My Journey to Quora

Why did I choose to work at Quora? It was a combination of factors, but at the core, it was a desire for a fun, impactful, and intellectually stimulating experience. In this article, I will delve into my journey, explaining why I joined the ML team in 2018, the environment, the culture, and the changes that have since occurred.

Why I Joined ML Team at Quora

I joined the Machine Learning (ML) team at Quora in 2018 because I found it to be a great place with a perfect balance of rich data, user interactions, and a relatively small number of engineers. This enabled each engineer to have a significant impact and provided flexibility in career path development.

Rich Data and User Interactions

At Quora, there is a vast amount of rich data—text, images, user interactions—that is a goldmine for machine learning researchers. The small number of engineers means that each person can make a big difference. Moreover, this environment allows engineers to explore different career paths that align with their interests and skills.

Decision-Making Process

The decision-making process at Quora is mission-driven and data-driven. The folks here are genuinely committed to the mission of creating a thriving community for sharing and growing the world's knowledge. This environment avoids the pitfalls of political or personality-driven engineering organizations, fostering a more collaborative and efficient culture.

Product and People Culture

Product and Culture played a crucial role in my decision to join Quora:

Product Mission

The product mission resonated with me. Quora is creating a community where people can share and grow the world's knowledge. This vision aligns with my personal and professional goals, making it an ideal fit.

People and Culture

Quora operates with an incredibly efficient and lean model thanks to its collaborative and open culture. With around 100 engineers, it runs very smoothly. You work with some of the brightest and most humble people in the industry, and there is a flat organizational structure that encourages open dialogue and collaboration.

Growth and Impact

The ideal environment for an ML engineer is one with tons of traffic, a lean team, and a significant scope of work. At Quora, this is exactly the case. Most ML models and applications deployed are close to the state-of-the-art (SOTA), which makes this place a dream come true for anyone in the field.

Personal Growth and Debate Experience

One of the reasons I was drawn to Quora was the ability to engage in meaningful debates. I came across the site through a debate group on Facebook, which, unfortunately, is not an ideal platform for such discussions. Facebook's length limitations and poor moderation made it difficult to have coherent debates.

Quora, with its comment handling system and strict policies, provided a much better environment. The comments are easier to follow, and the community has a genuine desire to discuss, share knowledge, and learn. When I first arrived, I received a lot of BNBR (But Not Really) violations, which highlighted the actual enforcement of policies. This showed me that Quora was serious about maintaining its standards.

Changes and Challenges

Quora has undergone significant changes since I first joined. Moderation standards have slipped with the site's growth, relying more on algorithms than human intervention. The community has evolved, too. While I used to enjoy debating on a wide range of topics, now it feels less worthwhile because very few people read the sources I link or acknowledge the points I make. The community has become more prone to trolling, insults, and strawmen arguments.

Due to these changes, I have quit Quora a few times. However, the self-promotion aspect keeps me here. It seems that Quora has become best known for this activity.

Conclusion

My journey to Quora has been both rewarding and challenging. From a place of fun and intellectual stimulation to a space with strict policies and a more mature community, Quora has evolved in ways that keep it at the forefront of its industry. The changes, while daunting, also offer new opportunities for growth and impact.