Explore the fundamentals of building robust machine learning models in this 1 hour 25 minute conference talk. Delve into the importance of data quality, feature engineering, and model evaluation over reliance on specific tools or techniques. Learn why experienced machine learning engineers prioritize data-related issues, model evaluation, and parameter tuning. Discover the 80/20 rule in real-world machine learning and understand the critical role of due diligence during data acquisition. Gain insights into choosing appropriate evaluation metrics and navigating the model bias/variance trade-off. Focus on developing disciplined and rigorous approaches to machine learning, moving beyond the hype to create truly effective and reliable models.