During another session, “Data Scientist: the Sexiest Job of the 21st Century,” Mr. Reed argued that “data scientist as a profession is largely a fad.” Asked a question about undergraduate education, Mr. Reed struggled to answer. When it comes to hiring, he said, undergraduate education generally “does not matter.” “I usually hire people who have very exemplary work experience,” said Mr. Reed, who now runs a Chicago-based start-up company devoted to mobile commerce. “Where they went to school, or what degree they have, really has no play into the hiring decision. Myself, I have a philosophy degree and a fake computer-science degree. I say fake because I really didn’t learn anything.”