I must resist the urge to write "users can access the DB via the APIs in front of it" :-D
But, seriously, Teleport (back before they did a licensing rug-pull) is great at that and no SSH required. I'm super positive there are a bazillion other "don't use ssh as a poor person's VPN" solutions
You might be interested in Peter F. Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga sci-fi series, then.
Among other tech, it involves the founding of a megacorp that exploits the discovery and monopolization of wormhole technology for profit, causing a rift between the two founders, who each remind me of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in their cooperation and divergence.
Ah yeah, that's a great scene! The bravado and hubris of gatecrashing an interplanetary livestream to launch your startup out of stealth is just chef's kiss.
But, seriously, Teleport (back before they did a licensing rug-pull) is great at that and no SSH required. I'm super positive there are a bazillion other "don't use ssh as a poor person's VPN" solutions