Sign in to view more content

Create your free account or sign in to continue your search

Welcome back

By clicking Continue to join or sign in, you agree to LinkedIn’s User Agreement, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy.

New to LinkedIn? Join now

or

New to LinkedIn? Join now

By clicking Continue to join or sign in, you agree to LinkedIn’s User Agreement, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy.

Skip to main content
LinkedIn
  • Articles
  • People
  • Learning
  • Jobs
  • Games
Join now Sign in
Last updated on Mar 30, 2025
  1. All
  2. Engineering
  3. Machine Learning

Your machine learning project didn't hit the business targets. How do you handle the fallout?

When your machine learning project falls short of business targets, it's crucial to address the situation thoughtfully and strategically. Here's how to move forward:

  • Analyze performance data: Identify what went wrong by examining key performance indicators \(KPIs\) and model accuracy.

  • Communicate transparently: Share findings and next steps with stakeholders to maintain trust and manage expectations.

  • Adjust and iterate: Use insights to refine your model and improve future project outcomes.

How do you handle setbacks in your machine learning projects? Share your strategies.

Machine Learning Machine Learning

Machine Learning

+ Follow
Last updated on Mar 30, 2025
  1. All
  2. Engineering
  3. Machine Learning

Your machine learning project didn't hit the business targets. How do you handle the fallout?

When your machine learning project falls short of business targets, it's crucial to address the situation thoughtfully and strategically. Here's how to move forward:

  • Analyze performance data: Identify what went wrong by examining key performance indicators \(KPIs\) and model accuracy.

  • Communicate transparently: Share findings and next steps with stakeholders to maintain trust and manage expectations.

  • Adjust and iterate: Use insights to refine your model and improve future project outcomes.

How do you handle setbacks in your machine learning projects? Share your strategies.

Add your perspective
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
22 answers
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Deepa Ajish

    VP - Systems Engineering | ServiceNow Engineering | Transformation & Automation Leader | Security & Compliance Strategist | Product Management | Agile & Scrum Advocate | Passionate About GenAI

    • Report contribution

    Consider whether external factors, like sudden changes in customer behavior or market trends, affected the results. Turning challenges into stepping stones for growth is key here.

    Like
    5
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Priya Krishnamurthy

    MS, MBA, PMP, CMPAI, CSM Unlocking Business Value through Data | AI Architect | CAIO Track

    • Report contribution

    When my machine learning project falls short of business targets (either ROI or poor user adoption, less accurate), I take ownership and act quickly to learn and adapt. First, I meet with stakeholders to clearly explain what worked, what didn’t, and why—using simple terms. I focus on transparency and maintain trust by showing how we’re addressing the gaps. Then I analyze the data, assumptions, and feedback loops to identify root causes—whether it’s model performance, data quality, or misaligned business expectations. I turn the outcome into a learning opportunity, adjust the approach, and propose next steps backed by insights. I stay solution-oriented and ensure the team stays focused on long-term value, not short-term setbacks.

    Like
    4
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Fabrício Ferreira

    Senior Flutter Engineer | Mobile Developer | Mobile Engineer | Dart | Android | iOS | Kotlin | Firebase

    • Report contribution

    Great point! 💡 Setbacks in ML projects are tough, but they also offer valuable learning opportunities. I’ve found that being transparent with stakeholders early on helps maintain trust—and often leads to unexpected support or new perspectives. We also try to turn each “miss” into a mini post-mortem: What signals were we too optimistic about? Where did business goals and data reality misalign? It’s all part of building more resilient models next time. How do you usually balance technical iteration with business priorities after a project doesn't land as expected?

    Like
    3
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Asifuzzaman Lasker

    AI Researcher | Deep Learning Engineer | PhD in AI for Medical Imaging | Vision Transformers, CNNs | Chest X-ray & CT Diagnostics

    • Report contribution

    When an ML project falls short of business goals, I approach it with full transparency—not excuses. I see it like diagnosing a misfiring engine: carefully examining each part—data quality, model assumptions, stakeholder alignment, and user adoption—to pinpoint where things went off track. Rather than labeling it a failure, I treat it as a vital learning curve. I engage cross-functional teams to realign strategy, refine our approach, and set clearer expectations. Setbacks aren’t roadblocks—they’re signals to recalibrate and build something even stronger.

    Like
    3
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Dhana sri ram meesala

    Founder & CEO at ManaTrick

    • Report contribution

    When a machine learning project misses business targets, staying proactive is key 🚀. Start by analyzing performance data 📊- review KPIs, model accuracy, and biases to pinpoint what went wrong. Next, communicate transparently 🗣️ with stakeholders, explaining challenges, insights, and next steps to maintain trust. Then, adjust and iterate 🔄 -- fine-tune data, retrain models, or explore alternative approaches to align better with business goals. Treat setbacks as learning opportunities 🎯, refining strategies for stronger future outcomes.

    Like
    3
View more answers
Machine Learning Machine Learning

Machine Learning

+ Follow

Rate this article

We created this article with the help of AI. What do you think of it?
It’s great It’s not so great

Thanks for your feedback

Your feedback is private. Like or react to bring the conversation to your network.

Tell us more

Report this article

More articles on Machine Learning

No more previous content
  • How would you address bias that arises from skewed training data in your machine learning model?

    80 contributions

  • Your machine learning model is underperforming due to biases. How can you ensure fair and accurate results?

    56 contributions

  • Your machine learning model is underperforming due to biases. How can you ensure fair and accurate results?

    89 contributions

  • Facing resistance to data privacy measures in Machine Learning projects?

    35 contributions

  • Your machine learning models are starting to lag behind. Are you using the latest algorithms and techniques?

    33 contributions

  • You're preparing for a client presentation on machine learning. How do you manage the hype versus reality?

    64 contributions

  • You're concerned about data privacy in Machine Learning applications. How can you establish trust with users?

    41 contributions

  • You're balancing demands from data scientists and business stakeholders. How can you align their priorities?

    22 contributions

  • Your client has unrealistic expectations about machine learning. How do you manage their misconceptions?

    26 contributions

  • Your team is adapting to using ML in workflows. How can you keep their morale and motivation high?

    50 contributions

  • Your machine learning approach is met with skepticism. How can you prove its worth to industry peers?

    41 contributions

  • You're leading a machine learning project with sensitive data. How do you educate stakeholders on privacy?

    28 contributions

  • Your team is struggling with new ML tools. How do you handle the learning curve?

    55 contributions

  • You're pitching a new machine learning solution. How do you tackle data privacy concerns?

    21 contributions

No more next content
See all

Explore Other Skills

  • Programming
  • Web Development
  • Agile Methodologies
  • Software Development
  • Computer Science
  • Data Engineering
  • Data Analytics
  • Data Science
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Cloud Computing

Are you sure you want to delete your contribution?

Are you sure you want to delete your reply?

  • LinkedIn © 2025
  • About
  • Accessibility
  • User Agreement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your California Privacy Choices
  • Cookie Policy
  • Copyright Policy
  • Brand Policy
  • Guest Controls
  • Community Guidelines
Like
3
22 Contributions