This article is inspired by Diarmuid Early’s recent announcement of a live two-hour webinar on writing powerful custom functions in Excel using LAMBDA. Diarmuid calls it a webinar, but there’s an interesting point to be made about expectations: people often associate webinars with free content. When they click on the link and find there’s a $199 fee, it’s a bit jarring. His announcement comes with a ‘last call’ for attendees, and it makes me wonder if perhaps not many people have signed up. In the announcement, he emphasizes that “LIVE is best,” a sentiment echoed by others, but what exactly does that mean?
What Does “LIVE” Actually Mean in the Digital Age?
The live teaching format is being heavily promoted online, but the unique selling proposition (USP) of why live training justifies a price tag is often unclear. When there is no mention of interactivity or collaboration, why is this live event any different from a recorded session or even a free YouTube video?
In Dermid’s case, he is teaching how to create custom functions with Excel’s LAMBDA feature, but a quick search on YouTube reveals hundreds of free videos covering this exact topic. So, what makes this event different? If there is something unique or special about the content, it’s not being highlighted. Without that clarity, it’s hard not to assume that the only real difference is the price—one version is free, and the other you pay for.
The Illusion of Scarcity in Digital Products
This brings me to another issue—the artificial scarcity of digital products. When people like Diarmuid or others, such as Paul Kelly, sell VBA courses with a ‘deadline’ for sign-ups, there’s a false sense of urgency. It’s a digital product—it doesn’t run out, so where does this scarcity come from? After the deadline, the product hasn’t gone anywhere. So why is it being marketed as if it has?
The training Diarmuid offers could be valuable, but he hasn’t articulated why it’s worth paying for when free alternatives exist. This lack of clarity leaves potential buyers wondering if they’re actually getting anything extra for their money.
Free Events vs. Paid Live Training: What’s the Difference?
Now, I want to contrast this kind of live training with the Excel Happenings I organize—free, live events where the focus is on collaboration and interactive learning. Excel Happenings are not just a place to absorb information but to actively participate. Custom functions, like LAMBDA, don’t lend themselves well to collaborative learning because they are individual, static functions, whereas the kind of training I offer does focus on teamwork and interaction.
When you join one of my live training sessions, the expectation is different—you are not just learning but contributing to the learning of others. With my first one-on-one session with Nelson Mwangi, we aim to expand this format into something more inclusive, where participants actually make things happen together. This cannot be replicated by a recording, nor can it be adequately conveyed through free YouTube videos.
The Flaws of Poorly Executed Live Training
I’ve also seen attempts at live, collaborative training that fail to deliver real value. Take, for example, a session I attended during the pandemic on data visualization. The breakout sessions were underwhelming—participants were asked to solve trivial problems, like figuring out the best chart type for a few apples, oranges, and bananas. The activity lasted five minutes and was laughably simplistic.
Another live training on dynamic arrays, involving the example of managing 12 rental properties, also missed the mark. The interactivity was limited, and the content didn’t scale. What happens when you have 30 or 40 properties instead of 12? The example didn’t explore that, and the layout of the spreadsheet itself made it impossible to adapt to larger, real-world scenarios.
Why My Events Are Different
In contrast, Excel Happenings are live, interactive, and truly collaborative. You’re not just following along—you’re part of a team, learning together and impacting the outcome of the session. You can experience this for free by joining one of my Excel Happenings, where we focus on real-world problems and practical solutions. These events foster an environment where participants learn from each other, something that simply can’t be replicated in a pre-recorded format.
Conclusion
This article highlights the difference between paid, live, digital training and genuinely interactive, collaborative learning experiences. While paid sessions like Diarmuid’s may offer good content, they often fail to justify their price tag by not explaining what makes them special or different from free alternatives. On the other hand, events like Excel Happenings are free and truly collaborative, making them a unique opportunity for anyone looking to learn Excel in a hands-on, community-driven way.
So, if you want to experience what true interactive learning is like, join an Excel Happenings event. You’ll not only learn something new but will actively contribute to the learning of others in real-time.
This is a podcast by Hiran de Silva. Narrated by Charlie.
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