Ashton Kuehne
Founder & Principal Engineer · Appex Technology
Ashton founded Appex Technology after watching too many businesses get stuck in per-seat SaaS products that stopped fitting their process — paying growing bills for shrinking leverage. His background is in full-stack engineering with a long focus on product architecture and systems that businesses can actually own and operate long term.
He works directly with founders and operations leaders to decide whether to build, buy, or customize — and then does the building. At Appex Technology, the answer is rarely "build everything from scratch" and never "subscribe to everything." The goal is always the right tool for the situation: owned when ownership creates leverage, rented when it is genuinely commodity.
Ashton writes about the decisions behind technology choices: when custom software beats SaaS, how to evaluate a technology partner honestly, and why the middle path — customizing an open-source platform — solves more problems than most businesses realize. His clients span professional services, healthcare, fintech, and e-commerce, and include both early-stage founders and established operators.
He holds a strong view that the best engineering advice is often "don't build this yet" — the goal is leverage for the client, not billable scope. That orientation shapes how Appex Technology scopes and prices every project.
Areas of expertise
Questions or project inquiries? Reach us at info@appextechnology.com or use the contact form.
Articles by Ashton Kuehne
Self-Hosted vs SaaS: The True Cost of Per-Seat Software
Per-seat SaaS looks cheap until you scale. Here's how self-hosted open-source software compares on total cost of ownership — and when switching pays off.
How to Choose a Software Development Partner (2026 Checklist)
A practical checklist for choosing a software development partner or consultancy — what to ask, the red flags to avoid, and how to protect ownership of your code.
Do You Need a Fractional CTO? A Guide for Founders
What a fractional CTO does, when a startup or growing business needs one, and how fractional technical leadership compares to hiring full-time or going without.
How to Cut Your SaaS Bill Without Losing Capability
A practical playbook to reduce SaaS costs in 2026 — audit per-seat tools, consolidate overlap, and replace the worst offenders with self-hosted open source you own.
Custom Software vs. Off-the-Shelf: How to Decide in 2026
A practical framework for choosing between custom software, SaaS, and customized open-source platforms — and what each really costs your business in 2026.
Open-Source Alternatives to Salesforce, HubSpot & Other SaaS (2026)
A practical 2026 guide to self-hostable open-source alternatives — replace Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Calendly, Mailchimp and more, and stop paying per seat.
How Much Does Custom Software Cost? A 2026 Pricing Guide
What custom software really costs in 2026 — typical price ranges by project type, what drives the price, pricing models, and how fixed-scope estimates keep it predictable.
What Is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)? A 2026 Guide
AEO explained: how to get your business cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews in 2026 — the answer-first structure, schema, and authority signals that matter.
AI for Small Business: Practical LLM Use Cases (Not Hype)
Where AI and large language models actually pay off for small businesses in 2026 — practical, proven use cases you can add to software you already own.
Avoiding Vendor Lock-In: A Guide for Growing Companies
Vendor lock-in quietly raises costs and limits options. Here's how to spot it, avoid it, and keep your software and data portable as you grow.
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