The Misconceptions Surrounding Microsoft Excel
There is a common belief among many that Microsoft Excel should be avoided at all costs. Perhaps you exaggerated your skills by stating you had “advanced knowledge” of this spreadsheet software on your CV, and ever since, you’ve been living in fear of being found out. Alternatively, you may be comfortable with a few basic formulas but find the interface too convoluted to truly master.
Regardless of personal sentiment, Excel remains a fundamental tool within the corporate landscape, with Microsoft claiming it has “hundreds of millions” of users globally. Yet, for a thriving community of content creators, Excel’s applications extend far beyond mere functionality. These individuals revel in the thrill of achieving ninja-like efficiency in Excel and are eager to share their esoteric knowledge with those brave enough to seek it out. They have amassed vast followings by showcasing their prowess in unexpected productivity hacks and competing in “obstacle course” challenges. Some even participate in official Excel championships for cash prizes.
However, the allure of competing for spreadsheet supremacy is just one facet of the experience. Ultimately, the shared goal is to help one another improve their skills.
A Journey from Analyst to Content Creator
Dan Kidney, a 32-year-old residing in London, shares his experience of inadvertently enhancing his Excel skills while working as an insurance data analyst and building his own e-commerce business from the ground up. He never anticipated that he would end up teaching others the tricks he had acquired along the way. “I decided to make use of my free time by posting on TikTok as a bit of an experiment during a planned work break,” he explains. Initially, he began sharing videos about essential Excel functions for beginners.
A few weeks later, Kidney uploaded a video showcasing his rapid completion of various challenges in an Excel obstacle course he had created, which resulted in a surge of engagement, reaching one million views within days. Commenters noted that he had finished each section before they had even had time to read the instructions.
Kidney’s approach is notable for its speed and efficiency, as he often completes tasks without using the mouse.
Building a Community of Excel Enthusiasts
Currently, Kidney boasts a following of 300,000 on both Instagram and TikTok under the moniker “Functional Excel.” His speed runs have had a remarkable impact beyond his own workplace. He recounted how a teacher in rural Germany discovered his videos and instructed his students to practice Excel using his templates, sparking a friendly competition among classes.
Jonathan Tristan, a 29-year-old content creator known as “Your Finance Brother,” recently emphasised the importance of abandoning the mouse in favour of a flurry of keyboard shortcuts. Living in Los Angeles and previously a banker, he advocates for an entirely keyboard-centric approach to Excel. “Remove the F1 key from your keyboard,” he advises his viewers, as advanced Excel users often develop “style preferences.” For Tristan, forgoing the F1 key is both a practical decision and a subtle display of expertise. “A common shortcut involves toggling between the Escape and F2 keys to see what your formula is doing in Excel,” he explains, noting that pressing F1 inadvertently opens a help menu that can disrupt workflow.
The Competitive Spirit in Excel Mastery
Tristan, who has shared impressive speed records in Excel, conveys these insights to his approximately 700,000 followers, emphasising that every minute counts in his fast-paced work environment on Wall Street: “Being 10% faster while working ten-hour days in Excel can mean the difference between getting five hours or six hours of sleep.” Beyond a desire to leave the office sooner, Excel experts are increasingly motivated by a friendly competitive spirit and the prestige that comes with mastering their craft.
Drew Koontz, a 29-year-old data analyst behind the tutorial website Encyclopedia Excel, notes that obstacle courses and speed challenges have added a new dimension to the community, allowing for direct comparisons of performance and the discovery of more efficient methods to accomplish tasks. He describes the evolution of Excel as an unexpected e-sport: last December, in Las Vegas, Irish competitor Diarmuid Early, referred to by some as the “LeBron James of spreadsheets,” won the Microsoft Excel World Championship 2025, defeating Australian Andrew Ngai, who had claimed victory for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023.
Innovative Uses of Excel
According to Koontz, speed is not the only way to stand out in the Excel community. He highlights engineer George Lungu, who runs the website Excel Unusual, where he demonstrates how to leverage the program to create sophisticated animations and much more. “It’s probably the most impressive collection of Excel work on the internet,” Koontz asserts. “He has created fully functional flight simulators, physics engines, roller coasters, planetary simulations… it’s astonishing.”
When asked to name someone who has broadened the Excel landscape, most influencers would likely mention Ryan Park. Through his tutorials and “Excel Obstacle Course” videos, this 49-year-old father and data scientist from Cincinnati estimates he has helped “tens of thousands” of individuals enhance their productivity with Excel.
The Art of Excel Mastery
Park’s expertise stems from years spent correcting data for 401(k) plans, where each client had their unique methods for organising spreadsheets. “Processors had to master data cleaning and reorganisation with 100% accuracy and as quickly as possible,” he explains. “As a teenager, I loved playing video games like Street Fighter II, where learning ‘special moves’ was incredibly satisfying. That’s how I view the shortcuts I teach: they are the ‘special moves’ of Excel.”
It wasn’t until colleagues began complimenting his speed that Park realised he had become somewhat of an Excel guru. “There’s something hypnotic about watching someone use Excel without a mouse,” he notes. “The clicks and cells flying around have a strange universal appeal.” While searching for Excel content on social media, he found most to be “boring” and decided to create an “obstacle course” designed for himself and his friends.
Now, Park has around 300,000 followers, amused by the mix of “students” and genuine fans in his audience. “I receive comments saying that it’s relaxing to watch or that it gives them chills,” he says, referring to the latter group. In an age when tedious tasks are frequently delegated to artificial intelligence, it can be particularly gratifying to see a real human match the precision of a machine. Park, however, dismisses comments suggesting that Excel is “a relic of the past” or that AI could complete a task in mere seconds. “My response is that I would have already finished before they could even explain the desired outcome to an AI tool,” he concludes.
As for Excel itself, Park does not believe it will become obsolete: “It’s like saying that pencils and paper will become outdated,” he compares. “Not a chance.”