From Homo Possidens to Homo Utens: Why Startups Favor Access Over Ownership

If you look at economic history, one could argue it’s the story of the homo possidens—the human who accumulates possessions to gain power, security, and influence. Whether it was land in ancient Rome, factories during the Industrial Revolution, or patents in the classical corporate world, ownership was long the primary lever for creating value and dominating markets.

But in today’s innovation landscape, that logic no longer works. Especially for startups—young, dynamic companies with limited capital—ownership is often out of reach. They face the challenge of driving innovation without being weighed down by asset accumulation. Enter a new economic archetype: the homo utens. The human who uses, not owns. And in early-stage innovation, the homo utens is faster, more agile, and often more successful.

Homo Possidens: Ownership as a Bottleneck

Traditional companies operate on an ownership mindset. Infrastructure, machinery, licenses, software—everything is purchased, secured, and managed. Ownership brings control, predictability, and often prestige.

Yet it has a hidden downside, especially in innovation: it ties up capital, slows decisions, and hardens mindsets.

In early-stage innovation, when hypotheses must be tested and business models validated, ownership quickly becomes a liability. Those who hoard assets focus on efficiency, cost control, and risk mitigation—often before they understand if the market even wants their product or service. Innovation stifles before it has a chance to breathe.

Homo Utens: Access Over Ownership

Startups don’t have this luxury—they have limited capital and resources. But that limitation is their strength: they learn to use rather than own. They leverage SaaS tools, cloud infrastructure, modular hardware, co-working spaces, and platforms. Ownership is irrelevant—access is key.

This shift has profound consequences for speed and agility in innovation: