Programming is hard, period. You have to visualize the data in your head, write code to operate on it, and iteratively keep improving it or tracking down wonky

Programming is hard, period. You have to visualize the data in your head, write code to operate on it, and iteratively keep improving it or tracking down wonky bugs until you get "the right" answer. It becomes time consuming, tedious at times, and can lead you down rabbit holes for perpetuity. In fact, it requires a certain way of thinking that not everyone possesses or has the desire to develop the skills in. Excel, on the other hand, lets you bypass a lot of these issues with programming and get to results faster in some situations. First, it is completely visual. I don't have to visualize the data, it's right there in front of me. This reduces the cognitive load on the worker. Second, I can develop iteratively and see the results immediately. Yes, you can do this in programming, but any changes require a recompile-->execute-->look at the data process that Excel includes intuitively. Third, Excel is accessible. People don't need to memorize syntax or commands, they can simply got to the formula finder and start typing in what they're looking for and excel will load the formula for them. Can you build amazing Excel programs/spreadsheets? Yes. Can you build wonky spreadsheets that would make Bill Gates cry crocodile tears? Yes. Can you build amazing programs? Yes. Can you build convoluted programs that would send the flying spaghetti monster running in terror? Yes. There are two different problems conflated here. One problem is how do I answer a question. In some situations, especially small data ones, excel will provide a faster and more intuitive way of getting to the answer that is easily understood by the widest audience. The other problem is how do I build something that fulfills the requirements and isn't a mess. I think a better question might be what are Excel best practices that keep spreadsheets from becoming a mess.