Speaker (Paul Barnhurst) recounts teaching intermediate/advanced Excel worldwide and argues that individual Excel functions (VALUE, TRIM, etc.) are simple on their own, but complexity arises from nesting functions. He warns that relying on others—or AI—to produce nested formulas can be inefficient and that users must understand AI-generated solutions because simpler alternatives may exist.
In my past life, when I was running a training business and I taught intermediate and advanced Excel programs all over the world, I would always tell people there's nothing complicated about any particular Excel function if you dissect it. The large function is simple, the value function is simple. Trim is simple. These functions are very simple all by themselves. Excel gets complicated when you start nesting and embedding functions within functions. And I've always warned people that just because a person or an AI tool is doing this does not necessarily mean it's the best and most efficient way. And what I keep preaching and talking about is if you're allowing AI to do this, you're going to need to understand it, because there might be a simpler SOL.
Trust and Leadership Lessons for FP&A From 100+ Top Leaders with CFO Jon Laudie
