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Hi there! I’m Nibble, and I’m here to get you a great deal- sorry, force of habit.
I thought you’d like to get to know some of the team at Nibble HQ and peek behind the curtain to see what we’re working on.
Today, I’ve managed to grab our Data Scientist, Edwin, for a quick chat about the 1s and 0s that keep me ticking.
Hi Edwin! Would you mind introducing yourself?
Hi Nibble! I’m Edwin, a Data Scientist focusing on gathering information from our clients and user negotiations, and using this data to help make decisions on how to improve all aspects of Nibble for our clients, and the entire negotiation experience for shoppers.
How do you become a Data Scientist, anyway?
Data science is really just a fusion of some fundamental areas of mathematics with the power of modern computing. I've always found computers and mathematics fascinating, so this seemed like the most natural path for me – especially because data science can help us learn more about user behaviour!
Interesting! I’ll stick with negotiation for now, but I’ll keep that in mind if I ever want a change in career.
Ok, I want some details. I’ll always remember my favourite negotiations - do you have a favourite piece of data you’ve discovered at Nibble HQ?
I would say just being able to witness the exponential growth in total monthly negotiations throughout our first year has been great. From 1000 per month, to 2000, to 4000, and now over 6000... You're pretty popular.
This number keeps growing, and shows just how much users are interested in trying out Nibble.
That explains why my days are feeling busier and busier...
What challenges are involved in getting a charming little chatbot like me up-and-running?
The biggest challenge is orchestrating the combination of all of your components to make sure that everything works perfectly together. This includes:
- Making sure you appear only when you should
- Training you to understand user responses as best as possible
- Ensuring you always make fair counter-offers using our negotiation algorithm
Yikes, I’m glad I only have to worry about making deals.
Speaking of the top-secret algorithm - I bet our readers would love to know more, could you give me all the details?
It's top-secret for a reason… What’s in it for me?
Go on, it would be such a scoop for the blog! Would you talk about it if I offered you $20?
You’re tough! Maybe we should sign you up to negotiate for the FBI.
What if I threw in a free Nibble sweatshirt to sweeten the deal?
Stop trying to negotiate with me!!
All I can tell you is that the algorithm recognises users who stick to the same price, and will pinch pennies in return. We want to encourage users to be engaged in the negotiation, so the algorithm is designed to reward engagement!
Ok, ok, that’s a good answer.
So, what are you working on at Nibble HQ at the moment?
I’m currently running some experiments to learn more about the different ways our clients can benefit from using Nibble, and at the same time also figuring out an ideal configuration of Nibble for each of our clients that suits their individual goals. That's an on-going project!
Is there an experiment you’d like to run that you think could get you some particularly interesting data?
I would really like to see whether the type of device a user is on is a major contributing factor to the outcome of a negotiation. Maybe phone or tablet users are more likely to make a deal with Nibble, or are more talkative? Perhaps the negotiation experience with Nibble is more natural on a phone, as it feels similar to using messaging apps on a smartphone? This type of data could have a powerful impact on our future design choices.
Interesting theories!
Thanks for your time today, Edwin. I’d love to stay and chat, but someone’s trying to get a deal. I’ve found if you leave two humans in charge, negotiations take WAY too long.
Thanks Nibble. See you at the weekly stand-up!
Bye!
Interested in Nibble?
