By Hiran de Silva
When Oz du Soleil responded to Jon O’s comment under Mike Thomas’s post, he said something that sparked a deeper reflection:
“Fortunately, the Excel developers have adjusted and given us tools to work in Excel with database-like features. For better or worse, Excel is a lot of folks’ database.”
This is a powerful observation. And it’s true—for the market Oz is describing.
But here’s where things get interesting.
What Oz is pointing to is Microsoft’s ongoing engineering strategy, which is fully aligned with a very different Excel user base from the one I’m addressing.
This needs to be said carefully—but clearly.
🧠 Two Different Product Visions for Two Different Worlds
Let’s rewind.
Back in the 1980s, Excel was used as a database because there was no choice. DOS could only run one application at a time. So if you wanted to do analysis, you had to copy the data into the spreadsheet.
But that changed in the 1990s.
The client-server revolution made it possible—and far more elegant—to separate data from spreadsheet logic. You could now store data in a proper relational database (like Access or SQL Server) and connect to it directly from Excel. Seamlessly. Synergistically.
That was a paradigm shift. But here’s the twist.
In the 2000s, something even bigger happened.
📱 Enter Social Media — And the Rise of the Consumer Mindset
Social media democratized digital technology. A massive new audience of Excel users—many of whom had never worked in IT or finance—came online. These were not enterprise engineers. They were small business owners, admin staff, students, marketers, and influencers.
Microsoft responded.
Instead of evangelising the enterprise use of Excel with relational databases, Microsoft pivoted to serving this new consumer-centric market. They introduced:
- Power Query for self-service ETL
- Tables and Structured References
- Data Models inside workbooks
- More visual wizards, fewer architectural frameworks
These features aren’t bad. They’re brilliant—for the demographic they’re meant for.
And that’s exactly what Oz is pointing out:
Excel is evolving towards the way people are already misusing it.
But I’m here to say:
There’s another world. A different world. And some of those people might want to move to it—if only they knew it existed.
🧭 The Question Nobody’s Asking: Do People Want to Cross Over?
This is my obsession. My mission.
Is there a real, identifiable group of people who are currently in the “consumer Excel” world… but who want to move into the “professional Excel” world?
- Not because of theory.
- Not because they love databases.
- But because they want a better life.
More income.
More visibility.
More stability.
More career control.
They don’t want another Power Query tutorial. They want someone to show them how to build something meaningful, scalable, and respected. Something boardroom-ready.
Just like I did, when I went from a temp job… to a high-paid consultant… with just Excel, Access, and a new way of thinking.
💡 What Microsoft Won’t Show — But I Will
Here’s the irony.
The Excel “pros” on social media often say:
“That architecture stuff is too much. Our audience doesn’t want it.”
But look at the messaging. It’s always:
- “Become a pro.”
- “Level up.”
- “Land a better job.”
- “Triple your pay.”
This is where I see the contradiction.
If you’re claiming your audience isn’t interested in enterprise-grade, database-connected Excel—but your marketing promises progress, advancement, and transformation—then which is it?
I believe there’s a mismatch between the message and the method.
And that’s where I come in.
🚀 I’m Not Speaking to Everyone — Just the Bridge-Crossers
I’m not trying to compete with mainstream Excel content. I’m not trying to disrupt Power Query tutorials or dashboard hacks.
But I am trying to reach the few—the overlooked sub-demographic—who are:
- Dissatisfied with their current workflow
- Curious about the enterprise-level solutions they’ve never seen
- Motivated to improve their pay, their standing, their impact
- Open to learning what nobody else is teaching
That’s why I run campaigns.
That’s why I use YouTube ads.
That’s why I show real-world case studies—like how I consolidated 400 budgets without external links, Power Query, or macros.
All I want to do is stop someone in their tracks and make them think:
“Wait… nobody’s ever shown me that before.”
And then give them the first rung of the ladder.
Because there is a new world of Excel. One that’s been hidden for 25 years. One that’s quietly powering enterprise solutions while the influencers make noise elsewhere.
If you’re curious about that world, I’ll show you.
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