Curiosity can’t thrive in silos. It needs shared visibility, real insights—and fewer files named FINAL_v2_REALLYthisTime.

It’s a conversation we’ve had more times than we can count:
“We have dashboards, but people still run their own spreadsheets.”
“Our sales team doesn’t trust the reports.”
“Customer service keeps using last quarter’s data—it’s what they know.”

Sound familiar?
You’re not alone. Even in the most data-forward organizations, it’s common for teams to lean on spreadsheets stored on desktops—unplugged from live data, passed around in emails, and held up as the “real version” of the truth.

We get it. Spreadsheets are familiar. Personal. Editable.
You can tweak them, copy them, duplicate them, own them.
And sometimes, that’s the problem.

Spreadsheets Aren’t the Problem. Silos Are.

When everyone creates their own version of the truth, data loses its power to drive alignment.
You end up with:

• Reports that are outdated the moment they’re downloaded

• Formulas that break silently (until a big meeting exposes them)

• Different teams using different numbers to answer the same question

And let’s not even talk about the file names:
Customer_Report_Q1_vFINAL_FINAL2_FORREAL.xlsx.
It’s not just inefficient. It’s risky.

But the real issue isn’t the tool.
It’s a lack of trust—and a lack of shared understanding.

Curiosity Can’t Thrive in the Dark

At Bright, we believe in Curiosity Unleashed.
That means we don’t just build dashboards and workflows.
We create systems that invite the right people to ask better questions.

We don’t believe data speaks for itself—it needs interpreters, context, and collaboration.
Because data is just numbers until the right people get in the room and start asking:

• “Why is that trend shifting?”

• “What’s the real story behind that dip?”

• “What would happen if we did X instead?”

Spreadsheets are great for heads-down work.
But curiosity is a team sport.
And that requires visibility, trust, and a single source of truth everyone can build from.

So Why Do Teams Still Resist Dashboards?

When we see pushback from sales or customer service teams, we don’t see it as a tech issue.
We see it as a human one.

Here’s what’s really going on:

1. Fear of losing control.
   Spreadsheets are your personal sandbox. Dashboards can feel like someone else’s logic.

2. Fear of being exposed.
   When performance becomes visible, some team members worry it will lead to micromanagement or blame.

3. Distrust in the data.
   If past reports were inaccurate or out of sync with reality, people return to the tool they trust most—their own spreadsheet.

4. Change fatigue.
   Another platform, another login, another process—without clear value, people disengage before they even try.

5. No seat at the table.
   When dashboards are built without input from the people who use them, they feel like surveillance—not support.

Replacing Spreadsheets Isn’t the Goal

Empowering curiosity is.

That means designing tools and workflows that:

• Pull data from the source in real time

• Let teams collaborate, sandbox, and experiment safely

• Lock formulas so logic doesn’t get overwritten by mistake

• Make insights visible—and actionable

We don’t want to kill spreadsheets. We want to connect them—to better systems, better strategies, and better decisions.

Because when curiosity is unleashed across the organization, you don’t just get more dashboards.
You get more breakthroughs.

Coming Soon: A Better Way to Connect the Dots

We’re excited to launch a new feature this month:
A connected Google Sheet as an endpoint to our Workflow product.

What does that mean for your team?

• Your spreadsheet stays familiar—but the data stays live

• Updates flow hourly from the source

• You get all the flexibility of a sheet, without the copy/paste chaos

• Users can test variations in a sandbox and propose changes without impacting the core workflow

It’s the best of both worlds:
The comfort of your spreadsheet + the confidence of real-time data.

Because we don’t want you to work harder to get answers.
We want you to work smarter—and ask better questions.

Final Thought

Data is not the finish line. It’s the starting point.

The real magic happens when people across your organization are empowered to explore, connect, challenge, and rethink what the data says—and what to do about it.

At Bright, we’re here to help you build a culture where curiosity isn’t just encouraged.
It’s operationalized.

Let’s stop emailing spreadsheets.
Let’s start unleashing insight.