The spreadsheet where data comes to life

In this enlightening episode of the Tekpon SaaS Podcast, host Cristian Dina sits down with Henrique Cruz, the Head of Growth at Rows. The conversation dives into the evolution of spreadsheets, Rows’ unique positioning in the market, and the innovative approaches they employ to stay ahead of the curve.

What does Rows do?

Henrique introduces Rows as a modern spreadsheet solution that revolutionizes how users import, transform, and share data. Unlike traditional tools like Excel and Google Sheets, Rows is built for the modern era, seamlessly integrating with numerous SaaS tools and utilizing AI to optimize workflow.

Henrique identifies three primary technological shifts driving the need for a modern spreadsheet solution: the rise of mobile-first work culture, the explosion of SaaS tools, and the emergence of AI. Rows address these shifts by offering pre-built connectors to various integrations, including Google Analytics, Facebook Ads, Salesforce, and custom APIs. This robust data layer allows users to collect data from various sources without writing a single line of code.

In addition to these integrations, Henrique emphasizes the product’s two core advantages: its AI capabilities and intuitively beautiful dashboards. Rows leverages AI to help users build reports and analyze data effortlessly. When shared, the spreadsheets transform into visually appealing, mobile-friendly dashboards that can be embedded into tools like Notion for greater functionality.

Rows primarily cater to marketers, growth specialists, founders, and tech companies. Henrique explains that their freemium model allows users to start for free and access additional features as needed. This model is essential given the competition from established applications like Excel and Google Sheets, which nearly every potential customer already has installed.

Rows best features

The conversation then shifts to Rows’ innovative marketing strategy, notably their decision to eliminate the traditional homepage. Instead, new visitors land directly on the product. This approach, driven by a desire to lower the barrier to entry, has proven incredibly successful. Henrique cites impressive metrics, such as tripling the conversion rate to signups and significantly increasing user activation and time on page, which also improved their SEO performance.

Discussing competition, Henrique points out that while Rows faces incumbents like Excel and Google Sheets, these established products rarely innovate. Instead, Rows positions itself as the superior choice for tasks traditionally handled by vertical tools, such as marketing analytics platforms. Despite the stiff competition, Rows has managed to carve out a niche, partly thanks to the substantial time and effort required to build a competent spreadsheet tool. Henrique reveals that it took Rows six years to create a reliable core product, reaching a milestone of one million users.

Concluding the product-focused section, Henrique shares the company’s founding story, detailing how the founders, ex-consultants Humberto and Torb, saw inefficiencies in everyday spreadsheet use and sought to address them with a modern solution. Henrique joined Rows six years ago as the first product person and has since transitioned into his current growth-oriented role.

The Story of Rows

Henrique also outlines the company’s vision for the future, focusing on simplifying the processes of importing, transforming, and sharing data. Upcoming advancements include more integrations, enhanced AI capabilities, and improved sharing features that make spreadsheets look and function like business intelligence tools.

In discussing his role, Henrique gives listeners a glimpse into his daily activities, which include product development, user engagement, content creation, and exploring new acquisition channels. He emphasizes the importance of user feedback and iterating based on real-world use cases.

For those considering a career in tech or growth roles, Henrique advises embracing the emerging AI trend by building and experimenting with new technologies. Drawing from his journey, he advocates for gaining diverse experience and being open to evolving roles within a company.

In closing, Henrique invites listeners to try Rows and share their feedback, offering a unique opportunity to experience their no-homepage strategy first-hand. This episode thoroughly explains Rows, its innovative features, and the strategic thinking that drives its growth in an evolving market.