Overview
This podcast episode features a live demonstration and in-depth discussion with Nico, co-founder of Shortcut, an AI tool that automates and enhances spreadsheet work in Excel and Google Sheets. The conversation highlights product capabilities, target users, practical workflows, and suggestions for maximizing productivity and financial modeling using Shortcut.
Introduction to Shortcut
- Shortcut is an AI-powered app that integrates with Excel and Google Sheets to automate modeling, data cleaning, and analysis.
- The tool aims to handle up to 90% of typical spreadsheet work, reducing hours of manual effort to minutes.
Key Product Features and Use Cases
- Users can import existing Excel files and update them with new data via natural language prompts.
- Shortcut is effective for creating and updating complex financial models, such as discounted cash flow (DCF) statements and P&Ls.
- The system provides observability by tracing model output back to original data and sources.
- Task lists, formula checks, and error correction are performed automatically by the AI agent.
- Supports both expert users seeking efficiency and non-expert users aiming to achieve advanced results without technical skills.
Demonstration Highlights
- Live walkthroughs showed updating financial models, extracting and benchmarking data, and creating utilization dashboards for agencies.
- The AI handled complex prompt-based tasks, clarified user requirements, and iteratively refined spreadsheet outputs.
- Data traceability includes citing specific sources (e.g., 10K filings), formulas, and assumptions for review.
Productivity Benefits and Target Audiences
- Expert users save significant time on repetitive or complex spreadsheet tasks.
- Novices can create sophisticated models or dashboards with minimal Excel knowledge.
- Shortcut enables "finance team in a box" functionality for solo founders and small startups.
- Observability and trust in outputs are prioritized through transparency and review features.
Recommendations for Using Shortcut Effectively
- Begin with broad or vague prompts to let the AI ask clarifying questions and explore creative solutions.
- Utilize Shortcut for both new model creation and updating existing templates.
- Take advantage of built-in benchmarking or custom data prompts for industry comparisons.
Pricing and Availability
- The Pro plan is available at $40/month; a Max plan with advanced analyst features is $200/month.
- The analyst beta in the Max plan allows parallel task execution, ideal for enterprise use.
- Shortcut will be live at the time of podcast publication and can be tried at trash.ai.
Decisions
- Shortcut is positioned for immediate adoption by both expert and non-expert spreadsheet users.
Action Items
- TBD – Audience: Visit trash.ai to try Shortcut for free and test its capabilities with your hardest spreadsheet tasks.