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Blog 1 of 4: The “Café Philosophy” of Data

Why Your Brain Loves Spreadsheets (And Why That’s a Problem)

Post Summary: In this first post (1/4), I’ll share an observation from my work: the biggest hurdle for clients is grasping “data architecture.” I’ll compare this to my university days, likening the common spreadsheet-first mindset to a casual “café philosophy” chat, in contrast to the rigorous structure of academic study. We’ll then deconstruct why the spreadsheet “café” is so comfortable by introducing the “Spreadsheet Habitus” — our term for this mindset — and exploring the crucial difference between a spreadsheet’s “non-judgmental grid” and Coda’s “non-judgmental canvas.”

What’s Next: In the next post, we’ll explore a painful paradox: why being an expert in spreadsheets (Excel or Google Sheets) actually makes the transition to a database mindset harder, not easier.

The Architecture Problem

As someone who helps clients structure their data in Coda, I’ve noticed the most significant obstacle for many isn’t a specific formula or feature. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of data architecture. It’s a concept that proves remarkably difficult for some to grasp.

This situation reminds me of my university days and the different approaches to studying…