Most Excel users today operate within a severely limited paradigm — one rooted in the outdated metaphor of a large sheet of paper. This “paper mindset” constrains how they approach Excel, restricting their ability to imagine it as anything more than a digital ledger or calculator.

The cause? Much of today’s Excel education comes from social media, where influencers — often with little or no enterprise-level experience — dominate the narrative. These influencers may offer popular content, but they often spread rudimentary, outdated techniques. As a result, many spreadsheet users are conditioned by a legacy understanding of Excel, shaped more by virality than by professional relevance.

From “Excel Hell” to Enterprise-Grade Collaboration

This misalignment becomes glaringly obvious when you compare typical spreadsheet practice to what’s actually possible in the hands of a professional. The contrast is dramatic.

We often hear terms like “Excel hell” to describe current spreadsheet environments in businesses — chaotic, manual, brittle, and hard to scale. But with the right architecture, Excel can become a powerful enterprise-grade platform. We’re talking about streamlined, collaborative models that span tools like Google Sheets, Excel on the web, and Power Apps — but that begin with desktop Excel, VBA, ADO, and SQL Server.

This entry point is critical. No other stack — not Python, not Office Scripts, not Lambdas — provides as smooth or powerful a gateway for the millions of non-programmer Excel users to transition into scalable digital processes. Unless proven otherwise, this stack remains unmatched in unlocking enterprise-level productivity.

The Missed Opportunity

Here’s the real tragedy: the tools are right in front of us. The potential to generate immense business value is not hypothetical — it’s practical and immediate. And yet, the conversation isn’t happening where it needs to.

Why? Because deeper, conceptual topics don’t trend. The algorithms favor purple square tutorials — bite-sized tricks that appeal to the lowest common denominator. It’s easier to teach someone how to color a cell than to challenge their paradigm.

And so, the people who could benefit most from unlocking this capability — finance professionals, operations managers, management accountants — remain trapped in legacy thinking.

Time for Leadership to Step In

This is where professional bodies have a role to play. Organizations like the Certified Management Accountants of Australia, CIMA, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants must begin to champion this shift. They can provide the credibility and structure that social media influencers cannot.

We need to move the conversation away from gimmicks and toward transformation — toward models that scale, automate, and empower.

The future of Excel isn’t about painting squares. It’s about building systems. Let’s start talking about that.

By Hiran de Silva

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ABSTRACT

The Excel Paradigm Trap

The article argues that the common understanding of Excel is severely limited by an outdated “paper mindset,” preventing users from leveraging its full potential for enterprise-level applications. This narrow view is perpetuated by social media influencers who prioritize simple tricks over robust, scalable techniques. The author contrasts this basic usage with the powerful, collaborative systems possible when Excel is used with tools commonly found in any organisation like VBA, ADO, and SQL Server, highlighting the lost opportunity for significant business value. Professional organizations are called upon to champion a shift towards a more transformative understanding of Excel, moving beyond superficial features to building integrated systems.