🔗 What do you really own in your software business?

As I’m building yet another software service business after having built and sold one back in 2019, I keep wrestling with a fundamental question that might sound simple but has profound implications: What do I actually own in this business?

“What do I actually own” is a question that becomes particularly urgent when you realize that modern software businesses exist in this fascinating paradox. We’re building increasingly valuable assets—businesses that generate revenue, grow in value, and can potentially be sold for significant sums—yet we have less direct control over the infrastructure than ever before. We’re essentially building castles on rented land, and the implications of this go far deeper than most founders realize.