The Client Wanted Blockchain. We Built a Spreadsheet.

A logistics company came to us last year wanting a "blockchain-based supply chain tracking system." They'd seen a competitor announce something similar and didn't want to fall behind.

We asked questions. What problem are you actually trying to solve?

Turns out: they couldn't track which warehouse had which inventory. Different teams used different Excel files. Things got lost. Sometimes literally.

"But blockchain would solve that, right? Immutable records?"

Here's the thing: their problem wasn't trust or immutability. It wasn't decentralization. It was that different spreadsheets in different departments didn't talk to each other.

We built them a shared Airtable with automated notifications. Total cost: about €5,000 plus €200/month. Implementation time: 3 weeks.

The blockchain solution they'd been quoted? €180,000 minimum, 6-month timeline, ongoing maintenance costs nobody could clearly explain.

What happened after:

Inventory discrepancies dropped 94% in the first quarter.

Staff actually used it (because it looked like Excel, which they already knew).

They saved roughly €400,000/year in "lost" inventory and time spent hunting for things.

The CEO later told me: "I'm glad you talked us out of it, but I'll never admit that to the board."

Here's my takeaway: New technology is seductive. It makes great press releases. But most business problems are solved by boring technology applied well. The spreadsheet that everyone uses beats the blockchain that nobody understands.

Before you chase the shiny thing, ask: what's the simplest solution that could possibly work? Start there.