On Dec ninth and 10th, Wayfair and Google Cloud got here collectively for the inaugural Wayfair-Google Cloud Machine Studying Hackathon. Wayfair firmly believes that hackathons are an effective way to gasoline a tradition of collaboration and experimentation. To gasoline Wayfair’s unbelievable tempo of innovation at scale, it’s group of greater than three,000 technologists is consistently experimenting and taking sensible dangers. It’s test-and-learn tradition empowers everybody to assume critically and creatively, and take huge swings to boost the bar on its world-class expertise.
The Wayfair-Google Cloud Machine Studying Hackathon was all about getting Wayfairians enthusiastic about and enabled on new expertise. Extra particularly, this occasion was a contained check setting for Wayfair innovators to validate AI and ML instruments with a purpose to perceive the best way to get higher perception from their information. The tasks labored on throughout this hackathon will assist Wayfair construct new use instances that might affect the enterprise and the tip buyer in new and productive methods. Google Cloud’s focus for this Hackathon was to allow Wayfairains to harness the ability of Machine Studying and AI to allow their very own targets round continuous enchancment and relentless buyer focus.
Previous to the occasion, Wayfair Knowledge Scientists and Machine Studying Engineers who signed up and submitted concepts for the Hackathon had been invited to non-compulsory Google Cloud enablement and coaching classes. Google Cloud arrange lecture rooms in Qwiklabs on matters together with, however not restricted to, BigQuery, Vertex AI, and Pure Language AI, so that every one Hackathon members may check out new applied sciences and instruments in a studying setting. Google Cloud material specialists had been out there to area any questions Wayfairians had concerning the use instances they had been hacking on.
The Hackathon was a hybrid digital & bodily occasion that hosted 67+ innovators, 49 of which registered for Google Cloud supported concepts. 15 judges from each Google Cloud and Wayfair oversaw the occasion. The esteemed record of judges included Steven Conine, Wayfair’s Co-Founder and Co-Chairman who has helped pave the best way for the event of sensible functions of next-generation applied sciences like augmented actuality. The judges measured and evaluated the success of a challenge primarily based on the next standards:
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“Wow Issue”: How modern is the challenge?
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Affect: How impactful is the challenge to Wayfair?
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Polish: How full is the challenge?
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Presentation High quality: How clear and constant is the demo?
The theme of the Hackathon was Machine Studying and AI. Groups had been capable of collaborate with members globally, both in-person or just about, and work collectively on tasks in 5 classes: Relentless Buyer Focus, At all times Bettering, Google’s Selection, Individuals’s Selection, and Hackers’ selection.
On the finish of the 2 days there have been winners in all 5 classes. The Google’s Selection award went to “Entity Extraction for Order Matching”. Crew “Mission Clippy” was named each Hackers’ Selection and the winners of the Relentless Buyer Focus class. See beneath for the outcomes of the 5 classes:
Wayfair leaders mirrored on the 2 days and shared their enter. Matt Ferrari, Head of Advert Tech, Buyer Intelligence, and Machine Studying; Engineering and Product at Wayfair mentioned, “Wayfair has quite a lot of distributors, however only a few strategic companions, and Google is that. Our Companion.” “Thanks all for the participation! I am grateful to Google, and the numerous others for serving to lead a profitable occasion.”
Wayfair companions with Google Cloud to optimize efficiency and resiliency, help scaling data-driven choices, and Enhance worker productiveness. “Our class is ripe for innovation, and our partnership with Google Cloud helps us be sure that nice concepts can come from anyplace by empowering our technologists with cutting-edge merchandise and options,” mentioned Ferrari. “We’re proud to accomplice on efforts like hackathons that align with our group’s eagerness to work on advanced, rewarding issues that push the envelope and problem us to at all times assume huge.”
At first Google Cloud gained Wayfair over with the pace, reliability and efficiency of their expertise. Hackathons like this one exemplify that what’s equally as essential is Google Cloud’s willingness to work side-by-side with Wayfair at each stage to allow a tradition of innovation. Be taught extra concerning the Wayfair-Google Cloud partnership right here.
