We think this user's problem is exactly the kind of task that should be simple, and it's a perfect example of why traditional spreadsheets fall short when data gets real. Ten thousand entries, daily values, multiple transactions per day: this isn't an edge case. It's a routine data puzzle that should take minutes, not hours of manual work or forum posts.
What this user is describing is a classic date-based merge with aggregation. They have two tables: one with mined amounts and dates, another with daily Bitcoin values. The goal is to compute cost basis by matching each transaction to the correct daily price. That's a straightforward operation in any tool that understands data relationships. In a traditional spreadsheet, it requires nested lookups, careful handling of duplicates, and manual checks for consistency. One wrong row, one off-by-one date, and the entire cost basis calculation is wrong.
The real insight here is that this user already knows what they want to do. They outlined two valid approaches: sum daily amounts first, then multiply, or multiply each transaction and sum later. Either works. The problem isn't logic, it's the tool's inability to make that logic painless. A modern, AI-native spreadsheet should let them write something like "match date, multiply, sum per day" in plain language and get the result instantly. No formulas, no debugging, no Stack Exchange.
We believe the future of data work isn't about users learning more complex functions. It's about tools that understand intent. This user shouldn't have to feel like they "thought they knew Excel" only to hit a wall. They should be able to describe their problem and have the tool solve it. That's the shift: from "what can I make this tool do?" to "what do I need the answer to be?" When the tool handles the mechanics, the user stays focused on the outcome, a credible cost basis, not a formula that finally works.
So here's our concrete point: if you're spending more time wrestling with your spreadsheet than thinking about your data, the problem isn't you. It's the spreadsheet.