---
id: "t-2026-02-22-years-of-excel-skill-quietly-made-optional"
type: "thought"
title: "Years of Excel skill, quietly made optional"
date: "2026-02-22"
week: "2026-W08"
url: "https://nosov.ai/writing/years-of-excel-skill-quietly-made-optional/"
linkedin: "https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Ashare%3A7431256695768678400"
author: "Ivan Nosov"
---

# Years of Excel skill, quietly made optional

Spent years getting really good at Excel. Like, genuinely good - it was one of the things that set me apart early in career.

Now I do the same analytical work through Claude in minutes ☕

The skill just... quietly stopped mattering. No one pitched me on it, no vendor demo - I just stopped opening the app.

Anyone else feeling a specific skill from earlier career becoming optional?

Not from abundant AI marketing - from actually using it daily?