PyData Boston 2025

MMM Open- Source Showdown: A Practitioner's Benchmark of PyMC-Marketing vs. Google Meridian
2025-12-10 , Abigail Adams

Your Marketing Mix Model is only as good as the library you build it on. But how do you choose between PyMC-Marketing and Google Meridian when the feature lists look so similar? You need hard evidence, not marketing claims. Which library is actually faster on multi-geo data? Do their different statistical approaches (splines vs. Fourier series) lead to different budget decisions?

This talk delivers that evidence. We present a rigorous, open-source benchmark that stress-tests both libraries on the metrics that matter in production. Using a synthetic dataset that replicates real-world ad spend patterns, we measure:

  • Speed: Effective sample size per second (ESS/s) across different data scales.
  • Accuracy: How well each model recovers both sales figures and true channel contributions.
  • Reliability: A deep dive into convergence diagnostics and residual analysis.
  • Resources: The real memory cost of fitting these models.

You'll walk away from this session with a clear, data-driven verdict, ready to choose the right tool and defend that choice to your team.


Audience Level:

Intermediate. Aimed at data scientists who have built a regression or time series model before. Familiarity with basic Bayesian concepts is helpful but not required; we'll briefly cover the "why" before diving into the "how."

Prerequisites:

  • You know your way around Python and pandas.
  • You understand the basic goal of a statistical model (e.g., predicting an outcome from inp

Outline

  1. The Stakes: Why Your MMM Library Choice Matters
  2. The Methodology: why the data used is realistic and representative
  3. The Benchmark: Data-Driven Results
  4. The Verdict & Your Playbook

Prior Knowledge Expected: Previous knowledge expected

Luca Fiaschi is an accomplished tech executive and AI/ML expert with over 15 years of leadership experience in AI, data science, and analytics teams at hypergrowth technology companies. He currently serves as a partner at PyMC Labs, where he drives Gen AI solutions and Bayesian consultancy for enterprise clients. Previously, he led as Chief Data & AI Officer at Mistplay, and held executive roles at HelloFresh, Stitch Fix, Rocket Internet, and Redmart/Alibaba, delivering scalable AI-driven products and revenue growth through advanced personalization and experimentation platforms.