Li teaches users to create custom, reusable functions without code. For example: =CalculateChurnRate(Customers, Invoices, DateRange)
In 2024 and 2025, Li became the unofficial evangelist for Excel’s LAMBDA function and Google Sheets' LAMBDA helper functions ( MAP , SCAN , REDUCE ).
Whether using Li’s templates or building your own "better" sheets, follow these professional standards: daniel t li spreadsheets better
This article explores the principles advocated by to make spreadsheets better, focusing on automation, structure, and readability. 1. The Core Philosophy: Structure Over Chaos
In today's data-driven world, spreadsheets have become an essential tool for businesses, organizations, and individuals alike. Among the numerous spreadsheet software available, Microsoft Excel remains one of the most popular choices. However, with the rise of alternative spreadsheet solutions, Daniel T Li has emerged as a champion of spreadsheet excellence, showcasing his expertise in harnessing the full potential of these powerful tools. Li teaches users to create custom, reusable functions
: Platforms that look and feel like a spreadsheet but have a powerful database or automation engine under the hood (e.g., Airtable, Smartsheet, Coda).
A standout feature of his teaching is achieving complex automation using only native functions —no VBA (Excel) or Apps Script (Google Sheets) required. For example, building a self-updating project tracker, a search box that filters a database in real time, or a calendar that highlights conflicts. However, with the rise of alternative spreadsheet solutions,
Li’s online course walks students through building a personal financial model from scratch, including a balance sheet to track net worth, discounted cash flow analysis for valuing assets, and goal‑planning modules that help users project whether they will reach financial milestones. The key is that these models are built with simple, transparent formulas that the user can understand and modify over time.
What is the your team faces with your current files? Which program do you use most: Excel or Google Sheets ?
As these tools handle complex loads and finite element methods, "real engineering" happens in how you interpret the results rather than just the math.
AI is coming for the spreadsheet. Microsoft has Copilot. Google has Duet AI. But Daniel T. Li argues that AI will not fix bad architecture . If your spreadsheet is a mess of hard-coded values and broken links, an AI cannot fix it—it will just hallucinate worse numbers.