In partnership with
If you’ve got 2 minutes, please give us your view by filling in our survey. This helps us create content YOU love.
Hey! It’s Jack.
I’ll be honest — spreadsheets packed full of data are kinda boring… do you agree? In this week’s Deep Dive, I’ve got some advice for jazzing up your data in Excel to make it more exciting (important) but also more usable (VERY important!)
In this edition of On The Pulse:
Make your data pop with formatting, charts, & graphs!
Mass resignations within Elon Musk’s DOGE team
The robot that just performed a DJ set (I’m not joking!)
Table of Contents
Let’s get started!
Start learning AI in 2025
Everyone talks about AI, but no one has the time to learn it. So, we found the easiest way to learn AI in as little time as possible: The Rundown AI.
It's a free AI newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the latest AI news, and teaches you how to apply it in just 5 minutes a day.
Plus, complete the quiz after signing up and they’ll recommend the best AI tools, guides, and courses – tailored to your needs.
🔍 FAVOURITE FINDS
📰 News
A group of 21 federal technology staffers resigned from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), citing concerns that their expertise was being used to dismantle critical public services rather than improve them. The resignations come amid broader efforts by Musk and the Trump administration to overhaul the federal workforce, with critics arguing that political ideology is taking precedence over technical expertise. The move follows earlier layoffs in the U.S. Digital Service, which had been responsible for modernizing key government functions like Social Security, tax filing, and veterans’ services. Honestly, this whole situation feels chaotic — government tech isn’t something you can just “move fast and break,” and stripping experienced professionals from these systems could have serious consequences for everyday Americans who rely on them.
🧐 Interesting
Max Scherzer has voiced strong opposition to MLB’s automated ball-strike challenge system (ABS), questioning whether technology is needed to override human umpires. During his Blue Jays spring training debut, Scherzer was on the losing end of two pitch challenges, leading him to argue that baseball should be “judged by humans” rather than being disrupted by automated reviews. While some see ABS as a step toward more accurate officiating, Scherzer believes it’s an unnecessary overreach that won’t meaningfully improve the game. Honestly, while accuracy is important, I get Scherzer’s frustration — baseball thrives on human elements, and constant challenges could slow things down and take some of the organic drama out of the sport.
A humanoid war robot named Phantom, designed by Foundation Robotics Labs for military and defense purposes, made an unexpected appearance as a DJ at a San Francisco nightclub during an AI trade expo. While the event was meant to showcase the robot’s versatility, its offbeat fist bumps and rigid performance highlighted the contrast between its serious defense applications and this lighthearted moment. Foundation Robotics Labs, unlike many competitors, openly embraces the idea of humanoid robots in warfare, reinforcing their belief that they are “critical to the future of combat”. Honestly, the image of a battlefield-ready robot spinning tracks in a club is equal parts amusing and unsettling — it’s a fun PR stunt, but it also raises questions about the blurred lines between tech designed for entertainment and military use.
✨ DEEP DIVE
💯 Making your data pop
Let’s face it — a spreadsheet full of numbers isn’t exactly the most exciting thing to look at. But with a few tricks up your sleeve, you can turn that data into something clear, useful, and dare I say… pleasant to work with?
Charts & Graphs
Charts are a quick way to bring your numbers to life, and picking the right one matters:
Bar Charts: Great for comparing things — like sales across teams or regions.
Line Charts: Ideal for showing trends over time, such as monthly progress.
Pie Charts: Handy for splitting out proportions — think budget breakdowns.
To get started, highlight your data and head to Insert > Recommended Charts — Excel will suggest options that fit. Once it’s there, tweak it a bit: add a title, pop on some labels, and adjust the colours to keep it sharp and professional.
Conditional Formatting
Conditional Formatting is like a shortcut to smarter data. It highlights what you need to see:
Highlight Rules: Set cells to change colour based on values — say, red for low sales or green for targets hit. Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > Highlight Cells Rules to set it up.
Colour Scales: Add a gradient to show high-to-low trends at a glance.
Data Bars: These fill cells with bars to compare values easily — no squinting required.
It’s a small change that saves time and makes your data pop.
Sparklines
Sparklines are little charts that fit inside a single cell — perfect for tracking trends without taking up space. Think weekly figures or project updates.
Select a cell next to your data, go to Insert > Sparklines, pick Line or Column, and link it to your numbers. Done. They’re simple but give you a quick snapshot of what’s happening.
PivotCharts
For bigger datasets, PivotCharts are a game-changer. They pair with a PivotTable and update as your data does — no manual fiddling needed.
Start with a PivotTable (Insert > PivotTable), then add a PivotChart via Insert > PivotChart. Choose your style, and use the filters right on the chart to focus on what matters — like specific dates or categories. It’s analysis made easy and looks pretty good too.
There you have it — some straightforward ways to work smarter with data in Excel. Give them a go next time you’re tackling data, and let me know how you get on. Got a tip of your own? I’d love to hear it — just hit reply!
✅ WRAPPING UP!
That’s all for this edition of On The Pulse.
Thanks for reading and see you soon! 👋