Excel succeeds in the business world because users interact with visible data directly on the screen rather than relying on abstract database storage and retrieval.

Non-technical workers can build functional tools rapidly, outperforming traditional software development speeds massively. Engineering CS types completely miss the point on this. If Im making a model for finance I need to see the data live, update fast, get my charts done without messing about with matplotlib etc. Get to solutions and decisions.

Spreadsheets are still prolific bc they enable rapid prototyping, visibility and flexibility that is to this day completely unmatched.