Hi, I'm Jon.
I'm a solo developer who built XLNavigator because I was frustrated with Excel's limitations — and I figured other people were too.
After years of working in Excel and wishing it had features that Microsoft never delivered, I decided to build them myself. What started as tools for my own workflow became products that now help thousands of Excel users work faster every day.
XLNavigator is part of KuduTek, my one-person software company where I build tools, bring them to market, and share the journey openly with others who are building.
The Story Behind XLNavigator
Like many people, I spent years working with Excel every day. Financial models, data analysis, project tracking — Excel was the tool for everything. And like many people, I kept running into the same frustrations over and over.
Why couldn't I see all my sheets at once? Why did I have to scroll through dozens of tabs to find the one I needed? Why was entering dates so error-prone? Why did moving data to SQL Server always feel like a battle?
"I kept thinking: these are such basic features. Why hasn't Microsoft fixed this in 30 years of Excel?"
Eventually, I stopped waiting for Microsoft and started building the tools I needed. First, it was just for myself — a simple vertical tabs panel so I could actually see my workbooks. Then a date picker that actually worked with modern Excel. Then an object explorer. Then SQL integration.
When I shared these tools with colleagues, they wanted copies. When I shared them online, the response was overwhelming. People had been dealing with the same frustrations for years.
That's when XLNavigator became more than a side project. It became a real product — and eventually, a real business.
Today, XLNavigator is used by thousands of Excel users in companies of all sizes. But I'm still the same solo developer, building tools to solve real problems. I answer every support email personally. I listen to every feature request. I use my own products every single day.
That's the XLNavigator story. Built by someone who actually uses Excel, for everyone who wishes it worked better.
The Journey
The First Tool
Built my first Excel add-in — a simple vertical tabs panel — to solve my own frustration with navigating large workbooks.
Shared It Online
Posted about the tool in an Excel forum. The response was surprising — people had been looking for this for years.
XLNavigator Launched
Officially launched XLNavigator as a commercial product. Added Date-Picker and Object Explorer based on user feedback.
SQL Import Released
Added SQL Import to the suite, solving one of the most painful Excel workflows for data professionals.
3,000+ Users
XLNavigator now helps thousands of Excel users across the globe work faster every day. And we're just getting started.
What's Next?
New ideas are brewing. New tools are in the works. Stay tuned — the best is yet to come.
Our Mission
To reduce the clicks, steps, and scrolling you make in Microsoft Excel. We build the features Microsoft forgot to include — simple tools that solve real problems and help you work faster.
What We've Built
Four focused tools that solve specific Excel frustrations. Each one designed to do one thing really well.
Part of KuduTek
XLNavigator is part of KuduTek, Inc. — my one-person software company focused on building useful tools and sharing the journey openly.
At KuduTek, I document the real experience of being a solo founder: the wins, the challenges, and everything in between. If you're interested in building software products, starting a business, or the solo founder journey, you might enjoy following along.
"Shipping Ideas. Sharing the Journey."