Stride empowers self-employed people to build lives they love. This week, we chatted with Devon, our Data Scientist, about his love for the great outdoors, the importance of using smart technology, and his current Spotify jams.

Can you introduce yourself and your position?

I’m Devon Shurick, Senior Data Scientist (extraordinaire!)

Where are you from?

I grew up in Arroyo Grande, California. It’s a small town near the beach, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It’s a very interesting mix of farm and beach culture!

When it’s a beautiful weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area, where can we expect to find you?

Preferably taking a hike on any of the amazing trails we have nearby! My favorite trails are along Skyline Boulevard or up in Point Reyes. Oh, and there better be some dogs tagging along, too.

What sparked your interest in healthcare?

My first job out of grad school was with a healthcare consulting firm that completed projects for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This is where I began to learn how complicated our health system really is and how painful navigating that system can be. I saw that Stride was improving access to healthcare by helping members find the most cost-effective plan.

How would you describe your job to a 5 year old?

I ask lots of questions. Then, I try to find answers to those questions by observing the world and looking at the patterns and data it leaves behind.

Why do you think the work you do is so important?

One of Stride’s core goals is to create tools that assist independent workers with some of the more difficult, less glamorous aspects of their job. We plan to do this using a mix of human and computer interaction. We use technology to help perform tedious work in an intuitive and intelligent way. When we can use technology to complete the mindless tasks for us, we can focus our energy on solving interesting and complicated problems that technology cannot solve. One key aspects of my job is to build out algorithms that allow our products to guide users through important decision-making while we learn from them to better customize their experiences. This allows us to serve a larger member base and to differentiate our tax and health products for folks who are in nuanced situations. My job is important because it helps us to understand our users and tailor future products toward their lifestyles.

What’s on your Spotify playlist right now?

So much stuff it’s hard to decide. Last week I got to see Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) come back from retirement and play with Talib Kweli at the Fox Theater in Oakland, so lately it’s been a lot of Black Star and J Dilla.