Learn best practices for using PySpark in real-world applications through this conference talk from ODSC West 2015. Discover how to manage dependencies on a cluster, avoid common pitfalls of Python's duck typing, and understand Spark's computational model for effective distributed code execution. Explore techniques for package management with virtualenv, testing PySpark applications, and structuring code for optimal performance. Gain insights into handling complex dependencies, implementing proper logging, and navigating multiple Python environments. Follow along with a practical example of a statistical analysis on time series data to reinforce key concepts and improve your PySpark development skills.