If it's all about the mindset, why is the creator of one of the Excel behemoths not a programmer? It has a concept of variables (named cells even allows Excel users to name variables), If-else statements (while important for imperative languages, not all programming languages necessarily have if-else), loops (using array functions), and functions (often using another sheet for separate scope). Why do so many want to gatekeep out Excel users who have reached that level as not being programmers? Because the IDE is a GUI, and we've all been taught (sometimes via trying to make one) that GUI programming will "never" work/catch on? Because sometimes it needs to be ported to a different language? (Done that from python to Golang as a 'real' programmer.) Because they sometimes ask for help? (Stack overflow, anybody?) Because Excel sheets don't have unit tests? (Be real - there's tons of code out there that doesn't have tests.) Because their software causes messes when it has a bug? (I'm not ashamed to admit I've written code that has bug in it; ones that managed to make it into production, even!)

I wouldn't consider someone who's new to Excel and doesn't use formulas to be a programmer. But having seen some truely bohemoth spreadsheets from finance (and being asked to port them), I'm having a hard time drawing a line between the two.