Scope is at the heart of the AngularJS data-binding story, weaving together the controller (JavaScript) and the view (HTML) of a web application. The digest cycle is the scope's monitor, which watches for changes and updates the view. The way you edit the scope and call the digest cycle—using functions such as $watch(), $digest(), and $apply()—can make a huge difference in the reliability and performance of large applications. Companies are looking for AngularJS developers who can understand, execute, and troubleshoot these functions.