Build a working spreadsheet

Create a launch budget, test formulas with a known answer, edit cells, and export your workbook.

1. Describe inputs and calculations

Use Work and send the prompt below. Name each column and the calculations that must use formulas. Request an editable workbook explicitly. The sample inputs are deliberately small so you can verify the answer yourself.

Create an editable spreadsheet artifact for a fictional Star Collector launch budget. Sheet Budget: columns Item, Quantity, Unit cost, Total. Rows: Art, 2, 75; Music, 1, 120; Testing, 4, 25. Use formulas for each row total and a grand total, currency formatting, and clearly marked input cells. Add a Summary sheet with the overall budget and a simple chart. Explain which cells I can change. Deliver an editable workbook and an XLSX export.

2. Open the spreadsheet artifact

Open the workbook and switch to Budget. Check headers, rows, number formats, and sheet names. Select a calculated cell and inspect its formula in the formula bar. The expected row totals are 150, 120, and 100; the starting grand total is 370.

3. Test a formula by changing an input

Change Testing quantity from 4 to 5. Its total should become 125 and the grand total should become 395. Check that Summary agrees. A total that does not change may be hard-coded or reference the wrong cell; ask Work to repair the formula.

4. Refine the workbook

Use the editor to adjust cell formatting, add a sheet, or rename a tab. Ask Work to add a contingency calculation in the same workbook. State which inputs and formulas must remain intact, then repeat the known-answer test.

5. Export and reopen

Wait for the saved state, then use Export for an Excel workbook. Open the XLSX in your spreadsheet application and check the formulas and chart again. CSV is useful for a flat table, but does not preserve workbook sheets, formatting, or live formulas.

Update this launch budget workbook with a clearly labeled 10% contingency based on the grand total and a total including contingency. Preserve the input rows and existing formulas. With a base total of 395, the contingency should be 39.50 and the final amount 434.50.

If something goes wrong

If a formula is unsupported in the editor, ask Work for a compatible formula or a simpler calculation and verify the export separately. Never judge a spreadsheet only by how polished it looks; change an input and check the result.

Practice this workflow