A lot of machine learning in particular is like that. The best practitioners have very strong intuitive understandings of the data and the modeling problem, whi

A lot of machine learning in particular is like that. The best practitioners have very strong intuitive understandings of the data and the modeling problem, which is what allows them to construct effective models (wrt capacity, training algorithm, topology, use of certain optional training procedure additions). I would liken their job to that of a doctor writing a prescription: it doesn't take much to write the prescription itself, but it takes mastery to be able to analyze the problem and write the best prescription