The art of assessing Machine Learning (ML) models: Demystifying evaluation metrics for real-world applications!

Ananya Sharma
2 min readMay 26, 2023

Lights, camera, metrics!

Evaluating ML models is like producing a blockbuster movie – there are two distinct acts, each with its own set of challenges and metrics.

So grab your popcorn, as we unravel the exciting differences between training and real-world evaluation.

Let’s roll!

Act 1: Training Phase – Mastering the Craft

Welcome to the training phase, where models learn their lines from the script (training data) and aim to deliver an Oscar-worthy performance. Think of accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score as the film critics, assessing how well the model rehearses with the labeled data. It’s all about fine-tuning the performance on the known material, like actors perfecting their scenes.

But wait, there’s a twist in the plot! Act 2 introduces unseen data, like an unscripted live audience, and that’s where the real action begins.

Act 2: Real-World Business Application – Box Office Success

Curtains Up! In this act, our ML models step onto the grand stage of real-world business settings. Here, we evaluate their performance using metrics that speak the language of success.

  1. Business Metrics : Just like a movie’s success is determined by its box office performance, our ML models need to deliver results that matter to the business – revenue, customer satisfaction, conversion rates. These metrics, known as business metrics, align with the organisation’s key performance indicators (KPIs) and measure the impact of the model on business outcomes.
  2. ROI Metrics : Every movie production needs to consider its Return on Investment (ROI). Similarly, we calculate the ROI metrics for ML models, assessing cost savings, resource utilisation, and time efficiency. We want to ensure our models are not only artistically brilliant but also financially beneficial.
  3. User experience Metrics : But the show’s success doesn’t end there! Just like a movie that captivates its audience, our ML models need to provide an exceptional user experience. User engagement, feedback, and ease of use play a significant role in determining the model’s impact and audience satisfaction.

By evaluating models using these business-related metrics, we bridge the gap between technical performance and real-world impact, creating a blockbuster success story. Like a movie that not only receives critical acclaim but also wins the hearts of the audience.

The Grand Finale: A Holistic Masterpiece

To create a cinematic masterpiece, we need both training and real-world metrics. It’s a harmonious blend that refines the model’s performance during training and ensures its effectiveness on the business stage.

Ready to create a blockbuster ML model? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 💬

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Ananya Sharma
Ananya Sharma

Written by Ananya Sharma

If you have wondered: “How can I break into data science? What skills do I need for it?”. Join me as I share tips to jumpstart your career as a data scientist!

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