Towards Data Science is an online publication that is hosted on the Medium platform. It is focused on data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, statistics, and other related technical topics. Towards Data Science is not technically part of Medium itself, but rather uses Medium’s content hosting services.
What is Towards Data Science?
Towards Data Science (TDS) is an independent publication that was created in 2017 by data scientists and machine learning practitioners as a community for sharing ideas, insights, and knowledge about data science. It is hosted on Medium, which allows it to leverage Medium’s content delivery network and large readership. However, TDS is editorially independent from Medium – it has its own editors and contributors who publish content specifically for the TDS audience.
Some key things to know about Towards Data Science:
- Focused on data science, machine learning, AI, statistics, programming, and related topics
- Started in 2017 and has grown to one of the largest tech publications on Medium
- Has its own editors, writers, and community of contributors
- Publishes technical tutorials, how-tos, explainers, latest news, opinions, and analyses
- All content is hosted on Medium but operationally independent
In summary, TDS has used Medium’s platform to build a dedicated data science publication, while retaining editorial independence and cultivating its own community.
What is Medium?
Medium is an online publishing platform developed by Twitter co-founder Evan Williams and launched in 2012. It allows anyone to publish and share stories, articles, posts, and other content seamlessly.
Here are some key things to know about Medium:
- Launched in 2012 as an open publishing platform
- Allows anyone to publish on it seamlessly
- Has web, mobile apps, and integrations with social media
- Uses algorithms to distribute and recommend content
- Makes money through memberships, subscriptions, and advertising
- Has over 30 million monthly readers as per latest data
- Hosted many major publications like Towards Data Science, OneZero, Elemental, Gen, Marker, ZORA, and more
In summary, Medium provides the technology platform and distribution network for publications like Towards Data Science to reach a large readership interested in specific topics.
Relationship Between Towards Data Science and Medium
Although Towards Data Science publishes on Medium, it is editorially independent and has its own governance. However, TDS derives several benefits from being hosted on Medium:
- Access to Medium’s content delivery infrastructure
- Reach Medium’s large existing audience interested in technology and data science
- Leverage Medium’s content distribution and recommendation algorithms
- Ability to easily publish and share posts
- Medium handles all the website hosting, infrastructure, and monetization
At the same time, Medium provides the platform for niche publications like Towards Data Science to cultivate engaged communities around specific topics like data science, machine learning, and AI.
So in summary:
- Towards Data Science is editorially independent of Medium
- But uses Medium’s platform to publish and reach a large audience
- It’s a mutually beneficial relationship between an independent publication and a publishing platform
Data On Towards Data Science
Here are some key data points about Towards Data Science:
| Launched | 2017 |
| Monthly page views | 5.5 million (estimated) |
| Number of posts | Over 35,000 |
| Number of contributors | Over 4,000 |
| Social media followers | 343K on Twitter, 62K on Facebook |
This data illustrates TDS’s rapid growth since launching in 2017 to become one of the largest publications on Medium and in data science overall.
Topics and Content
Some examples of popular topics covered:
- Machine learning tutorials
- AI application explainers
- Data analytics how-tos
- Data engineering
- Data visualization
- Programming for data science
- Career advice
- Latest news and research
The content spans technical tutorials, career advice, industry analyses, and opinions/perspectives on data science.
Contributors and Authors
Towards Data Science has contributors across industries including:
- Data scientists and analysts at tech companies
- Academic researchers and students
- Industry practitioners
- Journalists covering technology and data science
- Hobbyists and enthusiasts
This diversity of professional and enthusiast authors creates a rich collection of articles for the TDS audience.
Data On Medium
| Launched | 2012 |
| Unique monthly visitors | Over 30 million |
| Total posts | Over 1 billion |
| Top publications | Towards Data Science, OneZero, Elemental, Gen, Marker, ZORA |
| Mobile apps | iOS, Android |
| Revenue model | Memberships, subscriptions, advertising |
This snapshot illustrates Medium’s extensive reach through a robust platform that hosts diverse publications and communities.
Readership and Growth
Key facts about Medium’s readership:
- 85 million monthly unique readers as of January 2022
- 30-40% growth in readership in 2021
- 80% of reading time on Medium is on mobile devices
- Strong readership across many content topics like technology, business, productivity, politics, health, finance, and more
Medium has experienced rapid growth in readership, establishing itself as a mainstream publishing platform.
Business Model
Medium makes money through:
- Memberships where readers pay for premium content
- Partner programs with publishers who share revenue
- Advertising across Medium site and apps
The business model allows Medium to pay writers and sustain its platform and operations.
Relationship Between Publications and Medium
Medium enables the creation of independent publications like Towards Data Science in a symbiotic relationship where both benefit. The publications get:
- Hosting, infrastructure, and content delivery capabilities
- Monetization features and revenue share
- Built-in audience of millions of readers
- Content distribution algorithms
Medium gets:
- A diversity of content that attracts wider readership
- Revenue opportunities from niche publications and their communities
- Network effects of content creators attracting their audiences to Medium
This symbiotic relationship has allowed both Medium and publications like Towards Data Science to grow rapidly.
Conclusion
To summarize, Towards Data Science is an editorially independent data science publication that publishes on the Medium platform. This allows TDS to leverage the benefits of Medium’s infrastructure while building its own niche community of contributors and readers interested in data science topics.
The relationship is mutually beneficial, enabling the rapid growth of both Towards Data Science and Medium overall as a mainstream publishing platform. However, TDS retains full editorial control of its content while benefiting from Medium’s technology, distribution, and monetization capabilities.