Statistics, linear algebra, probability, and calculus are the four essential ideas that drive machine learning. While statistical ideas are essential to all models, calculus allows us to understand and optimize them. You don't have to be an expert in mathematics to be good at machine learning. You cannot escape math when you want to be good at machine learning, but at the same time, you don’t have to be a pro at it. All you need to know are the fundamentals of arithmetic for machine learning, and you're good to go.