Spreadsheets. They’re probably not what you’d call the most exciting piece of software going; it seems like a third of all startup pitches has “spreadsheets” in the “look how ridiculous, this is how how people solve this problem now” part of the narrative. It can’t be denied that they’re the workhorse of the corporate world, and as well as Microsoft Excel works, as hard as Google Sheets tries and as intensely as we try to forget Apple Numbers even exists, there is plenty of space for improvement.
Spreadsheets can handle straightforward data organization. They’re used for financial models, inventory management and keeping track of who brings the extra gas for the generator at your Burning Man camp, just to pick a couple of random examples. There are millions of us who use them in thousands of different ways. Still, they can be slow, frustrating and underpowered. That’s why Eoin McMillan, recognizing just how critical spreadsheets are and how much better ...
