December 7, 2025· 18 min

How Microsoft Excel Conquered Corporate America

Dina Bass Max Chafkin

Orality

Model

71%

Oral-dominant (speeches, podcasts, storytelling)

Speaker Breakdown

HostJoe Weisenthal(813 words)

M:26%

HostTracy Alloway(1,306 words)

M:28%

GuestDina Bass(607 words)

M:29%

GuestMax Chafkin(183 words)

M:94%

Oral Indicators

Agonistic17%

obviously, basically, very

Engagement53%

you, our, your

Memory Aids100%

listen, now, like

Repetition100%

like (88x), excel (52x), microsoft (32x)

Parallelism57%

So obviously at this level...., So it used to be a competition..., And they changed it a couple y...

Sound Patterns54%

21 question(s), alliteration: "markets move", alliteration: "barclays brief"

Formulaic Phrases10%

at the end of the day, i mean

Literate Indicators

Hedging14%

may, maybe, might

Passive Voice4%

been created, was suggested, was called

Abstract Nouns21%

investment, business, chase.com/business

Subordination8%

since, because, while

Sentence Length33%

Avg: 13.3 words/sentence

Word Complexity50%

investment, analyze, anticipate

Academic Markers8%

according to

Impersonal Style47%

206 personal pronouns found

Descriptive Style68%

apply, internationally, really

Description

Excel. If you work in corporate America, that word either inspires laser-focused productivity or pure dread. Over the last 40 years, the spreadsheet software has become synonymous with the best — and worst — of late-stage capitalism. It’s seeped into popular culture and, along the way, made Microsoft one of the world’s most valuable companies.But in a world of AI and new competition where Excel=Sum(39+1), can it stay on top? From the Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Dina Bass and Businessweek’s Max Chafkin join host Sarah Holder to track the rise and challenges ahead for one of the most ubiquitous programs around. Like this episode? Listen and Subscribe to the Big Take podcast on Apple, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts Only Bloomberg.com subscribers can get the Odd Lots newsletter in their inbox — now delivered every weekday — plus unlimited access to the site and app. Subscribe at bloomberg.com/subscriptions/oddlots See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

← Affirm's Max Levchin Breaks Down How Buy...Dan Ivascyn Is Excited About a New Era i... →