What are the essential skills and tools for a data scientist?

Data scientists need a combination of technical, analytical, and business skills to effectively solve complex problems.\n\n• Programming: Python/R for analysis, SQL for databases\n• Statistics: Hypothesis testing, probability, statistical inference\n• Machine Learning: Supervised/unsupervised algorithms, model evaluation\n• Tools: Jupyter, pandas, scikit-learn, TensorFlow, Tableau\n• Business Acumen: Domain knowledge, problem-solving, communication\n\nExample: Analyzing customer churn requires SQL to extract data, Python pandas for cleaning, statistical tests for significance, ML models for prediction, and business understanding to interpret results and recommend actionable strategies.