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Excel (e spreadsheets) is the best quantitative planning piece of software. There is no other planning tool in the software industry that can answer “what if I

Excel (e spreadsheets) is the best quantitative planning piece of software. There is no other planning tool in the software industry that can answer “what if I changed that” as seamlessly as excel. Planning is not about its absolute numbers but about its sensitivity to inputs and assumptions.

Waterluvian 7mo ago
Absolutely. And the data and code being stored all in one file makes it exceptionally nimble for the planning phase. You can generally count on any stakeholder in your org being able to handle it.
thomascountz 7mo ago
Can you give an example of what you mean by "planning?"
- pphysch 7mo ago
  Budget planning, presumably. How much you are going to spend and on what, and what you need to charge for your products to break even or meet a profit goal.
  - quantummagic 7mo ago
    I don't know how true it is today, but many a rollercoaster has been designed/planned in a spreadsheet. g-force and speed analysis, making sure there aren't any "blackout" points, etc. It allows you to iterate quickly and automatically appreciate the ramification of design decisions.
  - xboxnolifes 7mo ago
    It doesn't have to be financial. It's anything that can be quantified. Some random sheets I've used, neither made by me nor about business: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1m08haqvTiXKIh4c7y4uMRyFCacO4Yd29yDUqxXv4gNI/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1m08haqvTiXKIh4c7y4uM... https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Fo_-HebVr_9PruE94LgTenE514ybX5wUCvemh3I_wDI/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Fo_-HebVr_9PruE94LgT...
itishappy 7mo ago
For better or worse... A single spreadsheet used locally is probably the best imaginable tool for answering "what if I changed that." That same sheet shared across an organization suddenly becomes a game of "what caused that change."
dzonga 7mo ago
can Numbers by Apple ever catch up ??
- bytesandbots 7mo ago
  Pivot Tables was the last big feature completely missing, which is now available. Numbers might meet most of the spreadsheet requirements, except some scripting requirements. There is Applescript for those who are inclined that way. For my own use cases, I use LibreOffice Calc, even on macos. I started using it an year ago, just to see if it can work at all. So far, I haven't had any blockers, but my usage is probably not so complex.
  - ant6n 7mo ago
    Biggest blocker: I can’t create reliable excel sheets that potential investors can look at in MS Excel, formulas tend to break. If I can’t share the spreadsheet, it’s not very useful.
luckypeter 7mo ago
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Waterluvian 7mo ago

Absolutely. And the data and code being stored all in one file makes it exceptionally nimble for the planning phase. You can generally count on any stakeholder in your org being able to handle it.

thomascountz 7mo ago

Can you give an example of what you mean by "planning?"

pphysch 7mo ago
Budget planning, presumably. How much you are going to spend and on what, and what you need to charge for your products to break even or meet a profit goal.
- quantummagic 7mo ago
  I don't know how true it is today, but many a rollercoaster has been designed/planned in a spreadsheet. g-force and speed analysis, making sure there aren't any "blackout" points, etc. It allows you to iterate quickly and automatically appreciate the ramification of design decisions.
- xboxnolifes 7mo ago
  It doesn't have to be financial. It's anything that can be quantified. Some random sheets I've used, neither made by me nor about business: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1m08haqvTiXKIh4c7y4uMRyFCacO4Yd29yDUqxXv4gNI/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1m08haqvTiXKIh4c7y4uM... https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Fo_-HebVr_9PruE94LgTenE514ybX5wUCvemh3I_wDI/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Fo_-HebVr_9PruE94LgT...

itishappy 7mo ago

For better or worse... A single spreadsheet used locally is probably the best imaginable tool for answering "what if I changed that." That same sheet shared across an organization suddenly becomes a game of "what caused that change."

dzonga 7mo ago

can Numbers by Apple ever catch up ??

bytesandbots 7mo ago
Pivot Tables was the last big feature completely missing, which is now available. Numbers might meet most of the spreadsheet requirements, except some scripting requirements. There is Applescript for those who are inclined that way. For my own use cases, I use LibreOffice Calc, even on macos. I started using it an year ago, just to see if it can work at all. So far, I haven't had any blockers, but my usage is probably not so complex.
- ant6n 7mo ago
  Biggest blocker: I can’t create reliable excel sheets that potential investors can look at in MS Excel, formulas tend to break. If I can’t share the spreadsheet, it’s not very useful.

luckypeter 7mo ago

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