With R, Python, Apache Spark and a plethora of other open source tools, anyone with a computer can run machine learning algorithms in a jiffy! However, without an understanding of which algorithms to choose and when to apply a particular technique, most machine learning efforts turn into trial and error experiments with conclusions like "The algorithms don't work" or "Perhaps we should get more data". In this lecture, we will focus on the key tenets of machine learning algorithms and how to choose an algorithm for a particular purpose. Rather than just showing how to run experiments in R ,Python or Apache Spark, we will provide an intuitive introduction to machine learning with just enough mathematics and basic statistics. We will address: • How do you differentiate Clustering, Classification and Prediction algorithms? • What are the key steps in running a machine learning algorithm? • How do you choose an algorithm for a specific goal? • Where does exploratory data analysis and feature engineering fit into the picture? • Once you run an algorithm, how do you evaluate the performance of an algorithm?