Maksim Kogan

Integration architect writing about buy/build/assemble decisions, API platforms, EDA, and AI-era integration.

qconn is my public notebook on integration architecture in the AI era.

I write for architects, platform teams, and IT leaders who need to make practical decisions about integration: when to buy an iPaaS, when to assemble an open stack, and when to modernize what already exists.

My angle is simple: I have sat on both sides of the table.

I have worked as the enterprise buyer/operator, dealing with API governance, MuleSoft/Kafka estates, event-driven platforms, and legacy modernization. I have also worked on the vendor side, seeing how integration platforms are positioned, sold, and adopted.

That gives me a bias toward honest answers. Sometimes the right answer is “buy the platform.” Sometimes it is “do not buy another platform before you understand your operating model.” Sometimes it is “assemble only the parts you can actually maintain.”

Topics

  • buy vs build vs assemble decisions for integration platforms
  • API management, event-driven architecture, and platform governance
  • agent-ready APIs, MCP, and AI-era integration patterns
  • open-source reference stacks and ADR-style architecture decisions
  • DACH-specific integration topics

qconn is authority-first, not product-first. The goal is to build a public body of work.

If that is your kind of problem space, subscribe at qconn on Substack.