We’ve been taught to see ownership as possession — a claim, a right, a wall around what’s “ours.” But life doesn’t work that way. We don’t belong through what we hold; we belong through what we’re connected to. Standing in front of my childhood home, I was reminded that relationship, not possession, is what makes something matter. Ownership in the living world is not control, but resonance — not exclusivity, but contribution. What happens when we stop defining ownership as having, and begin seeing it as the way we participate in the world we help create?

In this reflection on the life and legacy of Matt Perez, co-founder of Radical World and co-author of Radical Companies, Jose Leal shares the personal journey they walked together—from questioning traditional business norms to co-creating a vision rooted in co-ownership and co-management. The post honors Matt’s impact, his lessons from Nearsoft, and his unwavering commitment to building a world where organizations serve Life, not control.