. When the load increases the rotor becomes physically more difficult to spin and it starts spinning more slowly, and vice-versa. The frequency of alternating current is connected to the spinning frequency of the rotor in the powerplant. You may do this experiment with a dynamo from your bike. Just try spinning it by hand and short-circuit the power outputs. You’ll notice how much harder it becomes. This is the same effect but on a much smaller scale.

Any final thoughts or messages you'd like to share with our readers?

Hmm, stay curious, I guess. I believe it's one of the most important things for your self-development.

Thank you, Danil! It was super nice to get to know you in more detail. We are happy and proud to have you on the team!

If this article caught your attention and you are looking to join an Energy Tech company where you can have as much impact as Danil does check out our open positions!

P.S.: You can sign up to receive your "Fiddler on the Proof" riddles here 😉