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Module 3 is where spreadsheets stop being a place to store numbers and start answering real questions about your Something Real project. Today you take stock of the data you already have, name the gap, and write one sharp problem that a working spreadsheet will solve over the next weeks.
Think of one number connected to your Something Real project that you still guess rather than calculate (a break-even point, a cost per person, hours in a week, tickets you need to sell). Keep that number in mind: today's work turns that guess into a problem a spreadsheet can answer.
No spreadsheet yet? Use a receipt, message, Work Experience hour total, or a price you have been guessing. That still counts today.
Module 3 builds on spreadsheet basics from the Introduction course. The aim is not a prettier table: it is a sheet that answers a question you actually care about for your Something Real project.
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| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Project data stocktake — a short audit of the numbers and lists you already hold | You spot the real gap before you design a new sheet | Your Intro budget has materials and price, but not hours or break-even |
| Problem-solving spreadsheet — a sheet built to answer one clear question | SM3 KA1 needs a real problem, not a vague topic | "Will 40 grips at €18 cover €6 unit cost plus €45 fixed costs?" beats "make a budget" |
| Decision-ready question — an answer that would change what you do next | If nothing would change, the sheet is busywork | Cost per participant at 80 tickets tells you if the fundraiser price is realistic |
| Data you have vs data you need — known figures split from missing inputs | Missing inputs become your next research or Work Experience ask | Have: stall fee €20 and price €5. Need: expected headcount and helper hours — those two missing inputs block a cost-per-person answer |
Vague topic: "Make a budget for my phone-grip side hustle."
Decision-ready question: "Will GripLocal break even if I sell 40 grips a month at €18 each when each grip costs €6 to make and fixed costs are €45 a month?"
You will copy the full six-section layout (project name, real question, data have, data need, who uses the answer, success looks like) when you build your problem statement page later this lesson.
Read these before you open cloud storage. They unblock the stocktake if your folder or old sheet is missing.
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I cannot find any old spreadsheet for my project | That is fine for today. Use notes, receipts, messages, or Work Experience details instead. List what you know on paper, then write the problem statement from those facts. You will build the Module 3 sheet from scratch in later lessons. |
| My portfolio folder name looks different or I have two folders | Use {{code:Project_Portfolio}} (underscore, no space). Open {{code:09_specialism}} and check {{code:sm3}} is there from earlier Specialism setup. Ask your teacher before creating a second root folder. |
| My "problem" is still a vague topic like "make a budget" | Rewrite it as one decision-ready question. Use the GripLocal model: include a quantity, a price or rate, and what decision the answer will change. If the answer would not change anything you do, sharpen the question. |
With your teacher guiding the class, explore the data you already hold for your Something Real project. The goal is a clear stocktake: what exists, what is missing, and which question still has no number answer.
No old spreadsheet yet? That is normal. Use notes, receipts, or Work Experience figures and still complete the stocktake from what you know.
Create path (pick your platform):
Six headings to fill:
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Sentence starters (use if you stall):
Worked model (GripLocal phone grips): Real question — Will GripLocal break even if I sell 40 grips a month at €18 each when each grip costs €6 to make and fixed costs are €45 a month? Data have — selling price €18; unit cost €6; rough fixed costs €45; last month 22 sales. Data need — exact stall fees; travel cost per market; grips per week of evenings. Who uses answer — me booking stalls; enterprise teacher in the pitch pack. Success — changing units or price instantly shows profit or loss, with currency format and a clear break-even line.
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