By Hiran de Silva
There’s a recurring comment I encounter whenever I introduce more advanced Excel techniques or cloud-based spreadsheet architecture. It usually comes in one of two forms:
“Only you can do that” or “What happens when you leave?”
At first glance, it sounds like a critique, but in reality, it’s a backhanded compliment — and a revealing one.
Separating Data from the Spreadsheet Isn’t New — It’s Foundational
The architecture I advocate for — a Hub-and-Spoke, client-server model — isn’t some niche or esoteric skillset. It’s the bedrock of the entire digital world and has been for over 30 years. The cloud computing paradigm is built on this principle: separate the data from the user interface, store and manage it centrally, and connect to it from lightweight clients.
Even Excel itself, as early as the 1990s, was engineered with this in mind. Microsoft baked support for client-server architecture into the platform decades ago. A young Satya Nadella, back in a 1993 “DevCast” (the precursor to today’s Microsoft Ignite), demonstrated these exact capabilities. This is not a fringe use case — it’s part of Excel’s DNA.
So when someone says, “Only you can do that,” they’re inadvertently suggesting that I’m the only one leveraging Excel the way it was always meant to be used. That’s not a criticism — that’s a gap in understanding.
Power Query and the Shift in Excel Demographics
Let’s explore this further through an example involving Mark Proctor, a respected voice in the Excel community. Suppose we fast-forward ten years. A new wave of Excel users emerges — and they’ve never heard of Power Query. It’s been overshadowed by newer, flashier tools. This isn’t far-fetched. Excel’s user base has shifted dramatically over the past few decades.
In the early days, Excel was in the hands of power users — many of whom had backgrounds in BASIC programming or experience with early PC platforms. Microsoft catered to them with features like VBA, ADO, PivotTables, and connectivity with Access for central data management. This was Excel’s golden age of serious business functionality.
But as laptops proliferated and computer literacy spread, Excel became a tool for the masses. The new user demographic was less focused on deep functionality and more excited by keyboard shortcuts or aesthetics — features that create visual appeal but don’t add much power.
The result? Excel became dumbed down, not because it lost its capabilities, but because the average user no longer demanded them.
It’s Not That the Capabilities Don’t Exist — It’s That People Don’t Know They Do
When people say “only you can do that,” what they often mean is, “I didn’t know Excel could do that.” That’s not a technical issue — it’s a demographic and educational one. The tools are there. Microsoft built them in. I’m simply showcasing what’s already under the hood.
So when Annette De Jong of Datarails asks, “What happens when you leave?” — that’s not a valid concern. It’s like watching someone start an engine on a horse-drawn van and asking, “But what happens when the guy who started the engine leaves?” The answer: the engine is still running. The insight has already changed the game.
The ability to separate data, centralize it, and use Excel as a cloud-connected client — this is not going to vanish just because I’m not around. It’s an idea, and ideas scale.
If Something is Rare and Valuable, Then It’s… Valuable
Now let’s address the economic argument:
If what I’m doing is so rare that “only I can do it,” then by basic supply-and-demand logic, its value should be very high. If talent is in short supply, and demand is growing, that’s not a reason to dismiss the method — it’s a reason to invest in learning it.
So when people say, “What if you fall under a bus?” — they’re missing the point. The talent and insight don’t lose their value because the originator is gone. If anything, they become more valuable — especially if they’ve been documented, shared, and can be replicated.
In Conclusion
To Mark Proctor, Annette De Jong, and anyone else asking, “Only you can do that?” or “What happens when you leave?” — the answer is simple:
- What I’m doing is based on principles that have existed for decades.
- Excel is more powerful than most people realize — and always has been.
- The idea that “only one person can do it” should not be a reason to ignore it. It should be a reason to learn it, spread it, and leverage it.
Let’s not throw a wet blanket on innovation because it’s unfamiliar. Let’s recognize it for what it is: a return to what Excel was always meant to be — a serious business tool with enterprise-level power, waiting to be unlocked.
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