Excel or Google Sheets might be holding you back!

Enter the ACID principles — a common foundation for understanding how databases manage data. Don’t worry, this isn’t a chemistry class throwback. We’re talking Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability — key ingredients for keeping data reliable and safe.

Let’s break it down:

• Atomicity: Like placing a single brick—either it fits perfectly, or it doesn’t happen at all. No halfway results.
• Consistency: Each action follows the blueprint. No surprises in structure.
• Isolation: Tasks run without tripping over each other, even when happening simultaneously.
• Durability: Once done, it stays done—even if the system crashes.

These principles form the backbone of transactional databases, where data integrity is critical.

Now, where do spreadsheets fit in?

Spreadsheets are widely used across teams because they’re easy to start with, intuitive to use, and great for quick sharing and real-time collaboration. Anyone in the business—from analysts to marketers—can jump in without needing to understand schema design or write SQL queries.

But when it comes to strict ACID-style reliability, spreadsheets don’t check every box. Their flexibility is also what makes them more prone to accidental edits, broken formulas, or conflicting versions.

On the flip side, databases provide that structural integrity—but they’re harder to set up, require more technical know-how, and don’t always fit seamlessly into every team’s workflow.