By Hiran de Silva
In 1997, I made a breakthrough. I was in the right place at the right time—armed only with Microsoft Excel, Access, and a determination to improve enterprise financial processes. I wasn’t a senior consultant or a full-time hire. I was a temp, paid a modest hourly rate. But my client quickly saw something others didn’t: real value.
They gave me carte blanche—complete freedom to innovate. I wasn’t tied to a job description. I simply looked for what could be improved and did it. The result? They tripled my pay and placed me on a pedestal. Over time, I delivered more transformation, culminating in a final project that paid, in today’s money, £450,000—in one lump sum.
And this wasn’t a fluke. I repeated that outcome across multiple clients. Why? Because I delivered something management didn’t know was possible—streamlined enterprise process automation using tools they already had.
The Secret? Excel + Access (even as a proof of concept). But More Importantly, Freedom to Innovate.
In that first success story, the Finance Director also happened to be Head of IT. That overlap was crucial—because he saw that I was delivering results IT wasn’t. I became a “skunk works” operator, unofficial, unstructured, but indispensable.
Eventually, other management sponsors followed. They, too, saw that I wasn’t doing “normal Excel”—I was showing them that their problems weren’t as complex or expensive to solve as they’d been told.
But That Was 25 Years Ago. So, What’s Changed?
On the surface, everything: we now have cloud services, new technologies, flashy tools, and a sea of online content. But at a deeper level, the core opportunity has actually become greater—for three reasons:
- More Excel Users Than Ever
The user base has exploded. Millions of people now use Excel in their day-to-day work. Many of them are looking for better ways to work—and are open to new ideas. They are my Trojan horses. - Stronger Recognition When Value is Delivered
When someone today delivers enterprise-scale value using Excel, the recognition they receive is often faster and more dramatic. Businesses are starved of practical innovation. - The Rise—and Limitation—of Social Media Influencers
Platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube are awash with Excel content. But most of it is produced by influencers chasing views—not business transformation. Their focus is on features, not outcomes. Their videos showcase amazing new functions—dynamic arrays, Power Query, LAMBDA—but within the boundaries of individual tasks. They’re painting inside the box.
From Purple Squares to Spray Guns
This is where my metaphor comes in.
Most Excel workers today are painting purple squares with brushes—completing isolated tasks with great skill, but missing the bigger picture. Management, on the other hand, wants the whole wall painted—and quickly.
That’s what I do. I demonstrate the spray gun. The scalable, strategic use of Excel and Access to serve enterprise-level needs—not just personal productivity.
The Gap: Why Management Doesn’t Know This Exists
Management thinks Excel is the problem. They see Excel Hell, and they believe the only escape is through ERP systems or third-party FP&A tools like Anaplan or Workday Adaptive Planning.
Why? Because:
- Social media doesn’t feature professionals doing real enterprise Excel.
- The best Excel work is invisible—protected by NDAs, competitive confidentiality, and the fact that serious professionals aren’t posting on LinkedIn.
- IT departments often dismiss Excel, calling it fragile or unfit for purpose.
- Influencers mostly teach individual features, not end-to-end process design.
So management sees the problem, but not the alternative solution. They don’t even know the spray gun exists.
Why This Is Even More Powerful Today
When I was working, Excel and Access were enough. They still are. But now, the ecosystem is even better:
- Excel is more powerful.
- Collaboration tools exist.
- Demonstrations are easier to share.
- And crucially—there are more people who want to become the next “Hiran.”
That’s my business model.
The Trojan Horse Strategy
My audience is twofold:
- Management – They hold the budget and feel the pain.
- Excel users on the ground – They are my way in. They are the ones who can demonstrate value to their bosses.
If I can show these users that they can earn serious money, gain visibility, and become indispensable by learning and applying what I did, they’ll start the conversation. They’ll sell the idea upward. And when management sees it working, the conversation becomes: “Why didn’t we know about this sooner?”
Conclusion: A Business Model for 2025
This isn’t about nostalgia for 1997. It’s about untapped potential in 2025.
- The spray gun exists.
- The tools are available.
- The value is proven.
- The demonstration is compelling.
- The opportunity is bigger than ever.
My role is to tell this story—to equip others with the know-how, confidence, and proof that this model not only works, but scales. And that the next generation of professionals can achieve what I did—and more.
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