The all-powerful spreadsheet can sometimes be a hindrance to business processes, especially when dealing with non-numeric data that becomes cumbersome to manage. Launchpad LA, a top startup accelerator in Southern California, learned this lesson the hard way after relying on spreadsheets to track applicants for their mentorship and accelerator programs. The process became increasingly difficult as the number of applications grew, prompting Kyle Taylor, former director of operations, to search for software solutions that could streamline the applicant tracking process. After trying various options, he discovered Asana and Zapier, which enabled him to automate tasks such as assigning selection committee members responsibilities, note next steps, and pare down applicants to just eight startups per class. The new system has saved Launchpad a "ton of time" and made the process more efficient, allowing the accelerator to expand its programs and support over 40 companies.