Spreadsheet-Backed Apps Solve Unique Problems for Scrappy Teams

     Hey boss, got a million dollars? That's about the annual cost of running a small software team. When big businesses encounter unique problems, they develop custom software that provides them a unique solution that fits them like a glove–not to mention provides them with a competitive advantage. But small businesses face just as many unique problems, if not more, why don't they do the same? The answer is simple– building and maintaining software has historically been a very expensive and risky endeavor that most smaller teams simply can't stomach. But that's changing with the arrival of spreadsheet-backed apps that are an order of magnitude cheaper to build and maintain. Ambitious teams on a budget are turning towards this innovative tech stack as a pragmatic middle ground that blends the ease of use of a spreadsheet with the professionalism and power of a custom application.

Scrappy teams are small, creative groups that are trying to do a lot with a little. They're trying to make big things happen without a lot of time, people, or budget. When scrappy teams face a unique problem that demands a unique solution, they turn toward a software industry that has betrayed them. Developing custom solutions from scratch can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a cast of no-code tools just offer lego bricks that can rarely be assembled into their ideal solution. But that's just the beginning: after an app has been built, the team finds they have lost control over their data, since non-developers can no longer analyze or audit the data.

Spreadsheet-backed apps provide a sensible middle ground: compared to custom apps, they are dramatically easier to build and maintain. Compared to a legacy spreadsheet solution, they are able to provide much more robust, scalable, and professional solutions.

Consider the case of Million Dollar Marketing group, a non-profit aiming to uplift it's members by sharing leads with one another. They needed a simple mobile-friendly tracking system where their members could securely submit revenue and view their progress. Plus, they needed their non-technical staff to be able to review, audit, and analyze the submissions in real time. Custom software vendors were quoting them over $10k for a solution that was still lacking in many core features. The SheetRocks solution only cost them $2k, and came with advanced features out-of-the-box like easy user onboarding, customizable dashboards, automatic backups, and negligible maintenance costs.

SheetRocks empowers scrappy teams because it is a multi-interface system: developers can build on top of it with APIs and serverless runtimes, admins can interface with the data through a spreadsheet backend, and customers or team members can interface with the same data through secure, robust mobile app that lets them do what they need to do— no more, no less. This means a more streamlined and efficient experience for everyone.