Should I Build It Should I Build It
14 Jun 2025
SaaS Spreadsheets

A SaaS to turn Excel spreadsheets into normal code programs

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Freemium

People love using similar products but resist paying. You’ll need to either find who will pay or create additional value that’s worth paying for.

Should You Build It?

Build but think about differentiation and monetization.

Your are here

Turning Excel spreadsheets into code has garnered some attention, with 5 similar products already out there. This puts you in a moderately competitive spot. The engagement with these existing products is medium, suggesting that while there's interest, it's not overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Since you are in the "Freemium" idea category, people appreciate tools that work with spreadsheets but are often hesitant to pay for them. This means you'll need to focus on identifying the core value proposition that compels users to upgrade from the free version to a paid one. The criticism from other similar product launches revolve around the level of control users have over complex spreadsheet functionalities. Users are questioning the extent to which the product allows manipulation and customization of advanced spreadsheet features.

Recommendations

  1. Begin by deeply understanding which users derive the most benefit from the free version of your spreadsheet-to-code converter. What tasks are they accomplishing? What problems are they solving? Focus on understanding their workflows and pain points.
  2. Based on your understanding of free users, develop premium features that address their needs more comprehensively. Think about advanced code generation options, support for more complex spreadsheet formulas, or integrations with other development tools. Consider features that save them significant time or reduce errors.
  3. Explore the possibility of charging teams rather than individual users. Businesses that rely heavily on spreadsheets are more likely to pay for a tool that streamlines their workflows and improves collaboration, especially if it helps to reduce shadow IT around spreadsheet distribution, auditing and security.
  4. Offer personalized support, training, or consulting services to help users get the most out of your SaaS. This is especially valuable for users who are not experienced programmers and need assistance with converting their spreadsheets into code.
  5. Experiment with different pricing models among small groups of users to gauge what resonates best. Offer freemium plans, tiered subscriptions, or usage-based pricing. Gather feedback on the perceived value of each plan and adjust your pricing accordingly.
  6. Address the customization concern by providing options for users to tweak the generated code. Allow advanced users to modify the code directly or provide settings to control the conversion process. This will cater to a wider range of users with varying technical expertise.
  7. Showcase clear use-case examples on your website and landing pages. Demonstrate how your SaaS can solve real-world problems and automate common tasks. This will help potential users understand the value proposition and see how it can benefit them.
  8. Ensure cross-browser compatibility to maximize your reach. Test your SaaS on different browsers and devices to provide a consistent user experience. This will prevent potential users from being turned away due to technical issues.
  9. Consider adding support for Google Sheets, as many users work with both Excel and Google Sheets. This will expand your user base and make your SaaS more versatile.

Questions

  1. What specific spreadsheet functionalities do users struggle with the most when trying to convert them into code? How can your SaaS simplify these processes?
  2. Beyond code generation, what other features could your SaaS offer to enhance the overall spreadsheet-to-application development workflow?
  3. How can you create a strong community around your SaaS where users can share their spreadsheets, code snippets, and best practices?

Your are here

Turning Excel spreadsheets into code has garnered some attention, with 5 similar products already out there. This puts you in a moderately competitive spot. The engagement with these existing products is medium, suggesting that while there's interest, it's not overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Since you are in the "Freemium" idea category, people appreciate tools that work with spreadsheets but are often hesitant to pay for them. This means you'll need to focus on identifying the core value proposition that compels users to upgrade from the free version to a paid one. The criticism from other similar product launches revolve around the level of control users have over complex spreadsheet functionalities. Users are questioning the extent to which the product allows manipulation and customization of advanced spreadsheet features.

Recommendations

  1. Begin by deeply understanding which users derive the most benefit from the free version of your spreadsheet-to-code converter. What tasks are they accomplishing? What problems are they solving? Focus on understanding their workflows and pain points.
  2. Based on your understanding of free users, develop premium features that address their needs more comprehensively. Think about advanced code generation options, support for more complex spreadsheet formulas, or integrations with other development tools. Consider features that save them significant time or reduce errors.
  3. Explore the possibility of charging teams rather than individual users. Businesses that rely heavily on spreadsheets are more likely to pay for a tool that streamlines their workflows and improves collaboration, especially if it helps to reduce shadow IT around spreadsheet distribution, auditing and security.
  4. Offer personalized support, training, or consulting services to help users get the most out of your SaaS. This is especially valuable for users who are not experienced programmers and need assistance with converting their spreadsheets into code.
  5. Experiment with different pricing models among small groups of users to gauge what resonates best. Offer freemium plans, tiered subscriptions, or usage-based pricing. Gather feedback on the perceived value of each plan and adjust your pricing accordingly.
  6. Address the customization concern by providing options for users to tweak the generated code. Allow advanced users to modify the code directly or provide settings to control the conversion process. This will cater to a wider range of users with varying technical expertise.
  7. Showcase clear use-case examples on your website and landing pages. Demonstrate how your SaaS can solve real-world problems and automate common tasks. This will help potential users understand the value proposition and see how it can benefit them.
  8. Ensure cross-browser compatibility to maximize your reach. Test your SaaS on different browsers and devices to provide a consistent user experience. This will prevent potential users from being turned away due to technical issues.
  9. Consider adding support for Google Sheets, as many users work with both Excel and Google Sheets. This will expand your user base and make your SaaS more versatile.

Questions

  1. What specific spreadsheet functionalities do users struggle with the most when trying to convert them into code? How can your SaaS simplify these processes?
  2. Beyond code generation, what other features could your SaaS offer to enhance the overall spreadsheet-to-application development workflow?
  3. How can you create a strong community around your SaaS where users can share their spreadsheets, code snippets, and best practices?

  • Confidence: Medium
    • Number of similar products: 5
  • Engagement: Medium
    • Average number of comments: 10
  • Net use signal: 25.7%
    • Positive use signal: 25.7%
    • Negative use signal: 0.0%
  • Net buy signal: 0.0%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.0%
    • Negative buy signal: 0.0%

This chart summarizes all the similar products we found for your idea in a single plot.

The x-axis represents the overall feedback each product received. This is calculated from the net use and buy signals that were expressed in the comments. The maximum is +1, which means all comments (across all similar products) were positive, expressed a willingness to use & buy said product. The minimum is -1 and it means the exact opposite.

The y-axis captures the strength of the signal, i.e. how many people commented and how does this rank against other products in this category. The maximum is +1, which means these products were the most liked, upvoted and talked about launches recently. The minimum is 0, meaning zero engagement or feedback was received.

The sizes of the product dots are determined by the relevance to your idea, where 10 is the maximum.

Your idea is the big blueish dot, which should lie somewhere in the polygon defined by these products. It can be off-center because we use custom weighting to summarize these metrics.

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Users praised Peter and his introduction. They commended the great work and requested information about AppAlloy's initial purpose.

The product lacks a clear explanation of AppAlloy's initial purpose, leaving users confused about its intended use and benefits.

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Firefox is not supported?

Firefox is not supported

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