Hey, I’m Lindsay, the host of Make Sense w/ Lindsay T., Lady Engineer®, a weekly podcast where my guests and I simplify complex topics at the intersection of people & technology. We analyze whatever hot mess is in the news, evaluate trending innovations through a human-first lens, and take deep dives on a need-to-know basis.
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Let’s fry an egg. One side is done and it’s time to flip to the other side. You grab the spatula because it’s your go-to tool.
As the uncooked side hits the pan, the oil splashes back at you. It stains your clothes and burns your skin.
While cleaning up, you see the tongs. “Ah, the tongs! A much better tool for the job. Less spillage and splash. Why didn’t I think of that?”
You didn’t think of that because “spatula” was easier for your brain to recall over other tools. You use it most often and it’s top-of-mind.
We humans don’t naturally pick the best tool for the task, person for the job, or words for the moment.
This is why we use Excel. We heavily rely upon it despite its limitations and the availability of more specialized tools because it’s familiar.
But our over-reliance on, some say addiction to, Excel costs us a lot of money and heartache.
Did you know 30-40% of corporate IT spending is on Shadow IT? Shadow IT happens when honest workarounds (i.e. using Excel) become part of a team’s toolset, spread around, expand, and then eventually collapse under their weight.
Take, for example, Formula 1, whose new chief was “appalled to find team using Excel to manage 20,000 car parts.” The Excel workbook lacked crucial information such as cost, production time, and order status, leading to inefficiencies and errors. The cost to transition to a modern tracking system was costly and required significant effort from the team. And, this is all despite Formula 1’s high-tech image.
The reliance on Excel for crucial processes is not uncommon and reflects broader trends beyond organizational IT, but also B2B SaaS, Enterprise Software, and Tech Startups. To explain how all of these are connected, I’m developing the Lady Engineer®’s Brilliantly Simple Enterprise Excel Addiction Lifecycle (working title):
In this week’s episode of Make Sense, my guest Al Chen and I talk about our Excel addiction and the costs and consequences of over-relying on this tool. We also talk about:
- The unsurprising case of Formula 1 using Excel to manage 20K car parts
- New strategies for data collection, security, and transparency
- Why data comprehension > Data Accumulation
Reference the full show notes below.
Choice Quote
“It’s kind of scary to know that the top companies in the world are still relying on this program from 1970. Excel is never going to die.'”
– Al Chen, Founder of KeyCuts
Buck the media hype cycle. Calm the fear-mongering. Laugh at the inanity of Tech CEO “hero culture.” Be the smartest person in your peer’s LinkedIn feed:
Key Takeaways with Al Chen
Here are Al’s takes from the segment Crystal Ball: What does the future hold?
-
Hyper-Personalization Becomes the Norm: Yes
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Better AI guardrails and encryption for customer data: No
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Data Comprehension Will Get Priority over Data Accumulation: We’ll see…
Show Notes
00:00 Introduction and the Excel Addiction
09:42 The Use of Excel in Formula One and Shadow IT
26:06 The Role of Excel as a Reliable and Flexible Tool
36:56 Dear Analyst Podcast & Where To Find Al
Where to find Al Chen
50,000+ students have taken his online Excel classes and he has facilitated in-person workshops to over 5,000 MBA students around the the U.S.
Outside of Excel and spreadsheets, he works full-time at Coda, an all-in-one doc for teams.
Feel free connect with him on LinkedIn and ask him any questions about Excel, Coda, or data analysis!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thealchen/
Dear Analyst Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6642402307990437888/
SkillShare Class: https://www.skillshare.com/en/classes/excel-for-the-real-world-gain-the-basic-skills-of-microsoft-excel/599396565
Where to find Lindsay Tabas
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaytabas
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LindsayTLadyEngineer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaytladyengineer
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