Hunch

HUNCHMULTI: several questions, one read of the text

Updated · Edoardo Panichi, maker of Hunch

=HUNCHMULTI(A2:A500, "Mentions price?|Mentions support?|Wants to cancel?") answers up to 10 yes/no questions about each text and returns one probability column per question. In Excel it is =HUNCH.MULTI. The text is read once for all the questions.

Syntax

Google Sheets=HUNCHMULTI(text, questions)
Excel=HUNCH.MULTI(text, questions)
ArgumentRequiredWhat it is
textYesA cell or one-column range with the text to judge.
questionsYes1 to 10 yes/no questions separated by |, or a row of header cells holding one question each, such as C1:F1.

The result is a grid with one row per text and one column per question, each a probability from 0 to 1. Put the formula in the first cell under your headers and it fills across and down.

Examples with real outputs

=HUNCHMULTI(A2:A7, "Does it mention the price or cost?|Does it mention customer support?|Is the person thinking of leaving or canceling?")

In Excel: =HUNCH.MULTI(A2:A7, "Does it mention the price or cost?|Does it mention customer support?|Is the person thinking of leaving or canceling?")

RowABCD
1ReviewPrice?Support?Leaving?
2Support answered in ten minutes and fixed it. Worth every cent.0.910.970.08
3Third price increase this year. We're evaluating alternatives.0.990.010.78
4The app is fine but nobody replies to tickets anymore.0.020.960.55
5Great for small teams, we just renewed for another year.0.020.020.05
6Too expensive for what it does and support is slow. Canceling next month.0.990.990.98
7Would love a dark mode.0.010.020.09

Each question gets its own column, so one review can be yes on several. The last review is yes on all three. "Nobody replies to tickets anymore" is clearly about support (0.96) but only 0.55 on leaving, because it hints at leaving without saying it. Rows like that are the ones to read. "Worth every cent" counts as mentioning price (0.91), which is right for the question as written.

Questions in header cells

Write each question as a column header in row 1, then point the formula at the header row. The headers document the sheet, and editing a header re-asks that column.

=HUNCHMULTI(A2:A500, C1:F1)

In Excel: =HUNCH.MULTI(A2:A500, C1:F1)

Headers can be short labels if the full question sits in a note, but the formula reads the header text itself. "Price?" works worse than "Does it mention the price or cost?".

When to use it

Cost and limits

Questions

Can I mix yes/no questions with categories?
No. Every HUNCHMULTI question is yes/no. Put categories in a separate HUNCHPICK column.
Do the questions influence each other?
No. Each question is judged on its own against the same text.
What happens if a header cell is empty?
Empty questions are skipped. The formula needs at least one question and takes at most 10.

Run it on your own column

Copy the template (or use the Excel add-in), paste your key, point the formula at your data. Every formula here has its Excel spelling underneath. 100 rows free to start, then $29 for 5,000 rows. Credits never expire and there is no subscription.

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