Introducing Kaggle and Its Basic Functions
Kaggle is currently the main platform for competitive predictive modeling. Here, those who are passionate about machine learning, both experts and beginners, have a collaborative and competitive environment to learn, win recognition, share knowledge, and give back to the community. The company was launched in 2010, offering only machine learning competitions. Currently, it is a data platform that includes sections titled Competitions, Datasets, Code, Discussions, Learn, and, most recently, Models.
In 2011, Kaggle went through an investment round, valuing the company above $25 million. In 2017, it was acquired by Google (now Alphabet Inc.), becoming associated with Google Cloud. The most notable key persons from Kaggle are co-founders Anthony Goldbloom (long-time CEO until 2022) and Ben Hammer (CTO). Recently, D. Sculley, the legendary Google engineer, became Kaggle’s new CEO, after Anthony Goldbloom stepped down to become involved in the development of a new start-up.
In this first chapter, we’ll explore the main sections that the Kaggle platform offers its members. We will also learn how to create an account, how the platform is organized, and what its main sections are. In short, this chapter will cover the following topics:
- The Kaggle platform
- Kaggle Competitions
- Kaggle Datasets
- Kaggle Code
- Kaggle Discussions
- Kaggle Learn
- Kaggle Models
If you are familiar with the Kaggle platform, you probably know about these features already. You can choose to continue reading the following sections to refresh your knowledge about the platform or you can skip them and go directly to the next chapter.
