The Role of Excel in Innovation

How to become a responsible user of Excel while applying Lean Startup principles to corporate innovation projects

I’m always looking for more opportunities to use Microsoft Excel in my life, from automating emails to data analysis of anything. Furthermore, I’m not just an admirer of Excel, I’m a professional promoter. I teach a university-level business course that embeds Excel into every module, with students completing their assignments and exams on a spreadsheet. Some students love it; plenty hate it, but most of them come back years later and tell me how valuable it is to them now in the workplace.

My other day job outside the university is helping corporate teams to adapt entrepreneurial principles in their innovation projects and I have witnessed how this customer-focused approach has revolutionized how corporations think and approach the development of new business ideas. I truly believe in the Build — Learn — Measure approach to understanding uncertainty and quickly validating or invalidating assumptions.

So what role does Excel have in innovation projects. The following are just a few ways I incorporate Excel into my work:

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