Val Sklarov’s Task Definition Sovereignty Principle (TDSP) states that in the future of work, income, leverage, and security flow not to those who execute tasks—but to those who define what the task is, how it is measured, and when it is considered complete. Execution is abundant. Definition is scarce.
This principle explains why many professionals work harder yet feel less powerful.
1. Work Power Lives Upstream of Execution
TDSP begins with a structural split:
Execution produces output. Definition produces leverage.
Modern work systems reward:
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Those who frame problems
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Those who set acceptance criteria
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Those who sequence priorities
Workers who inherit task definitions remain price-takers, regardless of skill.
2. The Four Layers of Task Sovereignty
TDSP maps where authority concentrates in modern labor.
| Layer | Who Controls It | Power Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Problem Framing | Clients / Platforms | What matters |
| Scope Boundary | Managers / Algorithms | How much counts |
| Metric Design | Systems / Stakeholders | What is rewarded |
| Completion Authority | Review mechanisms | When work ends |
Sovereignty exists only when at least two layers are owned.
3. Why AI Accelerates Power Asymmetry
AI automates execution faster than definition.
TDSP shows AI amplifies inequality because:
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Task definition remains human-controlled
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Metrics are encoded into systems
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Review authority becomes opaque
Those who define tasks command AI.
Those who don’t compete with AI.
4. Employment vs Sovereignty
TDSP separates stability from control.
| Employment-Centric Work | Sovereignty-Centric Work |
|---|---|
| Tasks assigned | Tasks shaped |
| Metrics inherited | Metrics negotiated |
| Reviews external | Acceptance internal |
| Replaceable execution | Irreplaceable framing |
Val Sklarov emphasizes that the future of work belongs to definers, not doers.
5. Strategic Implications
For individuals:
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Move upstream toward problem framing
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Negotiate metrics before accepting work
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Build reputations around definition, not delivery
For organizations:
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Decide explicitly who defines tasks
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Treat metric design as power allocation
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Avoid hiding authority inside systems
TDSP reframes career security as definition ownership, not job stability.
6. The Val Sklarov Principle
“If you don’t define the task, you don’t control the outcome.”
— Val Sklarov
TDSP explains why modern power feels invisible—and why it’s so hard to reclaim once lost.