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

Yetvart Artinyan
21 hours ago
4 min read

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:

Rapid experimentation: New ideas can be tested immediately without large fixed costs.
Risk minimization: If a project fails, the loss is temporary access, not a purchased asset.
Value creation focus: The priority is problem-solution fit and validating the business model. Ownership and efficiency come later, after validation.

In short, the homo utens thinks differently. Assets are not the benchmark—agility and access are.

Operating in Value Ecosystems

The logic of the homo utens naturally pushes startups into value ecosystems. Here, value, innovation, and scale are created collaboratively—through networks, partnerships, and platforms.

Examples include:

SaaS platforms: Startups use specialized software without developing or buying it. CRM, accounting, analytics—all on subscription.
Cloud infrastructure: Servers are rented, not purchased. Scale dynamically, pay only for what you use.
Co-working and lab spaces: Physical infrastructure is shared. Experimentation and office space don’t require long-term ownership.
Open innovation & communities: Startups collaborate with partners, share knowledge, and access customers collectively.

In these ecosystems, value is created where it matters, not where assets are owned. Resources are flexibly leveraged, partnerships enable scale, and speed becomes the ultimate advantage.

Speed, Agility, and Learning

This access-over-ownership approach directly impacts innovation processes:

Iteration over investment: Experiments can start and adapt quickly. Hypotheses are validated early.
Learning-focused: Startups discover what products or services create real value before committing capital.
Scale on demand: Efficiency and margin optimization come after value creation and business model validation.

The central difference between homo possidens and homo utens becomes clear: while owners focus on efficiency and control, users focus on value creation and flexibility. Ownership follows value, not the other way around.

Real-World Examples

SaaS startups: Leverage cloud computing and third-party tools to quickly build prototypes. Only after market validation do they invest in custom infrastructure.
Hardware startups: Instead of buying manufacturing lines, they work with co-manufacturers and shared labs to test multiple product variants.
Mobility startups: Car-sharing companies often operate fleets through partnerships, not ownership, scaling dynamically with demand.

All these examples demonstrate the same principle: Access before assets. Value first, ownership later.

Cultural and Organizational Dimension

It’s not just economics; it’s a mindset:

Teams become more agile and collaborative.
Decisions are experiment-driven and data-informed.
Failure is a learning opportunity, not a capital loss.
Ownership thinking, which often enforces conservative strategies, recedes.

Startups embody a new type of organizational culture: Value over assets. Speed over security.

The Future of Innovation: Homo Utens as a Model

The logic of the homo utens isn’t just a startup hack—it’s becoming a blueprint for innovation everywhere. Established companies watch how young firms learn faster, scale better, and validate business models without heavy asset investments.

Those who cling to ownership risk missing the next wave of innovation. Today, innovation happens in interconnected value ecosystems, through flexible access to resources, platforms, and knowledge. Assets come later—ownership is no longer the starting point.

Key Takeaway

Innovation doesn’t happen through ownership—it happens through access, within interconnected value ecosystems. The Homo Utens shows us that speed, agility, and learning capacity are today’s currency of innovation.

Conclusion for Readers:

Ownership ties up capital, slows learning, and inhibits innovation.
Access creates flexibility, speed, and experimental freedom.
Startups operate in homo utens mode: value creation first, efficiency and ownership later.
The future belongs to those who strategically leverage access and ecosystems.