A Lamentable Reality
Spreadsheets. They’re probably not what you’d call the most exciting piece of software going; it seems like a third of all startup pitches has ‘spreadsheets’ in the ‘look how ridiculous, this is how people solve this problem now’ part of the narrative. It can’t be denied that they’re the workhorse of the corporate world, and as well as Microsoft Excel works, as hard as Google Sheets tries and as intensely as we try to forget Apple Numbers even exists, there is plenty of space for improvement.
The Limitations of Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets can handle straightforward data organization. They’re used for financial models, inventory management and keeping track of who brings the extra gas for the generator at your Burning Man camp, just to pick a couple of random examples. There are millions of us who use them in thousands of different ways. Still, they can be slow, frustrating and underpowered. That’s why Eoin McMillan, recognizing just how critical spreadsheets are and how much better they can be, founded Sourcetable, to build ‘the world’s best spreadsheet’.
A New Player Enters the Fray
Sourcetable has just closed $3 million in seed funding, following a $1.25 million pre-seed funding round, led by Michael Berolzheimer of Bee Partners to push forward with this mission. Also found on Sourcetable’s cap table are NextView Ventures and Long Journey Ventures.
Taking On the Giants
In taking on the spreadsheet challenge, Sourcetable is going cell-to-cell with not just two of the biggest names in tech, but two of the biggest and most recognizable businesses in the world: Microsoft with Excel and Google with Sheets. That is an enormous undertaking, so what drives McMillan to take them on?
The Vision Behind Sourcetable
"The integrations on the right hint at one of the major focuses in Sourcetable," explains McMillan. "We’re building a spreadsheet that’s not just a tool for data manipulation, but a platform for collaborative work. We want to make it easy for people to work together, to share data and insights, and to make decisions based on accurate information."
A Product That Consumers Will Love
Sourcetable is refining its offering based on user feedback it’s receiving to create a product that it hopes consumers will love. Top of the list of features are:
- Collaboration tools: Real-time commenting and @mentioning, so team members can work together seamlessly.
- Data visualization: Automatic charts and graphs to help users make sense of their data.
- Automation: Rules-based workflows to automate repetitive tasks.
Feedback is Welcome
Sourcetable is eager to hear from its users. If you’re interested in trying out the beta, sign up here: https://sourcetable.com/
A New Era for Spreadsheets?
With Sourcetable’s innovative approach and commitment to user feedback, it seems like we may be on the cusp of a new era for spreadsheets. One that’s faster, more intuitive, and more collaborative.
The future of business is built on data, and with Sourcetable at the helm, it looks like we’re in good hands.