profile

Tips & Insights on Finance & AI

Python just arrived in Excel, here is everything you need to know

Published 21 days ago • 4 min read

Hi Reader,

The expectation from us, the finance pros, is that we need to do much more than just keep spreadsheets in order.

We’re expected to dive deep into data, build financial models, and predict what’s coming next.

Excel has been our go-to for years, but let’s face it - handling big datasets or automating complicated processes can feel a bit limiting.

That’s where Python in Excel steps in.

As of now, Python is built right into Excel. You get the familiar Excel interface, but now, with the power of Python to manage more complex tasks, analyze huge datasets, and automate things we used to do manually.

If you’re in finance, this is a game-changer. It’s like taking your Excel skills to the next level, making your work faster and more efficient.

In this edition, I will share with you the first steps of learning how to use Python in Excel and show you a way to master it.

Here is what we'll cover:

  1. ​Free invitation to my next webinar on AI for Finance
  2. ​New video on how AI is going to impact Fractional CFOs
  3. Python just arrived in Excel
  4. Offer of the week: 70% on the Python in Excel for Finance guide
  5. Freebies of the week

Enjoy!

Nicolas

1. Finance AI webinar: the crawl, walk, run playbook

If you want to learn how the best finance teams use AI to maximize their impact, this is the right place for you.

Here's what will be covered:

  • Crawl: Understand the foundational impact AI can have on finance. Learn how to ask the right questions and create effective AI prompts.
  • Walk: Leverage generative AI with your data and integrate user-friendly, off-the-shelf AI tools into your daily operations.
  • Run: Accelerate your finance processes by using generative AI to code, create predictive models, and even build custom GPTs tailored to your organization’s data.

Join me on October 8, 2024, at 1:00 PM ET as I will discuss with Dave Wiesenseck, Ramp's first-ever Expert-In-Residence.
​👉 Secure your seat now!​

2. Video of the week: AI for Fractional CFOs

Michael King, the number one coach for Fractional CFOs, invited me to discuss about the impact of AI on Finance, Accountants and Fractional CFOs.

Enjoy the video:

video preview​

3. Python Just Arrived in Excel (Continue learning here)

Python just became available in Excel, and here, I will reveal why using Python in Excel is a crucial skill to learn if you work in finance.

Python’s integration with Excel is more than just a new feature - it’s a breakthrough for finance professionals. With Python, you can easily handle larger datasets that would typically slow Excel down.

This allows for more efficient data processing using powerful libraries like pandas and NumPy.

Repetitive tasks like updating reports or reconciling data can now be automated, freeing valuable time for more strategic work.

When it comes to complex financial models, Python simplifies advanced calculations such as Monte Carlo simulations or risk models that would be difficult in traditional Excel.

The integration also enhances how we present data. Python’s robust libraries, like matplotlib and seaborn, provide better options for customized and clearer visualizations, making it easier to communicate insights to stakeholders.

Beyond that, Python expands Excel’s limitations, offering tools for more advanced analysis that Excel’s built-in functions just can’t handle.

In addition to all this, Python brings machine learning capabilities directly into Excel, allowing you to create more accurate forecasts and predictive models for revenue, expenses, and market trends- going far beyond traditional methods.

Here are some of the key libraries that finance professionals can leverage within Excel include:

  • pandas
  • NumPy
  • matplotlib and seaborn
  • scikit-learn
  • Faker
  • statsmodels

Keep learning why these libraries are important and how to install Python in Excel in my website article.

4. Special Launch Offer
​The First Python in Excel Guide​

Count down to 2024-10-04T07:00:00.000Z​

Are you tired of Excel's limitations?

Excel alone is great, but it wasn’t built for forecasting and machine learning.

This makes you probably spend too much time on manual work for forecasting, missing out on insights and faster results.

If you're still doing repetitive tasks in Excel or struggling with large datasets, you're leaving time and efficiency on the table.

Imagine cutting down hours of work by automating those time-consuming processes, all while performing more advanced analyses. That’s exactly what Python in Excel can do for you – and now, it’s more accessible than ever.

This new integration gives you the power to scale your work, automate your reports, and take financial analysis to the next level. And the best part? You don’t need to be a coding expert to start.

That's why I partnered with Christian Martinez, one of the biggest experts on AI for finance, to create the "Python in Excel for Finance" guide and help you join the top 1% of finance professionals who are already using it.

​Here's what you get with this guide:

  • 50+ pages of easy-to-follow instructions
  • 10+ finance-specific use cases like advanced financial modeling and automation
  • Step-by-step modules that take you from setting up Python in Excel to creating powerful visualizations and machine-learning forecasts

This guide isn't just another boring theoretical PDF.

It is a tool that will transform your work and make you more valuable to your boss.

And you can get it now and save 70% off!

As this guide is unique and new on the market, you are the one who has the chance to have prime access to it with a discount of 70%.

However, this special launch offer will be available only this week, and the opportunity to learn how to use Python in Excel is something you don’t want to miss. Get it now!​

5. Freebies of the week

​​​Top 3 Excel Resources​
​

​​​100 Productivity Tips
​​

If you found value in this email, just drop me a note ;)

​

Nicolas

​

P.S.: This unique guide is created based on our experience teaching the Advanced ChatGPT for Finance course, where we deep-dived into how to use Python for finance. Now is the chance for you to take advantage and learn this invaluable skill as Python became available in Excel. Use my special launch offer and get the guide by saving 70%!

Count down to 2024-10-04T07:00:00.000Z​

Tips & Insights on Finance & AI

by Nicolas Boucher

Join 130k Professionals and receive the best insights about Finance & AI.More than 1 million people follow me on social media. Join us today and get 5 goodies from me!

Read more from Tips & Insights on Finance & AI

Hi Reader, We hear a lot these days about how finance pros should focus more on storytelling. For many of us, it sounds daunting. "I’m here to make sense of numbers, not write stories!" But here’s the thing - storytelling in finance isn’t new. It’s something we’ve always done. Think about those board meetings where we explain why the numbers look a certain way or those financial reviews where we connect the dots between performance and strategy. That's storytelling. My goal here is simple:...

7 days ago • 4 min read
Learn how to use the most powerful CFO tool

Hi Reader, I often get questions from CFOs about how ChatGPT can create more value in finance. ChatGPT is incredibly powerful and should be integrated into your finance operations. However, CFOs often face uncertainty about how to effectively leverage ChatGPT and how ChatGPT can augment the skills of their finance team. Most importantly, ChatGPT will boost productivity and allow the finance teams to focus on more strategic work. Every day, I teach finance pros and international businesses how...

14 days ago • 4 min read
Top 5 Overlooked FP&A Tactics

Hi Reader, We've all learned certain strategies, theories, and best practices in school. But there are some skills you can never learn at school. Why?In school, they don't teach you how to step out of the crowd and be better. My goal is to reveal the underrated FP&A tactics that helped me progress, and that will help you make a difference in your job. I've learned them from my personal experience and today I want to share them with you. In this edition, I will share with you how to continue...

28 days ago • 4 min read