About This Site

Who Am I

Hi there, I’m Dave a veteran software engineer with over 20 years experience in the software industry (here’s my LinkedIn profile). I’ve written code on laptops balanced precariously next to machines in a factory to the plush offices of large corporations. I’ve worked alone, in teams of programmers and I’ve managed development teams myself.

You’ll often find me these days posting as a Google Product Expert over on the help forums, and working towards my next badge.

Dave
This is me.
I’m certifiable…

Some names I’ve consulted for are: Rolls Royce (no, not cars, civil aerospace), the pib Group (uk insurance sector), Thistle Insurance Services Ltd (uk insurers), and Millitec (manufacturers of sandwich making machinery).

Rolls Royce Civil Aviation
Civil Aerospace
pib Group - Insurance
UK Insurers

No, I’m not looking for a job. This isn’t my CV. So I’ll stop with all that…. the point is, in all those years working in software and being surrounded by people in many roles for different companies and different industries, there is one constant.

Everybody uses spreadsheets.

Why This Site / Why Spreadsheets?

No matter how complicated the industry, spreadsheets are used in all aspects of running modern business. The supply chain for the engines powering transatlantic flight? Whilst they do a lot of it in platforms like SAP, the day to day…. tracking, managing, feeding back to management, it’s in spreadsheets.

Spreadsheets are one of the most versatile tools ever created.

If you don’t know how to use them effectively, you are missing out.

I can’t count the amount of times I’ve heard these things:

  • “Why is this formula not working?”
  • “How can I do x in this spreadsheet?”
  • “I don’t understand VLOOKUPS!”

I want to help people get better at understanding and using spreadsheets.

No matter if you use Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice. There is a LOT of crossovers between those products. Understand one and you’ll understand most of the others.

Even now, if I want to do something in a spreadsheet, my first thought it to Google it. Yes, that happens to experts too. It just takes too long sometimes scouring the documentation for exactly the thing you were looking for.

A lot of tutorial sites on the net are too wordy. I want to make understanding learning how to use spreadsheets bite-size and fun and available to a younger generation via their chosen platforms, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram + !

So that’s why this site started!

If there’s something you need help with or want me to cover for you, please get in touch via the contact form.

There’s a LOT of work to do… so I’d better get on with it.