Introducing Columns

Columns was born of a simple question — "Why isn't there an easier way for everyday people to work with structured data?"

Someone once said "Excel is the second best tool for every problem", and there's a lot of truth to that statement. Spreadsheets are incredibly versatile and powerful, despite their simple interface and low barrier to entry. It's likely for these reasons they have become so ubiquitous, with use cases going far beyond the simple financial calculations they were once used for. Indeed, spreadsheets have become an indispensible tool in the modern workplace, used for everything from quick calculations to detailed analysis, reporting and all manner of other things.

However, spreadsheets are not without some serious drawbacks.

We've seen countless smart, capable people struggle to work productively with their own data, and we're sure you've seen it too. Long and unweildy formulas, strange hacks in hidden cells, mistakes creeping in because – oops – someone didn't drag the cell range down to include those last few rows of data.

A lot of people sense that they're stretching spreadsheets beyond their intended purpose, and know there must be a better way of doing things — if only they knew how. For many, however, these skills feel unattainable — better left to those with the relevant qualifications, and they resign themselves to spreadsheets.

This wasn't good enough for us. We believe people are far more capable than they are given credit for, if only they had the right software to bridge their intuitions and curiosities about data with the raw capabilities of their machines.

Our mission is to build that software. We've set out to build something that is new yet familiar, offering people a fast and intuitive way to interact with data in ways they could only dream of in a spreadsheet.

Wait, who is this "we" you speak of?

We're Alex and Josh, a software engineer and a data scientist who banded together when we realised how ridiculous it was that even today, in 2024, there still didn't exist a better "default solution" for working with structured data than the humble spreadsheet.

Alex brings to the table a wealth of experience in building robust, efficient software systems. With a passion for cutting-edge technologies like Rust and a knack for creating intuitive user interfaces, Alex is the architect behind Columns' powerful yet user-friendly design.

Josh, on the other hand, comes from the world of data analytics consulting. Having worked with a diverse range of clients across industries, he's intimately familiar with the day-to-day struggles of professionals trying to wrangle data into meaningful insights. His expertise in data science and economics provides the backbone for Columns' analytical capabilities.

Our complimentary experience has led us to the same unified vision, having both witnessed firsthand the limitations of current tools, and the untapped potential of everyday people to — when given the right resources — become data superheroes.

What's next from here?

We're extremely proud of our progress so far, and though Columns is still early in its development, we have already seen it being used to solve real world problems with an ease and fluency previously thought undoable!

There's a lot on the roadmap, and prioritisation with a small team will prove challenging. We know we've taken on an almost audaciously ambitious goal, and achieving our mission will require a steadfast dedication to our early users as we figure out the best way to make data analysis accessible to everybody.

We are currently inviting interested parties to join us as beta users, to help us shape Columns into something that people truly love, not just tolerate.

If you're currently bashing your head against the keyboard, trying to figure out what magical sequence of Excel formulas will give you the answer you need (and ChatGPT is giving you suggestions that just perplex you further), then you might be just who we're looking for.